By MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jun 30, 2:48 PM ET



Cyndi Lauper has lost her bid to have the rent on her Manhattan apartment cut nearly in half.

On Thursday, the state Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that set Lauper's rent at nearly $1,000 a month.

Lauper and her husband, actor David Thornton, sued the owners of their luxury apartment building, claiming they were cheated out of thousands of dollars in a scheme to end rent stabilization for their residence.

In 1992, 390 West End Associates entered into a lease with Shlomo Baron for an apartment in the Apthorp building. While the prior tenant paid just $508 monthly for the apartment, Baron agreed to pay $2,400 a month under an agreement that he wouldn't use the dwelling as his primary residence. Baron then sublet the apartment to the couple for $3,250 a month.

In 1996, the Thorntons sued Baron, seeking to recover what they paid in excess of the legal stabilized rent plus damages. They later sued 390 West End, seeking to have their rent reduced to the stabilized price of $508 a month.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Thorntons except for the manner of determining rent. The court used a default formula adopted by the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to determine the rent should be set at $989 a month.

The Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in a 5-2 decision.

Lauper, 52, is best known for her 1980s hits "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Time After Time" and "I Drove All Night."