Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Tenant advocacy group names Icon Realty and Steven Croman among NYC's worst landlords


[Photo from June by Derek Berg]

Some familiar names to East Village residents have reportedly made the inaugural list of bad landlords by Stabilizing NYC, a coalition of City-funded tenant advocates and neighborhood organizations.

Politico New York has the story and background:

As the de Blasio administration engaged in a push to reform rent regulations in June, a coalition of tenant advocates and neighborhood organizations seeking to protect renters from landlord harassment received a $1.25 million boost in City Council funding for the upcoming fiscal year.

Stabilizing NYC, which formed last year with seed money from Councilman Dan Garodnick, has since created its own version of the typical "bad landlords" watch list, including seven companies that own or run a combined 509 buildings throughout the city.

Icon Realty and Steve Croman were among the seven landlords named. According to Politico New York, the reps for the two landlords either did not respond to messages or declined to comment about making the list.

Croman remains under investigation by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for allegedly using illegal tactics to force rent-stabilized tenants out of their units.

At the Icon Realty-owned 128 Second Ave., tenants in March filed a HP Action for Repairs and Services, citing inconsistent heat, lack of fire alarms, a broken fire escape, front door, and stairs, and other dangerous living conditions. Residents have also alleged "harassment from the landlord in order to push out rent-regulated tenants." In June, the tenants filed a contempt of court motion against Icon for the ongoing building issues.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Steve Croman facing another lawsuit from East 8th Street residents

Report: East 8th Street residents sue landlord Steve Croman, allege intimidation, harassment

Watch a lot of people speak out against Steve Croman and 9300 Realty

Report: State Attorney General launches Steve Croman investigation

Tenants at 128 2nd Ave. file suit against Icon Realty in housing court

The Wall Street Journal on the ongoing issues at Icon Realty's 128 2nd Ave.

East Village tenants demand end to months without heat, gas at 128 2nd Ave.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is Croman related to the Cronut?

Gojira said...

No, the Cro-Magnon.

Anonymous said...

Dan Garodnick? Really? Stuy Town has deteriorated from a vibrant community to a feces schmeared dorm under his watch. Check out the blog Stuyvesant Report then let's talk Danny Boy.

Anonymous said...

City-funded? You mean they have their hands in the taxpayers' pockets?
I'm no fan of Cromagnon, but he doesn't steal from tax payers.

Bill

Anonymous said...

You can't blame Dan G. for Stuy Town's current state.
Blame Rob Speyer, who sold ST for waaaay too much money, and was rewarded with the chairmanship of REBNY.

Anonymous said...

Bill,

Of course you are a fan of Croman. He is the natural end result of the ideology you tout. He is the final boss.

Anonymous said...

Haters gonna hate.

Anonymous said...

Agree with 4:07pm - the conditions in Stuy Town are NOT Garodnick's doing.

Rightly blame the jackasses who thought they'd just done the coolest real estate deal in the world by buying ST/PCV from MetLife, and who then proceeded to harass the legit tenants, AND move all those #&%* college idiots in. The owners lost big $$, but unfortunately the residents of ST/PCV lost more: they lost the stability of that community, and all pretense of decent quality of life.

Anonymous said...

Now can we please turn our attention to the Icon jerks, who justly deserve inclusion in ANY list of worst landlords (or even "worst excuses for human beings").

My question: What will it take for NYC to investigate the shit out of these creeps?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous re: my ideology (which is individual liberty),
do you think big govt. communism/deblasioismo is better?
What's your evidence for that?

Bill

Anonymous said...


Anonymous 2:25, FWIW, that is happening.

Anonymous said...

So again NYCHA did NOT make the City's worst landlord list but only private companies were listed? What a joke! Thousands remain in sub-standard apartments and tenant advocates are no where to be found.