Tenant advocacy group names the city's worst landlords; Icon and Steve Croman in top 10

[Image from Thursday via @ANHDNYC]

Some familiar names to East Village residents made the list of Stabilizing NYC's "10 worst predatory equity landlords" in NYC, which the housing group announced Thursday on the steps of City Hall:

1) All Year Management
2) Coney Realty Group
3) David David
4) Icon Realty Management
5) INK Property Group
6) Madison Realty Capital/Silverstone Property Group
7) Steven Croman
8) R.A. Cohen & Associates
9) Ved Parkash
10) ZARA Realty Holding Corp

Per a news release:

"All the landlords on the list reportedly force tenants to live in horrendous and, often, dangerous conditions. Their unscrupulous and often illegal practices impact the entire city.

“We will be targeting these landlords to help tenants fight back against the predatory practices that put their homes at risk,” said Keriann Pauls, a staff attorney with the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center. “Predatory equity landlords are jeopardizing tenant safety and housing stability throughout the city.”

And...

Recently, the New York City Council has introduced legislation useful to lawyers and organizers in this struggle against predatory equity, including the Predatory Equity Watch List. With additional resources, Stabilizing NYC is working with the city council to enforce these new laws against predatory equity landlords.

"Landlords who act in bad faith in order to kick out tenants to make a profit and flip buildings should pay attention: we’re developing tools that will protect tenants and their homes, and disallow landlords from beefing up their pockets through illegal actions,” said Councilmember Ritchie Torres. “I’m proud to be working with CAPE and Stabilizing NYC on legislation to confront the problem of predatory equity that seeks to destroy affordable housing and communities."

Residents, tenant-rights organizations and local elected officials have accused Icon Realty, who owns multiple East Village buildings, of displacing rent-regulated tenants with frivolous lawsuits and exposing them to hazardous health and safety threats.

Madison Realty Capital/Silverstone Property Group is now managing Raphael Toledano's East Village portfolio.

Last Tuesday, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the guilty plea of Croman. Under the terms of his plea, Croman would serve one year of jail time on Rikers and pay a $5 million tax settlement. Croman's real-estate empire includes 47 buildings with 617 units in the East Village — more than any other than any other landlord in this neighborhood.

Stabilizing NYC — a coalition of 15 grassroots, neighborhood-based organizations, a citywide legal service provider and a citywide housing advocacy organization — formed in 2014. According to their website, the collation "works to combat tenant harassment and preserve affordable housing for the New Yorkers who need it most."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Tenants and local elected officials speak out against Icon Realty