The newly formed EV Scharfman Coalition, along with the Cooper Square Committee, was behind this "Scharfman, Cut The Sh*t!" Dance Party. NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and Assembly Member Harvey Epstein also spoke on behalf of the tenants.
Some background, per Cooper Square officials:
Tenants of landlord Mark Scharfman are calling on their landlord to meet with them as they've requested, stop taking tenants to court for legally withholding rent during sewage flooding, treat them respectfully, and provide safe, sanitary living conditions.After three rounds of sewage flooding in one East Village building and similar issues in another building, several responses from the fire department, and requests for repairs and maintenance unanswered or seriously delayed, tenants have banded together to bring attention to the terrible conditions they've lived through as well as their experiences with their landlord and management company as some now face housing court because they legally withheld rent for unlivable conditions.Mark Scharfman, the owner of the buildings and a landlord associated with close to 150 buildings in NYC, many of which are managed under his Beach Lane Property Management Company, has been accused of tax fraud by multiple organizations, serious maltreatment of tenants, and more for years. In addition, Scharfman has been on the Public Advocate's Worst Landlord List, coming in at number 44 in 2021 and number 28 in 2020.
I am sad to admit how this doesn't shock me. This is appalling and unacceptable. I can't imagine living like this. I hope this is on the local news outlets. GROSS! My heart goes out to these tenants.
ReplyDeleteThe laws need to be changed. When a landlord cannot be bothered to maintain a property the building should be legally confiscated and gifted to the existing tenants.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea.
DeleteIf you wanna pass new laws, you should probably run for City Council. I don't think laws are changed based on blogs comments.
DeleteIt’s called a 7A administration with the help of a tenants association and HPD.
Deletei just puked a little. these property should be seized and put under control by someone more responsible.
ReplyDeleteIf you like the idea of taking buildings away from bad landlords and putting them into the hands of the tenants who care about them, I encourage you to learn more about (and call your representatives and tell them to support) the proposed Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), which would create a pathway for tenants to takeover their buildings and convert them to a community land trust or limited-equity co-op.
ReplyDeletehttps://housingjusticeforall.org/our-platform/tenant-opportunity-to-purchase-act/
TOPA, as it is currently written, would provide tenants with the right of first refusal to take over their building when the landlord wants to sell it. However, once TOPA becomes law, I think that many policymakers would be excited about the possibility of an expanded version of TOPA that would also enable tenants to take over buildings from horrible landlords like Scharfman who have, through repeated violations, demonstrated a failure to maintain habitable conditions.
I have lived in deplorable cconditions since Feb 2015. Two different landlords rallies stop orders and city agencies who never hold these slumlords accountable hiding behind LLC's and the baseless LT Court filings to get Rent Stabilized tenants out by refusing repairs. I am in litigation since 2017. There qrr no free lawyers for anyone. And while these rallies draw attention, landlords and their lawyers don't care..they lie, pay off inspectors and do illegal c9nstruction ad harassment. If animal control thought dogs and cats were in our building, the owners would be in jail. Sadly we are adult humans and don't count uless children live in the building. DOB HPD and DOHMH also are to blame.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, all under human control. And adding as I’m in same situation , to all those who keep insisting otherwise- THERE ARE NO FREE LAWYERS. No such thing as right to counsel .
Delete@1:37pm
ReplyDeleteHow many tenants do you think can match the bid from some real estate investor/ developer? we're talking about millions of dollars!
right of 1st refusal means you have to match the bid on the building to have 1st refusal.
Deny scofflaw landlords all tax breaks.
ReplyDeleteScharfman is the new Croman.
ReplyDelete