Showing posts with label Jared Kushner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jared Kushner. Show all posts

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Report: Landlord Jared Kushner 'treats both rent-stabilized and market-rate tenants badly'


[Reader photo at 118 E. 4th St. from March 6]

Gothamist checks in with a long look on life in a property owned by Jared Kushner/Westminster Management. And there haven't been any shortage of tenant horror stories since Kushner started buying up properties here in 2013, as we've noted at EVG through the years. (According to the Cooper Square Committee, Kushner is the neighborhood's second-largest landlord after Steve Croman.)

As we noted earlier this month, tenants at 118 E. Fourth St. went to Manhattan Housing Court on March 3 as part of ongoing litigation against Kushner. Tenants there had been without gas for cooking since October. There are other issues too, such as collapsed ceilings, overflowing trash and sporadic heat. (Tenants got the gas restored afterwards.)

In defense of Kushner/Westminster, a spokesperson responds: "Unfortunately, like many other old buildings in New York City, repair issues arise periodically and we inherited problems when we purchased this building. We are grateful that our residents have voiced their concerns. We value their tenancy and we are committed to a mutually beneficial long term building management-tenant relationship."

Brandon Kielbasa at the Cooper Square Committee tells Gothamist that Kushner "treats both rent-stabilized and market-rate tenants badly, and seems to feel that he can get away with not maintaining buildings because the housing market is so tight he can keep them full anyway."

And one outcome of all this in Kushner-owned properties, per Gothamist:

The economic differences between the old and new residents paying three times as much have also created a culture clash. Some longtime East Villagers, nurses and artists and filmmakers loyal to the neighborhood, resent the transient, party-animal culture of affluent students and out-of-towners in their first New York apartment who will be gone when their lease expires.

“We used to have a community in this building,” laments one man. Before ... Kushner, says Kim Stetz, “we didn’t have SantaCon in our building. We didn’t have raging parties with people throwing up out their windows.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Jared Kushner not done buying every walk-up in the East Village

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment

Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. 4th St. would like gas for cooking and some heat

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. 4th St. would like gas for cooking and some heat


[Image via Streeteasy]

Via the EVG inbox...

Tenants of 118 East 4th Street in the East Village appear back in Manhattan Housing Court on Thursday March 3rd at 9:30 AM as part of ongoing litigation against their landlord, Jared Kushner. Tenants are calling for the immediate restoration of essential services and for living conditions to be rectified.

The tenants have recently endured bouts of no heat, mounding trash, and have been without cooking gas since October 2015. Con Ed shut down all gas for the building and Jared Kushner has yet to take the necessary procedures with the city to restore it. This comes on top of the landlord’s failure to repair a multitude of potentially dangerous conditions in the building, including:

• No cooking gas
• Collapsed ceilings
• Questionably safe electrical systems
• Mounding trash
• Deprivation of heat
• Apartments entered without notice
• Blocked mail delivery
• Vermin

The tenants filed an HP Action for repairs and services in January to seek a remedy for these unsafe conditions. The landlord received a default judgement at the first court appearance on February 4th as Kushner failed to appear in court to address matters – a sign the tenants interpret as further disregard for the issues they face. At the time of a previous court appearance, the building had a total of 17 open violations with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, including 4 considered “immediately hazardous.” The current violation count is now 35 in total with 8 class “C” immediately hazardous violations. A motion was recently filed in court to hold Kushner in contempt of court due to the lack of restoration of services.

You can read the whole notice at the Cooper Square Committee website. The news advisory includes quotes from Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, State Sen. Brad Hoylman and Councilwoman Rosie Mendez.

It hasn't been easy at 118-120 E. Fourth St. through the years. Ben Shaoul's Magnum Management, in partnership with Meadow Partners, bought the buildings in late 2010. Fortune East LLC reportedly managed the buildings. The blog Occupy East Fourth Street had been documenting renovation horror stories. (Like this one.)

Kushner bought the buildings during his East Village land grab in February 2013.

Occupy East Fourth Street continues documenting the situation inside No. 118. Here's a post from Feb. 14:

Woke up this morning to 7 degrees, its now 14 degrees outside, and no heat at 118 East St. Through some communications with the other tenants, it seems the heat is on in one line of the building. That line contains the market rate tenants. There are 2 other heat lines that are off and those lines contain the majority of rent stabilized tenants, including some senior citizens in fragile health. I think one or two market rate folks are getting the frozen treatment if they are unfortunate enough to reside above or below a rent stabilized tenant. Calls to the Westminster office provide no results as usual. There seems to be a Westminster person living in 118 at the moment. A call put into him goes unanswered and he has no voice mail set up on his phone. The same goes for the "Super". No answer. No voice mail set up on phone.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Noise nightmare for neighbors comes to an end as 7-11 moves AC units to the roof on Avenue A



More than 15 months after 7-Eleven installed three noisy refrigeration units in an alleyway between 500 and 502 E. 11th St., workers arrived this morning to move them to the building's rooftop where they hopefully won't keep neighbors up all night.

Back in October, the Department of Environmental Protection ordered the Avenue A 7-Eleven to stop using the units, saying they violated the city's noise code. At the time, 7-Eleven reps said that they needed more time to sign a contract with a company to move the equipment. Landlord Westminster City Living claimed that 7-Eleven had refused to meet with them to discuss the ongoing issue.

As previously noted, the constant grinding, clicking noise caused several tenants in 502 East 11th St. to abandon their bedrooms.


[Photo via the No 7-Eleven Blog]

The crane was originally scheduled to arrive last Thursday, but the company had to amend their plans the day before the lift.

Upon hearing that news last week, one resident wrote, "We are at our emotional ends — exhausted beyond belief. We were fantasizing about the use of our living room for a Christmas tree (instead of a cluttered bedroom), and now we will have to wait… until when?"

The wait appears to be over… as these photos by Brian Katz, one of the residents who has endured the noise, show…





Previously on EV Grieve:
3 new AC units at incoming 7-Eleven prompts Partial Stop Work Order

A WHOOSHING AC unit update: 'We are roundly being ignored by 7-Eleven and Westminster NYC'

Report: 7-Eleven's AC units have forced residents from their bedrooms on Avenue A & East 11th St.

Local pols blast 7-Eleven for blocking order to remove noisy refrigeration unit at 170 Avenue A

1 year later, 7-Eleven asks for more time to move noisy refrigeration units from residential windows

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Jared Kushner picks up 2 more East Village apartment buildings

[EVG file photo of 438 E. 13th St. from November 2012]

Jared Kushner's Kushner Companies has expanded its East Village portfolio.

According to Lois Weiss at the Post, Kushner has closed on a 16-building apartment portfolio for $131.5 million. Two of the properties are in the East Village — 104 E. Seventh St. and 438-440 E. 13th St.

Stone Street and Florida-based HIG Realty Partners were the sellers. Stone Street bought the EV properties in November 2012.

We heard from a resident at No. 438 this past April who let us know what life has been like here since Stone Street took over the building. First, the resident says that many longtime tenants were driven out of their units … "and we had to deal with a round of apartment gut renovations last year."

And!

"I have lived in the East Village for [20-plus] years and have never dealt with such disregard for tenants," the resident said. "Even the tenants who moved into the renovated 'luxury' units are being screwed."

Not that Kushner will be a much better landlord. The Kushner Companies have not been very popular around here with all the allegations and subsequent media reports of tenant harassment and quality-of-life issues brought on by gut renovations in their buildings.

The Kushner Companies have bought up 28-29 or so East Village walk-up buildings in the past two years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
2 East Village buildings part of $73 million deal

Life at 438 E. 13th St.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Noted



The person who has been leaving the "cool" graffiti around the East Village has added this to a building on East Seventh Street and First Avenue — "Kushner is mold" …



We're not sure if this particular building is one of the many bought up by developer/New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner.

To date, he hasn't been very popular around here with all the allegations and subsequent media reports of tenant harassment and quality-of-life issues brought on by gut renovations in the buildings.

Cool also left this one above the former 98-100 Avenue A…



[Top photo via EVG reader Elle Sturm]

Friday, October 24, 2014

End of an Era: Rent hike KOs East 9th Street boutique


[Photo via Racked]

Grey Era, the 3-year-old boutique at 435 E. Ninth St., is closing next month.

"The building got sold and I got priced out — familiar story around here," owner Sierra Fromberg told us. (Jared Kushner bought the building back in the fall of 2012.)

Fromberg doesn't have any plans to relocate as of now.

Meanwhile, everything must go at the shop between First Avenue and Avenue A.

"I am officially closing as of Nov. 16 unless everything sells before then, including all clothing and furniture," said Fromberg. (You can head to the store's Facebook page or Instagram account for details on sale items.)

And as for the neighborhood…

"I have loved more than anything the true sense of community that is unique to the East Village," she said. "Having grown up in the city, I have lived and worked in almost every neighborhood, and nowhere comes close to feeling so much like a little family as it does here."

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Residents continue to speak out about living conditions in Jared Kushner's 170-174 E. 2nd St.


[EVG file photo]

Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc) and the Cooper Square Committee issued the following news release yesterday regarding the ongoing drama at the Jared Kushner-owned 170-174 E. Second St.

What follows is an edited excerpt:


Countering the common narrative that artists drive gentrification, many East Village artists are actually long-time residents, fighting to remain in affordable housing with their neighbors, reported Cooper Square Committee, a 50-year old tenant advocacy organization.

Like many buildings in the East Village, 170-174 East 2nd Street has long been home to writers, painters, sculptors, and musicians, including beat poet Allen Ginsberg. However, since December 2013, when Jared Kushner purchased the buildings, 70 percent of the 170-174 East 2nd Street's 45 units have been vacated. Of the 9 remaining tenants, half are working artists with deep roots in the neighborhood, including Tony Feher, Richard Weinstein and Dianne Bowen.

"Unfortunately this situation is not unique. I frequently work with artists who live here in the Lower East Side who are being pushed out by profit-driven speculators," said community organizer Brandon Kielbasa from Cooper Square Committee. "These aggressive efforts to create luxury housing in communities like the Lower East Side are wiping out the affordable housing, homogenizing the diversity, and picking apart at the cultural assets of the neighborhood,"

"The arts and culture are such an important part of the life and identify of the East Village and Lower East Side," said Tamara Greenfield, executive director of Fourth Arts Block. "Historically, artists joined with other low income residents to advocate for and build affordable housing in this community. As important as it is to create new affordable housing across the City, we have to work equally hard to preserve existing affordable housing from being lost."

In December of 2013, Jared Kushner purchased 170-174 East 2nd Street buildings for $17 million, and quickly followed the purchase with the distribution of eviction notices to tenants of the two buildings. During the past nine months under the ownership of Kushner, tenants of both buildings were subjected to lengthy and severe construction work which has resulted in ceiling collapses, eroded floors, broken tiles, cut off gas service, and unannounced hot and cold water interruptions. Impacts on artists in the building range from fear of displacement, to damage of artwork, and compromised ability to do creative work under the stress and noise of construction.

"The constant barrage of emergencies for 7 months — water shut offs, violent levels of noise from jack hammering, missing steps on the stair, building floods, fire department safety inspections — create extremely challenging and draining conditions for living and working creatively," said musician Cypress Dubin. "Under these extreme circumstances and to marshal my creative resources, I made the choice to focus deeply on community organizing. As the communications director of our tenants association, I spend hundred of hours a month working to channel that same energy, integrity, and creativity that is foundational to my work as a vocalist, producer and yoga educator into protecting our homes, and preserving this part of the city that continues to be a thriving and diverse community of artists."

"The overwhelming, lightning-fast, rapid gentrification and over-development of the Lower East Side and East Village raises a great concern for the cultural heritage of an iconic NYC neighborhood," said painter Richard Weinstein.

"Gentrification in New York City has never been so aggressive and destructive as it has been in the past 8 years," added multimedia artist Dianne Bowen. "The bottom line is profit; value is a monetary term with no regard or connection to human beings or the life of the city created by all that inhabit it."

Ironically, the buildings' creative history is now being included in its marketing:

"Built in 1899, this beaux-arts building dovetails modern comfort with an older East Village - that same collision of grit and grace that inspired the likes of beat poet Alan [sic] Ginsberg, who called this building his home from 1958-1963."


Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Jared Kushner not done buying every walk-up in the East Village

Two East 2nd St. buildings sell for $17.5 million; will new owner still honor Allen Ginsburg?

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment

Report: Local politicos criticize Kushner's treatment of tenants at 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Report: Local politicos criticize Kushner's treatment of tenants at 170-174 E. 2nd St.


[No. 170 under construction via Yenta Laureate]

Yesterday afternoon, Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and some remaining tenants residing at 170-174 E. Second St. held a press conference to discuss ongoing issues with landlord of nine months Jared Kushner and his management company, Westminster City Living.

DNAinfo's Lisha Arino was there and filed this report:

“The owners of this building need to realize they’re not just accountable to the tenants in this building — they’re accountable to all of us because we care and we’re a community, and they’re accountable to me as the councilwoman of this district,” Mendez said at the press conference, which took place in front of the buildings.

Rent-stabilized tenants in both buildings have complained of poor living conditions and harassment since Kushner took over 170-174 E. Second St. last December.

And!

Brewer called the actions “abhorrent” and said there was no excuse for Kushner and Westminster’s behavior.

A Kushner rep denied the allegations in a statement to DNAinfo.

Read the whole article here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Jared Kushner not done buying every walk-up in the East Village

Two East 2nd St. buildings sell for $17.5 million; will new owner still honor Allen Ginsburg?

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment

[EVG file photo]

Tenant-landlord tensions continue at 170-174 E. Second St., the site of two walk-ups that developer/New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner bought last December.

In July, CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee heard firsthand about allegations of tenant harassment and quality-of-life issues brought on by gut renovations.

As DNAinfo reported:

Real estate scion Jared Kushner is using lawsuits, disruptive construction and neglect to force rent-stabilized tenants out of two buildings he owns in the East Village, as he converts them to high-end apartments, according to court documents and residents.

This afternoon at 1, Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and the Cooper Square Committee will join the remaining tenants residing at 170-174 E. Second St.

Per the media alert, "Everyone will speak about the poor and unsustainable living conditions including perceived harassment by the landlord and his agents."

The news conference will be outside the buildings between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Here's more from the media alert:

The tenants have faced a lack of repairs, overzealous construction, and lack of communication about the ongoing construction in the buildings, resulting in five ceiling collapses and no functioning mailbox for nearly two weeks. In addition, building construction has resulted in a shutoff of gas, routine unannounced hot and cold water distributions, and severe dust and debris accumulation.

Jared Kushner has owned the buildings for about 8 months. Over the period of Kushner’s ownership of the buildings, there has been a 70 percent turnover rate.

Kushner paid $17.5 million for the two buildings.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Jared Kushner not done buying every walk-up in the East Village

Two East 2nd St. buildings sell for $17.5 million; will new owner still honor Allen Ginsburg?

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

'Most uses considered' for 3 retail spaces at Kushner's 170 E. 2nd St.



The retail spaces are now on the market over at 170-174 E. Second St., where landlord Jared Kushner has reportedly been using aggressive tactics to rid the buildings of rent-stabilized tenants.



Here's more info about the spaces between Avenue A and Avenue B via the RKF listing:

SPACE
Ground Floor
Space A — 250 SF
Space B — 500 SF
Space C — 500 SF

SITE STATUS
Formerly multiple tenants

NEIGHBORS
Black Iron Burger Shop, Duane Reade, Il Bagatto, Jane’s Exchange, Snack Dragon, Supper, Two Boots, Waffles and Dinges [sic]

COMMENTS
Most uses considered
Natural light throughout
Situated in one of New York City’s fastest growing neighborhoods
Potential basement space
In close proximity to the F subway lines

There isn't any mention of the asking rent, just "negotiable."

And this is a curious selection of neighbors. Black Iron is three blocks away on East Fifth Street and Snack Dragon is closing this week. And Il Bagatto is now delivery only.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Two East 2nd St. buildings sell for $17.5 million; will new owner still honor Allen Ginsburg?

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

[EVG file photo]

The tenant-landlord drama continues at 170-174 E. Second St., the site of two walk-ups that developer/New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner picked up during his East Village buying spree.

Last night, CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee heard firsthand about allegations of tenant harassment and quality-of-life issues brought on by gut renovations.

Ahead of this meeting, The Real Deal and DNAinfo filed lengthy articles outlining what is happening now in the buildings.

DNAinfo put it this way:

Real estate scion Jared Kushner is using lawsuits, disruptive construction and neglect to force rent-stabilized tenants out of two buildings he owns in the East Village, as he converts them to high-end apartments, according to court documents and residents.

After the deal for the buildings was complete, Kushner's Westminster Management began handing out 30-day eviction notices, followed by buyout offers, tenants told DNAinfo's Lisha Arino. To date, tenants in just 11 of the 43 units in the two buildings remain.

Per The Real Deal:

[T]he Kushner ownership entity has also aggressively turned to the courts. Since acquiring the buildings, they filed suits in New York’s Housing Court against tenants in seven apartments among the 43.

Some have resulted in tenants vacating, while other residents have fought back.

According to The Real Deal, the average monthly rent per apartment was around $2,000 last fall. Today, StreetEasy shows nine active rental listings, gut-renovated apartments with an average price of $3,987 per unit.

As for those renovations, NYC's Housing Preservation and Development agency has issued 34 violations, which remain active. ("Eight of them are for the most dangerous kind of violation — for instance for repairs to a stone retainer wall — which are supposed to be repaired within days, but remain on the HPD website weeks after they were issued," according to The Real Deal.)

However, in the estimation of Westminster, all is well here! Nothing to see! They released this statement to DNAinfo:

"In the six months since Westminster has managed the building, they have been in frequent contact with the building's residents, been consistently responsive to their concerns, and have quickly sought to address them."

Updated 7:55 a.m.

The Daily News files a Kushner-is-bad-landlord story today too. Quite a headline: Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner forcing residents out of East Village building so he can get higher rents: tenants

Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Jared Kushner not done buying every walk-up in the East Village

Two East 2nd St. buildings sell for $17.5 million; will new owner still honor Allen Ginsburg?

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden



We've been keeping an eye on the renovations at 170-174 E. Second St., two walk-ups that Jared Kushner picked up earlier this year for his East Village collection.

There has been a lot of drama here — gut renovations, tenants taking buyouts, tenants not taking buyouts. We'll address some of this in another post.

A more pressing matter at the moment: The impending destruction of the garden behind No. 174.

"It was built by tenants, is maintained by tenants, and we love it very much," one tenant told us.

Tenants say that Westminster Management, a division of Kushner Companies, is expected to gut the garden this week. Remaining tenants say that they have taken legal action, but Westminster might be moving too fast for the group to stop them.









Said a resident:

"To destroy the garden would be of no benefit to Westminster, and to the tenants it would be a tragedy. Our garden is not just a decorative tableau, but a part of our daily lives: during the day, it is a place to do our professional work, and to make use of the carefully constructed space dedicated to meditation. In the evenings, it has long been a place for neighbors to meet one another. We reject the notion that a community garden is not a valuable resource. In fact, we believe that it is this use of our garden — as a place to foster community — which is the reason why it has been targeted."



Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Jared Kushner not done buying every walk-up in the East Village

Two East 2nd St. buildings sell for $17.5 million; will new owner still honor Allen Ginsburg?

Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Kushner Companies meet the neighborhood

Last night, reps from the Kushner Companies — owners now of half the East Village — met with residents and Community Board 3 members during a Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee meeting.

We did not attend, but the consensus from people we spoke with later seemed to be: waste of time.

Per Jill: "That meeting was bullshit."

Per Rob: "Well, we did learn that they intend to construct extensions on their buildings."

We heard the reps were very nice — and very media-trained, offering robotic soundbites from the Meet The Community Playbook.

BoweryBoogie was there. Per BB:

It didn’t go over too well. Not with residents. Not with the Land Use subcommittee of Community Board 3. The Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of real estate development represented the company, extending an olive branch, as it were, and pitching their intentions. Namely to create a “responsive, welcoming, and secure community” and to operate the buildings with “the same high standard.”

On Monday, residents of a now-Kushner-owned building shared stories of not having heat or hot water on a regular basis, structural damage and an unlocked front door, which reportedly led to a break-in.

Anyone else attend last night's meeting? Hit us up in the comments with your thoughts. Of the meeting.

[Photo via BoweryBoogie]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Jared Kushner paid $49 million for 7 more Ben Shaoul-owned properties in the East Village

More about Jared Kushner's East Village buying spree

Soon, we will all be writing our rent checks to Jared Kushner

Report: Jared Kushner closes on latest batch of East Village walkups

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Tonight at CB3: An introduction to the Kushner Companies

Via the CB3 website... and sorry for the late notice — I was unaware of the meeting...

Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee
Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 pm. Seward Park Extension - 56 Essex Street (btwn Grand & Broome Sts)

3. Kushner East Village properties: introduction

We don't exactly know exactly what will transpire tonight... In recent months, The Kushner Companies have bought up 28-29 or so East Village walk-up buildings... One resident put up a meeting notice in her building... which a Kushner employee promptly tore down... (the notice, not the building).

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Jared Kushner paid $49 million for 7 more Ben Shaoul-owned properties in the East Village

More about Jared Kushner's East Village buying spree

Hotel Toshi takes over 325 E. 10th St.

Soon, we will all be writing our rent checks to Jared Kushner

Report: Jared Kushner closes on latest batch of East Village walkups

Monday, April 15, 2013

Reader report: East Village tenants taking Kushner Companies to housing court


[March 27]

Several residents of one of the walkups that the Kushner Companies purchased earlier this year submitted the following post...

The Kushner Companies officially took over control of the 17 buildings on the LES that Ben Shaoul owned for 3-plus years. For the 2 months that followed the change of ownership, Jared Kushner's company failed to provide basic services like heat, hot water and a locked front door. The tenants filed an HP Action against Kushner and are taking him to Housing Court this week.

In the past 2-3 months under new ownership, the daily lives of the tenants in the building have been a living hell. Clearly, their focus is on getting the $35,000/month 7-11 in on the ground floor without a care for the well-being of the tenants.

The issues in the HP Action include:

1. No Heat/Hot Water: No heat & hot water on a regular basis, even during the coldest weeks of winter when the outside temp was 16F. The culmination of which was a month ago when it was 25F outside and the tenants in the building repeatedly called the building manager and the super, who ignored the requests from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. Temps inside fell below 45F and the tenants who stayed were sleeping fully clothed with jackets on. In addition to the heat being off completely, the boiler is now on a timer so the heat came on only twice per day leaving the building cold (below the legally mandated inside temperature) and the hot water being lukewarm at best.

2. Malfunctioning Heating System: terrible clanking of the pipes when the heat goes on, which makes sleeping through the night impossible. There were tenants who stayed with friends and relatives b/c even with ear plugs, they couldn’t fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.

3. Cracked Walls/Structural Damage: cracks in the walls of apartments on ever floor due to shoddy contractor work in the soon-to-be 7-11 space in the first floor. The company has since fired the contractors and the work has no resumed because of the HP Action.




4. Unlocked Main Entrance: front door electric key system failing randomly with no apparent reason from 1 day to 7 days locking tenants outside or inside of the building and leaving the building unsafe with the front door unlocked at all times. Tenants had to call 911 and have the NYPD come on Tuesday night several weeks back as the front door was wide open and a man was trying to get into apartments at 3:30 AM.

5. Smoke Detector Removal: the contractors disconnected and removed smoke detectors in the hallways as the dust was setting them off saying they had it approved by the FDNY so it’s perfectly legal.



6. Low Water Pressure: extremely low water pressure in faucets and showers throughout the building.

7. Illegal After Hours Work: Contractors working after hours (8 AM on Saturday), blocking hallways, blocking doorways and doing work that created so much dust and debris that DOB ordered that they cover apartment doors to protect residents.



8. Unavailable Super: super has rarely been available to solve maintenance problems (they only hired 1 super for 17 buildings and he doesn’t live in Manhattan), and never available after 4 PM or on the weekends. Emergency contact provided did not work.

9. Filthy Hallways/Entrance: hallways and entrance have not been cleaned on a regular basis in months. The stairwells of the building are disgusting.

The residents said that there were discussions of a rent abatement, but that never materialized.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Jared Kushner paid $49 million for 7 more Ben Shaoul-owned properties in the East Village

More about Jared Kushner's East Village buying spree

Monday, April 8, 2013

Reader report: Former Rawvolution space will be real-estate management office



Rawvolution, the raw vegan cafe/retail store on East 12th Street, closed last December "for renovations."

Of course, they are not coming back... workers have been renovating the space these last six or so weeks. A tipster on the block said that the storefront will be "a management office for the building."

This is one of the 28-29 buildings that Jared Kushner's Kushner Companies bought up in the East Village in recent months... Per the tipster: "Maybe it will be the central office for all of Mr. Ivanka Trump's East Village real estate holdings." More specifically, the reader understands that this will be an office for Westminster Management, a division of Kushner Companies.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Report: Jared Kushner closes on latest batch of East Village walkups

The Kushner Companies have closed on its latest parcel of East Village buildings, Real Estate Weekly reported today. This was the $28.75 million deal for 329-335 E. Ninth Street and 325 E. 10th St., previously owned by Icon Realty.

If our counting is correct, then this makes 28 (29?) East Village buildings that Jared Kushner and his comapny have purchased this year.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Jared Kushner paid $49 million for 7 more Ben Shaoul-owned properties in the East Village

More about Jared Kushner's East Village buying spree

Hotel Toshi takes over 325 E. 10th St.

Soon, we will all be writing our rent checks to Jared Kushner

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Soon, we will all be writing our rent checks to Jared Kushner

Jared Kushner isn't done yet shopping for buildings in the East Village. The Post reports today that the Kushner Companies, a major residential and commercial landlord, is in contract for two deals with Icon Realty Management's Terrence Lowenberg and Todd Cohen on a $28.8 million portfolio of 55 apartment and five retail properties.

The deal features 325 E. 10th St. ... as well as 329, 331, 333 and 335 E. 9th St.

The recently renovated 325 E. 10th St. was previously part of the Hotel Toshi empire, the short-term apartment rental network in New York City. Last fall, the city OK'd additions to 329-335 E. 9th St.

As previously reported, Kushner bought 17 buildings with 267 apartments and 23 stores for $128 million. Plus! He is also in contract for a $49 million, six-building package from Magnum Real Estate/Meadow Partners.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Jared Kushner paid $49 million for 7 more Ben Shaoul-owned properties in the East Village

Rumors: Is Ben Shaoul selling his East Village properties?

More about Jared Kushner's East Village buying spree

Hotel Toshi takes over 325 E. 10th St.

When Hotel Toshi took over an East Village building

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

'Out of Shaoul’s frying pan and into Kushner’s fire?' Super Tenants Association meeting planned

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Out of Shaoul’s Frying Pan and into Kushner’s Fire?

Are you or do you know someone who lives in one of the buildings that Ben Shaoul just sold to Jared Kushner? The tenants association of 118/120 East 4th Street is looking to get together with other tenants in the same parcel of buildings for a Super Tenants Association Meeting. The idea is to get together, talk about our past experiences, what we may have to look out for in the future and how to establish a network for support and information sharing.

Please email the organizers here

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Jared Kushner paid $49 million for 7 more Ben Shaoul-owned properties in the East Village

Ben Shaoul and company put East Fourth Street buildings on the market for $25 million

4 East Fourth Street apartment buildings hit market for $32 million

Rumors: Is Ben Shaoul selling his East Village properties?

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Report: Jared Kushner paid $49 million for 7 more Ben Shaoul-owned properties in the East Village

[118, 120 E. 4th St. via Massey Knakal]

Jared Kushner's East Village shopping spree continues. Last week, the developer (and New York Observer publisher) closed on a portfolio of 17 walk-up apartment buildings in the East Village for some $130 million, as The Real Deal first reported.

This afternoon, The Real Deal is reporting that Kushner bought seven more walk-up rental buildings for $49 million from developer Ben Shaoul's Magnum Real Estate and Meadow Partners.

The addresses: 118, 120-122, 195, 199, 201 and 203 East 4th Street.

Shaoul's renovations of 118 and 120 E. 4th Street prompted the start of the blog Occupy East 4th Street.

According to The Real Deal, Shaoul paid a combined total of $25.1 million for these seven properties in 2010 and 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ben Shaoul and company put East Fourth Street buildings on the market for $25 million

4 East Fourth Street apartment buildings hit market for $32 million

Rumors: Is Ben Shaoul selling his East Village properties?