Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Protest Meeting Today, Wednesday 10am, in front of ST/PCV Rental Office

Join tenant and elected leaders, May 15th, Wednesday at 10am in front of the ST/PCV rental office regarding the dramatic and sudden rent increase many of our neighbors will face June 1st.   Please assemble at 9:45am.

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More from the TA:

Roberts Tenant or Not, Join our Press Conference and Rally Today at 10am
  

-- CW rains pain upon unsuspecting families and neighbors.  Raises rents on hundreds of apartments with just two weeks notice. --  

It is time to go public with CW's abuse of power. We'll be doing just that today at 10:00am.

Many Roberts tenants -- about at least 1,000 individuals -- got an unwelcome notice under their doors yesterday indicating that they are receiving a mid-lease rent increase -- in some cases thousands of dollars per month.  Although CW Capital is exercising its prerogative to increase rents under the terms of the Roberts Settlement, the move is despicable, to say the least.

To focus press and public attention on this newest predatory move against affordability in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, the Tenants Association and City Councilman Dan Garodnick along with other elected representatives are holding a press conference at 10:00am in front of the Stuyvesant Town Peter Cooper Village Leasing Office, located at First Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets.

If you received the notice under the door today, you are a member of the Roberts class and your blood should be boiling enough to make certain at least one family member or roommate gets to the press conference at 10:00am to let the world know you're angry.  If you're not part of Roberts, you don't need anyone to tell you this is just the latest assault on the affordability and stability of a community we all need to join in protecting.

This affects all tenants of our community: this is a crude and callous act by CW Capital to cut through the heart of our community.  Two weeks notice on substantial rent increases is simply outrageous and is nothing short of heartless: this action was clearly planned well in advance, but CW Capital deliberately chose to give tenants just two weeks notice of their rental increases. 

We need to show solidarity for our community - a community of tenants that CW Capital is trying to tear apart.

Please try to join us for a serious show of strength:  10:00am, Wednesday, May 15, Stuyvesant Town Leasing Office 

28 comments:

Stuy Town Reporter said...

I urge everyone who can to attend this protest. Unfortunately, it's being held at a time that conflicts with my mandated work. I'm sure there are many other tenants who will miss the protest for the same reason.

I don't want to rain on this protest too much at this moment (I'm sure the politicians will say the right things and show the appropriate angry furrowed brows), but I do want to make a post about this entire Roberts settlement, which is a scandal that implicates the landlord, the lawyers (on both sides), and others, including some of the politicians that will be showing up this morning.

Anonymous said...

If Quinn shows up, I will not be a happy camper.

Anonymous said...

I am one of those who's rent is being jacked up over $1000 a month. My building still does not have washer/dryers and has no basement access so there's tons of garbage out front.

I don't know what this "protest" is about except another photo op for Garodnick. There is nothing anyone can do to stop this, the time for that has come and gone.

Me, I am looking to move before the next rent check is due. I hope my neighbors like NYU students!

Anonymous said...

Every tenant who is part of this criminal rent increase should simply not pay.

1000 evictions!!!??? I think not.

Anonymous said...

Dan Garodnick has some set of balls calling for this "protest". He is more responsible for the changes in PCV/ST than any other person. He opened Pandora's box with his apathy as owner, special servicer and management firms shit all over us. All so his former law firm and members of the TA's board could profit from a sale and condo conversion. He needs to resign and MOVE. POS.

Anonymous said...

From the TA website "We need to show solidarity for our community - a community of tenants that CW Capital is trying to tear apart."

First, LOL. Secondly, it's the TA and Dan Garodnick that are tearing the community apart. Garodnick needs to go. Since the TA is already irrelevant they need to just fade away.

Anonymous said...

Am I wrong or was John Marsh one of the main named plaintiffs? Did he get like tens of thousands of dollars in damages?

Seriously, does anyone know a very good tenant lawyer that might be willing to file an injunction to stop these rent increases and overturn the settlement?

Anonymous said...

Given that we signed a lease rider acknowledging the potential for these increases, there is little recourse.

Our main concern is clarity on the language used. Rent hikes become effective June 1. We have been given the option to break the lease, but must vacate within 60 days. It states that ONLY if we vacate within 30 days of the notice, we are not subject to the rent hike.

At the rally this morning, and in newspaper articles, people have been saying we have 60 days to vacate without hike taking effect, if we chose to break our lease. Is that correct?

A call and email to the number provided in the notice has not resulted in any response or clarity.

Anonymous said...

The law allows for unconscionable or overreaching clauses to be thrown out. This may be one of them.

Anonymous said...

"Seriously, does anyone know a very good tenant lawyer that might be willing to file an injunction to stop these rent increases and overturn the settlement? "

Give Jack Lester a try? He is not cheap. He was once the TA attorney and also ran for office.

http://www.jacklesterlaw.com/

Anonymous said...

Jack Lester was terrible lawyer with a losing track record when he worked for the TA. Hence, why he was never again hired after he ran (unsuccessfully) for office. He is also pretty pricey since he does so much pro bono work (again, unsuccessfully for the most part).

I'd contact Steven Dobkin's firm. They are known as one of the best & brightest of the city's tenant attorneys. They're also not quite as expensive as a few other of the stars (like Himmelstein).

Anonymous said...

FYI, John Marsh was not one of the named plaintiffs and is not a ROBERTS tenant so is not getting "like tens of thousands of dollars in damages."

Anonymous said...

@11:12AM- How do members of the TA board stand to profit from a sale and conversion? Dan? The lawfirm I sort of understand (though maybe not), but these accusations sound more loony than sound. Please explain if you're gonna throw stones like this.

Anonymous said...

@11:32 Am I wrong or was John Marsh one of the main named plaintiffs? Did he get like tens of thousands of dollars in damages?

You're completely wrong, and I suspect you know that and are playing the troll.

Anonymous said...

"Give Jack Lester a try? He is not cheap. He was once the TA attorney and also ran for office."

He is also not particularly competent. Save your money or spend it more wisely.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Dan!

Anonymous said...

John Marsh was not part of Roberts.

Anonymous said...

So the landlord is getting away with abusing the Rent Stabilization system, churning apartment leases in order to "bank" phantom "legal rents" and then pay out a pittance to the affected class while immediately recouping that money in exorbitant rent increases. This whole scenario smells of racketeering, and I think Schneiderman's office needs to take a long hard look at this "settlement" and the manipulation of the RS system. All of the illegal rent increases that are being calculated into these "legal rents" should be thrown out, because the apartments were illegally deregulated. I don't understand how an "agreement" could be forged that gives all the spoils of crime to the criminals.

Anonymous said...

Hey CWC, if you're going to continue to strap it on and financially sodomize your tenants, at least give us the courtesy of a reach-around.

Wish I could have shouted this out at the rally but there were lots of children present there.

Anonymous said...

Smart move CW! Evict the people paying high rents and patronize things like Stepford Cafe and the Winter Wasteland ice skating rink! Now all you'll have left is the rent stabilized people you hate and college kids. Speaking of which, these apartments are getting too expensive even when rented to 4 dudes and bros. They are what they are they are NOT worth 4k a month.

Anonymous said...

Andrew MacArthur is a great satan!

Anonymous said...

With so much bad publicity nobody will WANT to rent here. You're not safe in your own home.

Anonymous said...

To Anon 351p.........

They are worth 4k per month if people are willing to pay that amount.


And obviously people are willing (so far).

Anonymous said...

Not "people"..... "GROUPS of people" are paying those ridiculous rents.

Kind of sad really, that none of them can enjoy independent living. Always needing to put a sock on the door for privacy and doing the Bud Quickstep waiting to share that solitary latrine. My heart bleeds.

Anonymous said...

Dan Garodnick has already profited off the conversion by getting large contributions from the lawyers he brought in to advise on the deal, not to mention he will eventually end up with 2 apartments to sell if the conversion goes through. Several board members have also stated that they plan to buy if conversion occurs. They hope to make a profit on their units.

Anonymous said...

10:44 and 1:08--We pay close to 4K for our 2 BR and we're middle aged! This was still (slightly) cheaper compared to other 2 BRs in Manhattan when we moved in from another city, but it was larger, nice grounds, etc. We wanted to stay here until we got carried out feet first--which is exactly why we would buy if they went on sale. But we'd likely buy at that lower price proposal where we couldn't really sell for much of a profit. We just want a home. We're very sad and scared and don't want to move.

They could do this to you also. Met Life and Tishman violated the law, which was in our favor and the settlement took that away. This new owner could just violate your legal rights en masse, just hand you eviction notices, raise your rents with fake MCIs, or other just outright illegal increases, and you'd have to bring another class action lawsuit to stop/overturn their illegal actions and then those lawyers could do the same thing--dangle big sums in front of the named plaintiffs to get them to say yes, and then the rest of you get screwed.

Anonymous said...

Not sure where people are looking for apartments but I see 1 and 2 bedrooms going for 2500 to 3500 in battery park city luxury doorman buildings. Why anyone would pay 4k to live here without any luxury and college kids is beyond me. But to each their own.

Mike O'Brien said...

I couldn't help but notice the 2 posts by anonymous haters on May 15th (1:25PM & 1:56PM) trashing Jack Lester.

I've spent over a year fighting with ST over facade leaks that led to hazardous mold growth in both of our bedrooms. I was represented first by Himmelstein McConnell and then by Jack Lester. While I found the Himmelstein team to be quite capable, Jack's efforts ultimately brought our case to a successful conclusion.

Jack came highly recommended by several attorneys, and I am pleased with the results in our case. While other firms litigate with PCV/ST occasionally, Jack has dealt with them constantly for longer than most of our NYU neighbors have been alive. His detailed knowledge and experience helped to protect my family, and I found his fee structure to be reasonable - a rare thing in Manhattan these days.

The TA should wake up and recognize that the "honorable" Dan G and others have them on the wrong path. I would certainly vote for Jack if he decided to run again.