Friday, January 31, 2014

Residents "Win" Rebate

http://town-village.com/2014/01/30/residents-win-rent-rebate-in-deal-over-hurricane-sandy-damage/

From the article:

"CW Capital spokesperson Brian Moriarty said that the building owner appreciated residents’ patience in waiting for the rent reductions. 'We are pleased to have reached an agreement so we may put this chapter behind us and focus on the rebuilding work that still remains,' he said. 'We are very proud of the hard work of our staff in the recovery effort and look forward to returning to full capacity.'”

I don't live in any of the affected buildings, so it's up to their residents to decide if a one-time rent rebate is actually a win for services and facilities not provided for months and months.

BTW, here's a link to the TA page on what the TA was going for ("we feel that CWCapital must abate residents’ rents for the period that they were and are without basic services") and CW's response at the time ( “petty and mean spirited....tenants seek to transform these events into an opportunity to profit.”):

http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/CW-Capital-to-Tenants-Stop-Being-So-Greedy

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

"seek to transform these events into an opportunity to profit" CW said.

that would be CW who is transforming a foreclosure event into an opportunity to profit. they are supposed to be just recouping / protecting for bondholders but these guys are profiting personally in their pockets, in the pockets of the buddies in construction, and in the pockets of their fake companies compass rock and st owner. thanks str for the compass rock video on that guy who failed and loss millions and is now doing that to us while we sit on our thumbs. can you post that video again?

Anonymous said...

Can you stop with all the self congratulations and peers congratulations patting each other on the back and puffing each other up. As Mr President Obama said in a speech last year people want you to just do your job. So stop with all the applause every time you do your job. There is more work to be done. A lot more work. So our kids can give homes to their kids without worrying so damn much.
The New York Times says Banks hedge funds, and Real Estate Developers (who actually should be called real estate land destroyers) are the only ones turning foreclosures into events to profit. The same guys who caused the foreclosures in the first place all across the country! Now they are profiting from the foreclosures they caused. People everywhere are paying the price. Instead of politicians puffing each other up with self congratulations all the time they should be passing laws to protect people from a housing market system that is rigged against people. Why don't you all take the lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy and pass some laws so we don't have to negotiate and compromise for lost services in time of natural disasters the scale of Hurricane Sandy. PCVST is the greatest housing market failure of this crisis. Who allowed Tishman to walk away from its responsibility that goes with ownership of 25,000 homes without passing new laws so renters are protected when landlords foreclose and these guys didn't foreclose out of hardship but by choice and are still megarich while we flap and flounder.
Pass some new laws protecting us already so we don;t have to beg for scraps.
As Mr President Obama says just do your job. Write new laws to protect us people in this massively cancerous post foreclosure housing market and stop already with all your self congratulations in the press every time you do your job. Its your job. I did mine for 37 years and not once did I ask for a pat on the head.

Anonymous said...

"win" ?
We won something we are owed. That is not a win. That is getting what you are owed. Pathetic we had to negotiate for it.

Anonymous said...

It would take a lot (say, a couple of months' free rent) for me to feel compensated for 15 months and counting of no decent laundry facilities. Unfortunately, I doubt that's what the rent laws allow and good luck getting CW to agree to that. People with higher rents in the affected buildings will be getting a not insubstantial amount of money (15% of $3,500 is $525). At least we got back free trunk storage (hope they're not planning to dump everything in Avenue C buildings). I wonder how many tenants would have gone to the trouble of filing and fighting for their own rent reduction. I'm balancing my small refund with what I would have lost in income if I'd had to devote the time to do it myself.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of winning.........

When will these new pieces of shit MCIs be rescinded?

Intercoms are crap. Water is brown. ST security????

Anonymous said...

OOOOOO

I HOPE WE GET TO HAVE an MCI for the 3.something million for the new shiny offices

please please can we have another mci ?

Anonymous said...

CW Capital has done NOTHING to be proud of and MUCH to be ashamed of. They are the most unscrupulous, opportunistic bunch of parasitical scum that ever hung up a shingle on a property. I hope and pray that at some point they will be held accountable and that they will be exposed in the media. If their "business" practices are made of the stuff of an expose on 60 Minutes or some other public forum and an investigation by the AG, then I don't know what is. Even vultures wait until a body is dead before they start tearing the flesh off of it. CW Capital has been tearing into the flesh of STPCV in a manner that would make a vulture blush and puke. They are eating us alive.

Anonymous said...

We lost a lot more than we gained with this "win". I wish we never filed.
Glad I was not part of that stress filled Roberts case where tenants put their necks on the line then had their win negotiated away and with a mid year lease increase added by CW on top of delays on payments because no one gave CW a deadline with penalties for missing it.
We need new and better negotiators.

Anonymous said...

I wish Charles Baggli would write a sequel to his book about the disastrous sale of PCVST. I think what has happened to us since then is worthy of another book.

Anonymous said...

I hope the tenants that fought them on the construction of offices made it so very hard for them every inch of the way and I hope that miserable guy at 1:37 on the other thread who spoke for BH eats every one of his words because any tenant that gives CW what they deserve should get a medal.

Anonymous said...

"give tenants needed relief" a "win"
Why are these guys bragging about a pennies on the dollar amount?
This barely gives us a tiny tiny fraction of what this mess cost us. This is not relief. No thanks. You can keep my "relief".

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding me?
That's it? That's all we get?
It's been hell.
Unbelievable.
We are supposed to be happy with this because it could have been smaller? Keep your scraps.

Anonymous said...

I dont understand we get 15% of 1 months rent?

Anonymous said...

I wish tenants could band together for a rent strike until CW goes away.

Anonymous said...

No deal. No Brookfield. No conversion. No to anything these guys negotiate. No deal. Anything would be better than anything these guys negotiate. No deal.

Anonymous said...

does the general public --- those seeking housing know about the bedbug situation on property?

do they know what an MCI is? Up until moving in here (not too long ago), we thought MCI was an old phone company.

Let the word out! RENT at one price and get a NEW PRICE within a few weeks or months --- yes folks, don't you want a new flat that comes with this added bonus called Mci!!!!!!!

Tommyboyardee said...

The wheels of justice certainly roll slow. Who can be proud of a 15 month long unfinished agreement. Take a bow please.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

According to TA president Marsh: "A 15 percent reduction for the tenants hit hardest by Sandy is about what they would have received had we ‘won’ our case after the entire administrative and judicial process."

I have no cause to doubt Marsh, but once again the ignoble head of conversion rears itself. Would the TA go through a lengthy "administrative and judicial process" if it was understood that such a process would delay the possibility of a tenant buy-out of this property?

Anonymous said...

He appreciated our patience? Sean Sullivan appreciated our questions. So much appreciation over there.

Anonymous said...

"does the general public --- those seeking housing know about the bedbug situation on property?"

The general public needs to educate itself. The law requires the landlord to disclose to new tenants whether there has been a bed bug infestation in the building. Also, the TA has a bed bug registry. When the TA protested outside the leasing office when the mid-lease increases came down, their handout talked about bed bugs. Anyone who stopped to talk to the volunteers would have learned about it. And then there's Yelp--nuff said.

"do they know what an MCI is? Up until moving in here (not too long ago), we thought MCI was an old phone company."

No they don't. That's one of the joys of being rent stabilized. You get to learn all sorts of new things, including how your government works and how thoroughly loathsome the real estate industry is.

"Let the word out! RENT at one price and get a NEW PRICE within a few weeks or months --- yes folks, don't you want a new flat that comes with this added bonus called Mci!!!!!!!"

One word: Yelp. Another word: Facebook.

Anonymous said...

Seriously doubt some 20 somethings are going to check the TA site for bedbugs before signing a lease here.


Anonymous said...

When the shills in the Leasing Office are luring their victims in, using their spider/fly methods, they are probably not going to advise them that a Tenants Association even exists here. If they do mention the TA, it is probably to warn their gullible prey to avoid it!

Anonymous said...

"Seriously doubt some 20 somethings are going to check the TA site for bedbugs before signing a lease here."

I agree, but it's not the responsibility of anyone here to hold their little hands and tell them--except management. I seriously doubt 20-somethings check anything before they sign a lease, including reading the lease.

Anonymous said...



sigh ... .no one said it's our responsibility to hold hands and advice on ludicrous lease terms and bedbugs.

The poster was stating that THE GENERAL PUBLIC looking to rent now / in future SHOULD KNOW SHOULD KNOW.

Obvious!! hitting head on desk

Anonymous said...



So what is the point of having the city determine annual rent increases on so called rent stabilized housing????????

There NOW needs to be a clause that says ....4% renewal increase +++++++ shifty little MCI increases, @ any given point in time.

Such BS from our city. Such.BS.

Anonymous said...

10:49. agree. and with the endless added charges, the profits are enormous as is the value of ST. too bad for TS they should have held on.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 10:59 we need a rent strike NOW.
The politicians are not protecting tenants and are only interested in people who give them money and their next political position. Politicians actually believed they could wait their turn for their next political position as if voters had no say and it was just a matter of waiting your turn. They make secret deals and agree to things like Stringer and Garodnick did when Stringer dropped from Mayor race to run for Comptroller and Garodnick agreed to drop from Comptroller race to let Stringer have it and Dan took another term even though he said he opposed doing things like that. Hypocrites every one of them. Until NYC voters ousted Quinn which the pols never saw coming including shocked DG. These politicians favor land lords and developers and anyone with a lot of bucks. Show me a politician under Cuomo who doesn't kiss Real Estate Industry ass - doesn't exist.
The laws favor land lords and developers because politicians will never pass laws that actually favor people who live and raise our families here. Anything tenants get we have to fight for because apparently we aren't entitled to anything like landlords and developers are.
You are right STR the TA won't fight for anything because it could cause a delay in the sale to them which will never happen and because the TA will never do anything unless Garodnick says to. We do need new laws like someone said. We need NYC and PCVST to be a safe and healthy place to raise our families. We need new politicians to make it that way.
Thanks but no thanks on the Sandy refund that is Just Not Enough for the mess we put up with. And don't tell me I should be happy with it because it would have been less or same if we had fought for it. At least we would have our dignity and our children would be proud if we stand up for ourselves and demand what it is that we deserve instead of taking what they give us. Even my kids see through this crap.
I agree with 10:59 we need a rent strike NOW.

Anonymous said...

12:04 am. I agree with absolutely every word you said. I don't know ho we would go about organizing a rent strike, though. Unfortunately, the TA is NOT on our side; it does not represent us in any way whatsoever and is a tool of the slimy Garodnick. Anybody who posts something on the TA facebook that the heavy-handed moderators don't like because it speaks to the truth about the bribery and corruption that goes on behind closed doors, gets deleted and threatened. I'm sure the post that linked to the graphics on the STR blog was deleted because the TA is in cahoots with CW, Garodnick, et al over this hideous construction. They don't give a flying fuck about the destruction of the open spaces and the murdering of those beautiful trees. That's just collateral damage to them. They've been drinking the Knapp Koolaid!

Anonymous said...

11:30 a m totally agree. The trees were more beautiful than anything else at STPCV. The grandeur of the tall trees, the shade, the breeze and peace and quiet life.

Those trees they tore down for this grotesque office were spectacular.

Every time I walk through there I will be reminded how beautiful it used to be thanks to STR for posting pictures of the trees before they were decimated by the TA and CW and DG.

Every time I walk through now I will think of how awful the TA and DG and CW have made it. They were accountable for the decimation of the Oval and got away without much bruising for their role in that disgusting act. I hope they get their what-comes-around-goes-around for this latest destruction of PCVST. I hope it comes back to each and every one of them tenfold.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter the TA is not on our side because someone already said the TA only has 10% of apartments as members and that is not much of a strike. The TA is nothing and are not in our way for a rent strike.

Anonymous said...

By law a landlord has to tell potential tenants of bed bug infestation in building and the extent of it BEFORE they rent ti to the tenant.

Anonymous said...

"By law a landlord has to tell potential tenants of bed bug infestation in building and the extent of it BEFORE they rent ti to the tenant."

So, when did our so-called landlord (really a caretaker that takes care of itself) ever give a damn about complying with the law?

Anonymous said...



Right!!!! CW posts signs in buildings now such as:

Bedbug infestation here

Full carpet necessary

Firm leases with no surprise increases after 2 months!

what a landlord.

um, no.