A New Message from Gerald Guterman and an Offer

To the ST/PCV Tenants:

Having been in the real estate business for about forty-four years and directly involved in New York's Rent Stabilized Housing Program for about thirty-six years, my partners and I can well understand your frustrations as well as your desires, to protect your identity from unscrupulous landlords.

We have given all of the problems at ST/PCV a lot of thought during the last several years and intensely so, during the last several months. We have all been feeling a certain frustration, as we read about the "cartoon" world of property management and now owner at ST/PCV.

There is a genuine need to organize a tenant group that can act in a cohesive manner.

We recognize the necessity for a common, crystal clear identity and a laser focused message, supported by a massive number of "tenants in possession". The tenants in turn, are supported by in-depth knowledge and "real time" Rent Stabilization expertise and experience in landlord-tenant relations.

I mentioned in a previous comment, that it appeared to be difficult to gain the attention of these Managers, who believe that enjoying a reasonable "quality of life", is restricted only to them and their families.

We have previously had "inattention" experiences with other management companies. Once we notice this lack of attention, we usually follow our "Mallet Between the Eyes" theory of attention deficit. I am afraid that you will have to listen to a number of our theories, as we walk together through the gardens.

The Mallet Theory is simple, direct and almost always gets the desired results.

The Theory is.... When you are trying to make a point but the other person is not paying adequate attention to what is being said, it sometimes may become necessary to take a rubber mallet and hit the other person (figuratively) right between the eyes.

This procedure generally gets the other party's absolute and undivided attention as well as a clear, definitive focus, even if it's just for a short period of time. However, that short period is generally just long enough, to achieve the desired results.

Once we have their attention, making our point is usually not quite as stressful.

To get their attention, it will be necessary for us to represent a large constituency of ST/PCV tenants. I mean as many tenants as possible, no matter what their legal status.To translate "as many as possible", think about five thousand or six thousand or more families.  

Our company is not licensed to practice law. We can't represent you in a legal capacity. We can however, represent you as your business consultant.

If enough of the tenants at ST/PCV decide to join us, I can promise you that no private owner, mortgage lender or property manager in New York, will with-stand the full force of a monetary, legal and political attack by the organized and combined, economic might, of the ST/PCV community.

During the next ten days, we will have a Consulting Agreement drawn to memorialize our agreement with each tenant. An individual tenant will request an Agreement and each Agreement will be separate and specific between our company and the individual tenant. Only the individual tenant will know whether he or she has a consulting agreement with us. 

Of course representing the tenants as a group, will only count if enough tenants sign up with Guterman Partners, LLC's consulting subsidiary.

            

While we are not sure of the combined will of the ST/PCV tenants to band together and achieve one single, cohesive force, we are sure that if you will combine your efforts and allow us to represent your interests, we will produce the desired results for "quality of life" in the ST/PCV rental community as well as a serious financial benefit to all tenants in possession, if the property is converted.

This process of gaining the attention of management and thereafter changing their management operating program, will be slightly difficult and a little "bloody" for management.

   

To our knowledge, this will be management's the first real experience with this level of in-depth "rent stabilization" operating expertise and "rent stabilization" litigating expertise.

As I previously mentioned, my partners and I have accumulated this knowledge and experience, during our thirty-six years of managing rental apartments that are governed by New York City's Rent Stabilization Housing Program and thirty-six years of managing more than sixty thousand New York City apartments.

Gerald Guterman