Schneiderman announces settlement with New York City landlord accused of harassing rent-stabilized tenants. On May 4, 2017, New York State Attorney General Eric. T. Schneiderman announced that a settlement had been reached between the State and several companies controlled by Sassan “Sami” Mahfar and Sina Mahfar. The companies owned four residential buildings on Manhattan’s Lower East Side—22 Spring Street, 102 Norfold Street, 113 Stanton Street, and 210 Rivington Street. The Attorney General alleged that the … <Read More>
Search Results for: Tenant Protection
Schneiderman Announces Indictment of NYC Landlord in $5 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme
A New York City landlord was indicted for mortgage fraud scheme in Lower Manhattan, stemming from tenant harassment investigation. On April 6, 2017, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the indictment of Dean Galasso, a New York City landlord. Galasso was indicted on six felony charges in relation to an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain a multi-million-dollar mortgage to finance the acquisition of a rental building. Galasso faces one count of Grand … <Read More>
Council Members Denounce HPD Efforts Against Predatory Equity
City Council Members seek to strengthen tenant protections from predatory equity landlords. On October 31, 2016, City Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings held a five-hour public hearing on a complement of five bills, two of which related to predatory equity.
Since the mid-2000s and largely due to the housing bubble, predatory equity has become a metastasis on the New York City housing market. The predatory equity get-rich-scheme works as thus: private investment money is … <Read More>
City Council Subcommittee Hears Testimony on Eviction Services for Disabled and Elderly Populations
If enacted, the bills would mandate the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to provide legal assistance information to susceptible tenants. On May 4, 2016, the City Council Subcommittee on Housing and Buildings held a public hearing on two bills introduced to ensure seniors and disabled persons facing eviction have access to information about the legal services available to help them. The bills would mandate the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to provide such … <Read More>
City Planning Holds Thirteen-Hour Hearing on Citywide Affordable Housing Proposals
CPC held the hearing at the National Museum of the American Indian in an attempt to accommodate the large number of guests, however an overflow of testifiers waited on lines outside as the hearing began. On December 16, 2015, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, and Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposals, which are two components of the Mayor’s Housing: New York plan. The public … <Read More>
Rent Stabilization: Preserving Low and Middle-Income Housing
Rent regulation is not a new issue for New York City. But the headlines in June 2015 were far larger and the reactions more contentious than at any time in recent memory. For the first time in its 46-year history, the Rent Guidelines Board decided that there would be no increase in rents for one-year renewals on rent-stabilized apartments; it also limited increases on two year renewals to two-percent. Not surprisingly, tenants hailed the decision … <Read More>