Tenants Claim Negligence at Flatbush Gardens
Tenants at the 59-building, rent-stabalized, East Flatbush housing complex called Flatbush Gardens (previously Vanderveer Estates) claim that the owner, Clipper Equity, is neglecting repairs in order to drive out tenants and drive up rents. “You call, but they never come to fix anything,” one tenant of 25 years told the Daily News. Needed repairs include…
Tenants at the 59-building, rent-stabalized, East Flatbush housing complex called Flatbush Gardens (previously Vanderveer Estates) claim that the owner, Clipper Equity, is neglecting repairs in order to drive out tenants and drive up rents. “You call, but they never come to fix anything,” one tenant of 25 years told the Daily News. Needed repairs include flooring in disrepair and exposed or non-functioning outlets. Tenants also claim that Clipper began charging $30 air-conditioner fees as part of its intimidation tactics, and raised rents in stabalized apartments beyond what is legally permissible. The owners will renovate an apartment as soon as tenants vacate, tenants say, but ignore maintenance requests for occupied units. Finally, the tenants point to television and subway ads for the complex as more evidence that the owners are trying to attract new money. A Clipper spokesperson said that the owner works through all maintenance requests, and highlights $10 million in upgrades such as new elevators, intercom systems, and playgrounds. Tenants say these are simply cosmetic upgrades, and a lawyer representing them told the News, “It’s clear the landlord wants to bring in new business.” GMAP P*Shark
Landlords Letting Flatbush Gardens Rot to Flush Us Out [Daily News]
Rent Wars: Flatbush Gardens Achieves Stuy Town Dream [Curbed]
Image by Nicholas Strini/PropertyShark
thanks for the clarification, fsrg. I recall someone saying the forum that the price was less but as we’ve all seen on b’stoner- with free advice you get what you pay for 🙂
fsrg- does anyone like increases? And if you’re on a limited income it has much more impact on your day to day. I was actually referring to benson’s last line. But I agree- when people get upset they tend to see things from a “very one-sided and often biased perspective.” And that also includes landlords. The unfortunate thing in NYC is that landlords and tenants need one another but are adversarial- made more so by the laws and the economics.
“So because it was a hell before justifies what the current owners are doing now?!? ”
Crown Heights Lady;
WHAT exactly is the new owner doing??? All the Daily News shows is two relatively minor violations, and acknowledges that the owner is sinking $10M in the complex Is this the best evidence that the tennants could bring forth? Between this weak evidence, and their absurd statement that new elevators and intercom are “cosmetic” changes, I am drawn to conclude that what they are really complaining about is that their rents will be increased in a LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE way to pay for the upgrades that were SORELY needed in this complex.
Pete states above that when owners purchase RS properties, they go in with their eyes wide open. 100% correct. It is also 100% true that when TENNANTS rent a RS apartment, THEY should abide by the rules of the game, which allows the owner to recover his costs for capital investments in a property.
No bxgrl – you pay market price – the price is based on the rent roll and the RR is kept low (and will virtually forever stay low) due to RS – the cap rate (i.e. the income you earn is genrally the same or lower than on non-rs buildings)
who is demonizing anyone???
People (RS or not) do not enjoy paying more $ for rent…and when new LL comes in and makes improvements and LEGALLY raises rent and enforces LEGAL rules (like no Washers and $5 A/C charges) – tenants get upset…..and when people get upset they tend to see things from a very one-sided and often biased perspective.
It isnt that the RS tenants are demons – its that tenants like the part of the RS that keeps rents low – but tenants DO NOT like the part that allows increases.
But I think, crownlfc, it’s also true that landlords get tax breaks and other considerations for their investments. When you buy an rs/rc property it was my understanding you pay quite a bit less than market value because of it. Is that true?
It yet again exposes the flaws of rent stablization on both ends – the biggest flaw of which, is gov’t mandating private owners to bear the costs.
Although I agree the story is blatantly one-sided, i object to the automatic demonization of rc/rs tenants. These are not UES geriatrics with money in the bank, by any stretch of the imagination. And the bigger issue is while there is a huge market for apartments with reasonable rents, there aren’t a lot of them out there for lower middle and working class poor. I’m sure we’ll differ on what is a reasonable rent and for what.
“A Clipper spokesperson said that the owner works through all maintenance requests, and highlights $10 million in upgrades such as new elevators, intercom systems, and playgrounds. Tenants say these are simply cosmetic upgrades, and a lawyer representing them told the News, “It’s clear the landlord wants to bring in new business.””
I’m pretty sure of 4 things:
1. The management company does not rush to do repairs for tenants they would like to get rid of.
2. Unless the old elevators, intercom systems, and playgrounds were all in good condition, new elevators, intercom systems, and playgrounds qualifies as much more than “cosmetic” upgrades.
3. The lawyer’s comment is really dumb.
4. While throwing little old ladies out of their homes is bad, so are the consequences of NY RS/RC laws.