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
Learn to read A CrownHeightsLady –
FSRQ is theorizing (I do not agree or disagree since I do not know the facts) the story is one sided and that there is a good chance that some tenants are claiming these things in order to dodge rent increases.
“…uh they purchase it..and nobody forced them to purchase it.”
Uhm if you are going to quote at least do the WHOLE FUCKING sentence.
“No one likes taking over a RS/RC property unless they can a see way to make them market rate. ”
And thanks for proving my point IN THE SAME REPLY
“They knew the rent roll but were willing to pay big premium with desire to kick out and get bigger return. Not as easy money as they hoped.”
So because it was a hell before justifies what the current owners are doing now?!? That’s just a ridiculous.
Benson is 1000% right
Vanderveer was a total hell hole…crime infested, deteriorating and dangerous.
Sure maybe the new owners arent making repairs – (the easiest way is to check the violations on the buildings (if you need a repair and it isnt done all you have to do is call 311 and an inspector will right up a violation if it is a founded complianit)- I note they arent mentioned in the article (the only thing shown in the DailyNews article are two pictures of the most minor issues its laughable).
A MUCH MORE LIKELY scenario, is that the old/existing RS tenants do not want to be subject to the rent increases that are LEGAL, and PERMISSIBLE under RS laws, when a Lnadlord makes major capital improvements (mind you the maximum 1yr increase is only 6%). Those so called “cosmetic changes” like new intercoms and elevators are subject to permissible increases by the LL – it is very likely the current tenants don’t want to pay the LEGAL increases and so they are claiming that the LL is doing something wrong, or not making repairs. I’d also bet that the new LL (who has invested 10’s of millions) is much more strict about non-payment of rent – also a potential source of complaint from tenants used to more lackadaisical management. The new LL is also probably preventing tenants from having washer/dryers in their apartments (cause terrible flooding problems) and also the LL is charging the LEGAL and PERMISSABLE $5 A/C unit charge.
So what is the story here, I certainly dont know for sure – but I suspect, this is about a LL acting 100% within the law, improving the development and trying to collect the rent he is due, and tenants who would prefer to pay less (even if it means a crappy development) and would prefer that the LL didnt try to enforce his lease and the RS laws so much.
This is typical Daily News cheap journalism. Does anyone know the history of this development???? Vanderveer Gardens was one of the WORST developments in the history of Brooklyn: cheaply built,and then poorly run. This story gives no perspective on what this development was like BEFORE Clipper Equities bought them: an absolute hellhole that brought down the surrounding area.
Only in NYC could a landlord who decides to invest $10M in a complex be demonized by the usual combination of lazy journalists looking for a cheap sensational story and RC/RS tennants looking to continue the ride for their “cheap” apartments.
hogwash.
“No one likes taking over a RC/RS property”….uh they purchase it..and nobody forced them to purchase it.
ANd plenty of RS bldgs get sold every year and the prices as multiple of rentroll have increased past several years …so plenty of buyers out there have been more than willing to buy.
They knew the rent roll but were willing to pay big premium with desire to kick out and get bigger return. Not as easy money as they hoped.
I’m not going to opine on the sovcial issues surounding RC/RS. But what both suburbandude and crimson said are the economic realities; and by that I mean rational economic behaviour.
That is the problem when you forced someone to provide services and goods well below market price – they are not motivated to give you the best service in return. They do ‘just enough’ to be legal or finds way to even go lower than what the law required instead of trying to provide something better.
RC/RS is broken. We don’t have to get rid of it but fix it so tenants do not suffer for years with a bad landlord.
No one likes taking over a RS/RC property unless they can a see way to make them market rate. So the motivation to repair and upgrade is minimal – actually comical.
And abusive tenants – you get what you paid for.
B.R.O.K.E.N.
900 bucks to live in that shit?
id rather have a roommmate.