Showing posts with label Gov. Cuomo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gov. Cuomo. Show all posts

Saturday, September 30, 2017

A.G. Schneiderman, Gov. Cuomo, & Mayor De Blasio Announce Settlement With Major NYC Landlord To End Tenant Harassment And Hazardous Living Conditions


Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force Reaches Settlement With ICON Realty Management To Protect Tenants And Preserve Affordable Housing, Following Harassment And Hazardous Living Complaints From East Village, Lower East Side, And Brooklyn Tenants
ICON To Also Pay $500,000 In Penalties, Fees, And Costs
  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a first of its kind settlement between the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force (Task Force) and ICON Realty Management (ICON). This settlement provides tenants broad relief, requiring the landlord to end harassment and hazardous living conditions for the hundreds of tenants in buildings owned and managed by ICON.
Tenants in several ICON-owned rent-regulated buildings in the East Village, the Lower East Side, and Brooklyn were forced to live in adverse conditions, enduring excessive dust and debris from construction in the building common areas and apartments, inconsistent and irregular heat and hot water, and lack of cooking gas and elevator service for extended periods. The Task Force investigation found that, on multiple occasions, ICON failed to obtain Department of Buildings (DOB) work permits, performed construction outside the scope of permits issued, and failed to appropriately clean or maintain the construction work areas. The Task Force investigation also found that ICON ignored tenants’ requests for repairs, failed to timely correct housing and building code violations, and subjected tenants to long-lasting interruptions of heat, hot water, and cooking gas services.
The Assurance of Discontinuance (AOD), executed today by the Attorney General’s office, requires ICON to adopt policies and procedures to prevent future violations and safety risks; corrects all outstanding housing, maintenance, and building code violations; establishes safe construction practices; provides rent abatements to tenants during disruptions of essential services; appoints a tenant liaison to immediately address tenant concerns; and establishes an independent monitor to ensure ICON’s compliance with the agreement. The settlement also requires ICON to pay $300,000 to the State of New York (on behalf of the Task Force) and over $200,000 in penalties, fees, and costs to New York City’s Housing Preservation & Development and Department of Buildings.
“Unscrupulous landlords should be on notice: we’ll use every legal tool at our disposal to protect New York’s tenants,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Too often, bad landlords see rent-regulated apartments as a goldmine – looking to make a quick buck by using construction to harass tenants out of their homes. No New Yorker should have to fear for their health or their safety in their own home. This settlement marks another win for New York’s tenants as our Task Force continues to protect their rights and hold landlords accountable.”
“This settlement agreement makes it clear that we have zero tolerance for a landlord’s illegal and harmful construction that exposes tenants to harassing and hazardous living conditions.  I am proud of the TPU and all the work we’ve accomplished with the Task Force to protect rent-regulated tenants from predatory and abusive landlords. New Yorkers have the right to safe decent homes that do not jeopardize their health and safety,” said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.
"Property owners in this City have a clear legal responsibility to their tenants and those duties were repeatedly violated by this company. We will continue to work hand in glove with our law enforcement partners to protect New York tenants and punish deadbeat landlords,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force was created in 2015 in response to growing complaints that landlords were using construction as a mean to harass and endanger the health and safety of tenants. It includes the Governor’s Tenant Protection Unit, the New York State Attorney General (NYAG), and New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Department of Buildings (DOB). The Task Force combines multi-agency resources to address actions that jeopardize affordable housing and endanger tenants.  It executes unannounced top-to-bottom inspections of buildings in New York City, interviews tenants, and shares agency data to build investigations and provide tenants with comprehensive relief. The work of the Task Force has led to criminal prosecutions, such as the case against Daniel Melamed, and/or civil litigation or settlement, such as today’s settlement with ICON.
Maria Torres-Springer, Commissioner of New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, said, “Landlords like ICON are exactly why Mayor de Blasio recently enacted eighteen new pieces of legislation strengthening New York’s protections against tenant harassment and increasing penalties for owners who continue to engage in it. One of these new bills, Intro. 1549, specifically addresses this type of behavior and ensures tenants have the right to sue landlords for harassment for repeated disruption of essential services. Landlords know that engage in construction harassment will face consequences.”
New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick D. Chandler, PE, said, “We are proud of our work on the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force and my agency will continue to take strong action to ensure landlords who violate the laws and harass tenants will be held accountable. No landlord is allowed to use unsafe construction practices to harass tenants.”
“This agreement is a big win for tenants” said Yonatan Tadele of the Cooper Square Committee. “Tenants have suffered for years under ICON ownership and management. They've spoken out and tenaciously organized against ICON’s tactics. A coalition of Icon tenants from around the City, Icon Community United (ICU), brought their concerns to the Task Force. We are very glad to see such a strong settlement come forward.”