Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings, reacted to the arrest and indictment of Yury Baumblit, along with his employee, Edwin Elie, on charges that the duo illegally evicted tenants who lived in 3/4 houses between April 2014 and March 16, 2016. The defendants allegedly unlawfully evicted at least 10 tenants who occupied rooms for over 30 days - even though landlords cannot evict a tenant who occupies a room or a bed for 30 consecutive days without a court order.
STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS
"No landlord in New York City should be able to take advantage of our city's most vulnerable residents - whether they are seniors, disabled citizens, low-income families, or those living in transitional housing, such as three-quarter houses,"said Council Member Williams. "Any owner who doesn't think that law enforcement officials, along with elected legislators, aren't watching you and ready to respond should you abuse your tenants, are sorely mistaken. The Committee on Housing and Buildings intends to consider several pieces of legislation in the coming months that cracks down on the exact behavior that Mr. Baumblit and Mr. Elie are accused of in the Brooklyn District Attorney's indictment. We know that we have many tools in the toolkit to protect tenants, and I thank Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson for using one of these tools. I look forward to working with him, along with Speaker, and the administration to ensure that where the City can act, it will."
