Wednesday, May 11, 2016

You're invited: create fair at union square by Grow NY - EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO THE WEATHER


THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO THE WEATHER




GrowNYC's Create Fair 


Friday, May 13 
 Union Square Greenmarket

(northwest corner of Union Square - near Pavilion)

10:00AM - 2:00PM
Winning Artists announced at 12:00 PM 
  Join us for Create Fair and walk through for loads of fun, hands-on activities including: cooking demos, food samples, take home DIY Planters with something ready to grow, recycling games, nutrition education workshops and more.

Drop by at noon to see us announce the top 3 winners of the GrowNYC Art Contest.




Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj - **A Breakfast and Movie Screening of BESA: The Promise**


Upcoming Event
A Breakfast and Movie Screening of  
BESA : The Promise


TO ENSURE YOUR TICKET, YOU MUST RSVP!
Tickets can be picked up or purchased at the door on the day of the event. 

RSVP at Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj's Office
                            1126 Pelham Parkway South
Bronx, New York 10461


Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Council Member Williams Chair of the Council's Housing and Buildings Committee RESPONDS TO INDICTMENT OF MANHATTAN LANDLORD




   Manhattan developer Steve Croman was indicted on twenty felony charges related to allegations of tenant intimidation and fraud on May 9. His charges include, grand larceny, falsifying business records, a scheme to defraud, criminal tax fraud, and offering a false instrument for filing.

STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS 

"Steve Croman's indictment on Monday is a bittersweet victory. His indictment means that we are one step closer to stopping him from taking advantage of our City's housing crisis for personal profit. His surrender, and potential conviction, would mean there is one less greedy building owner harassing the City's most vulnerable so they can be replaced by higher-paying tenants.  I find it deplorable that former New York Police Officer Anthony Falconite, who took an oath to protect and serve, was the main instrument used in intimidating and forcing tenants out of their homes. Croman continuously harassed, intimidated and manipulated rent-regulated tenants to force them out of their homes so he could convert their apartments into market-rate units.

"For every Steve Croman, there are a handful more just like him, who are targeting New Yorkers who are struggling to make ends meet. I applaud Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and his office for making cases like these a priority. I am proud to be part of a legislative body that works every day to protect tenants' rights, as evidenced by the series of bills passed during this session to do just that.

"For example, we've passed legislation I sponsored that mandates owners let tenants know that they have the right to refuse a buyout offer by agents of a landlord. Agents are also required to disclose their identity and that they work for the tenants' landlord. Another bill, sponsored by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, makes contacting a tenant, after they have refused a buyout offer, a form of harassment. Council Member Garodnick passed a bill to make it unlawful for an owner to threaten a tenant, to contact tenants at odd hours, or to provide false information to a tenant. We've also increased fines for engaging in tenant harassment and passed legislation to allow the city to engage in emergency repairs of decrepit buildings, and also a requirement to provide notice to tenants when building services are being interrupted.

"It is my hope that Steve Croman's arrest, and possible conviction, serves as an example for all owners who are practicing similar illegal tactics. The lesson is simple; this City will continue to aggressively fight to protect tenants."

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj - Traffic & Moving Violations Legal Series - Part 2



Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj Presents
Part 2 of
The Legal Forum Series:
Traffic & Moving Violations
 
Thursday, May 12th, 2016

Time:
6:00pm- 8:00pm
Location:
Bronx House
990 Pelham Pkwy S.
Bronx, NY 10461
Have a traffic, parking, or moving violation?

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, will be hosting a series of legal Forums. This particular event will feature Attorneys who will present relevant information and answer any questions regarding any traffic or moving violations.

MEMORIAL DAY, Monday, May 30th, 11:00AM at Rudy Macina Peace Memorial Plaza








































Monday, May 9, 2016

A.G. Schneiderman Announces 20 Felony Charges And Civil Suit Against Major New York City Landlord Steven Croman



 Croman, Owner Of 140 Apartment Buildings Throughout Manhattan, Faces 20 Felony Counts, Including Grand Larceny, Criminal Tax Fraud, And Falsifying Business Records; Mortgage Broker Barry Swartz Also Charged

Cases Allege Croman Pushed Rent-Stabilized Tenants From Their Apartments And Obtained Loans Based On False Accountings Of Rent-Stabilized Tenants In His Buildings
   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that Steven Croman, a major New York City landlord with more than 140 apartment buildings across Manhattan, surrendered on multiple felony charges for his role in an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain several multi-million dollar refinancing loans between 2012 and 2014.
Croman was also named, along with private investigator Anthony Falconite, in a civil suit filed today by the Attorney General’s office for allegedly engaging in illegal, fraudulent, and deceptive conduct in connection with Croman’s real-estate business. The lawsuit alleges that Croman directs an illegal operation that wields harassment, coercion, and fraud to force rent-regulated tenants out of their apartments and convert their apartments into highly profitable market-rate units.
The lawsuit further alleges that Croman deployed Falconite, a former New York City police officer, to frighten and intimidate rent-regulated tenants into surrendering their apartments.
“My message to unscrupulous landlords is simple: if you put your own profits over your tenants’ legal protections, we will investigate you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “My office will not tolerate anyone who attempts to line their own pockets by gaming the system. No one is above the law – no matter how rich or powerful.”
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said, “There was a time when tenant harassment by landlords and their agents was only tackled in housing court. For justice to be served and for tenants to be righteously protected, criminal and civil wrongdoing that harasses rent regulated tenants demands the weight of a prosecutorial solution. When allegations surface that landlords are stalking tenants to compel fraudulent buyouts, we need stronger remedies; this is it and I thank the Attorney General and his office for continuing to work closely with the Tenant Protection Unit to help safeguard the rights of more than one million rent regulated tenants.”
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner James S. Rubin said, “I thank the Attorney General for his commitment to keeping New York’s rent regulated tenants safe from harassment. The Attorney General’s office and the Governor’s Tenant Protection Unit are here to protect you from extreme harassment and intimidation. We want New York’s over 1 million rent regulated tenants to sleep peacefully at night, knowing the state at every level is protecting them from unsafe construction, fraud, and harassment.
The criminal and civil cases are the result of independent, parallel investigations during the past two years.
The Attorney General’s office thanks New York State Homes and Community Renewal and Governor Cuomo’s Tenant Protection Unit (TPU) for their close cooperation and assistance in the investigation. 
Details on Criminal Charges
Based on an extensive investigation by the Attorney General’s office, Croman allegedly submitted false mortgage documents to New York Community Bank and Capital One Bank, including rent rolls that falsely reflected market rate rents for units that were actually occupied by rent-stabilized tenants.  Croman also allegedly inflated the amount of rent charged for certain commercial spaces in his buildings in an effort to show greater rental income.  Croman allegedly falsified these rent rolls in order to inflate the annual rental income of his buildings, upon which his refinancing terms are partially based. 
All told, over a three-year period, Croman allegedly received more than $45 million in loans under these false pretenses.
A grand jury indicted Croman on 20 felony counts, including seven counts of grand larceny in the 1st degree, seven counts of falsifying business records in the 1st degree, one count of scheme to defraud in the 1st degree, four counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the 1st degree, and one count of criminal tax fraud in the 4th degree.
Croman’s mortgage broker, Barry Swartz, also faces 15 felony counts, including seven counts of grand larceny in the 1st degree, seven counts of falsifying business records in the 1st degree, and one count of scheme to defraud in the 1st degree.
If convicted of all counts, Croman and Swartz could face as much as 25 years in prison. The charges against Croman and Swartz are allegations and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Tenant Protection Unit of New York State Homes and Community Renewal provided the Attorney General’s office with a criminal referral that was pivotal to the process.
Details of Civil Lawsuit
The civil lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan and the product of an independent investigation, alleges that Croman used the following illegal tactics to push working-class and low-income tenants out of their homes:
  • Harassing tenants into surrendering their apartments—and their rights under the rent-stabilization laws—in exchange for “buyouts,” which are often no more than a few thousand dollars or a few months of free rent.
  • Incentivizing his employees and agents to obtain buyouts, at the expense of their other responsibilities. Employees allegedly refer to rent-regulated tenants as “targets” and compete with each other to obtain the most buyouts. In one characteristic exchange, Falconite allegedly wrote to a property manager that obtaining buyouts was a “team sport,” to which the property manager responded, “I know that!! Who’s our next target? We have to start lining them up!!!”
  • Pressuring tenants into surrendering their apartments by repeatedly filing baseless lawsuits against them. In internal emails, company employees allegedly acknowledged that such lawsuits would “aggravate” tenants or pressure them to accept buyouts. In some cases, Croman’s employees allegedly created a false record for litigation by refusing to acknowledge receipt of tenants’ rent checks and then suing them for unpaid rent—a deliberate fraud upon the court.
The lawsuit also alleges that Falconite, whom Croman allegedly refers to as his “secret weapon,” used deceptive and frightening tactics to intimidate rent-regulated tenants. The lawsuit alleges that Falconite’s text messages with property managers show that he regularly uses false pretenses to gain access to tenants’ apartments, often posing as a repairman or building manager. For example, in text messages to a property manager, Falconite allegedly agreed to use “false pretenses” and pretended he was with the construction department.
The lawsuit alleges that Falconite routinely threatened tenants and improperly accused them of violating their lease. He also allegedly abused his position as a former NYPD officer to threaten and intimidate tenants.
In addition, the lawsuit alleges that Croman, in his rush to flip vacant rent-regulated apartments into high-rent units, presided over a disturbing pattern of illegal and hazardous construction. The lawsuit alleges numerous examples of illegal construction, including the following:
  • On at least 175 occasions, Croman’s companies allegedly performed construction without obtaining permits.
  • Croman allegedly regularly directed his employees to flout stop-work orders and conceal unlawful construction from Department of Building inspectors.
  • Croman allegedly filed false documents with the Department of Buildings on dozens of occasions in an attempt to avoid stricter oversight of his construction projects and elude tenant protection measures. 
  • Croman and his companies allegedly violated lead-safety laws repeatedly, exposing numerous tenants to lead-contaminated dust. On more than 20 occasions, the Department of Health (DOH) found impermissibly high levels of lead dust in Croman’s buildings, including levels up to 65 times the legal threshold.
  • Croman allegedly defied DOH orders to address the lead hazards. On one occasion, after DOH order Croman to stop all work and begin lead-abatement measures, Croman directed his property manager to postpone the lead abatement so that the construction could continue.
Croman’s alleged illegal construction had devastating consequences for tenants. As alleged in the lawsuit, DOH identified lead-dust hazards in the apartment of a tenant who cared for her young grandsons, ages three and nine, both of whom were disabled. The tenant had to move her grandsons out of the apartment because of the dangers posed by the construction and lead dust and was forced to sue Croman to obtain repairs.
In addition, Croman allegedly repeatedly defied court orders to make repairs and address intolerable living conditions. The lawsuit alleges that throughout his portfolio, Croman has been issued hundreds of “hazardous” and “immediately hazardous” violations, which he has failed to correct. The suit further alleges that, on six occasions, the city has sued Croman’s companies for falsely certifying that they corrected violations on his properties.
Since 2012, The Tenant Protection Unit’s enforcement activities have led to the re-registration of over 50,000 improperly deregulated apartments, and the recovery of over $2.5 million dollars in overcharged rent for unsuspecting tenants through settlement agreements and administrative proceedings.
The Office of the Attorney General worked cooperatively with several city agencies, including DOH, DOB and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development during the civil investigation. 

BP DIAZ HOSTS VETERANS APPRECIATION BREAKFAST



     Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and his Bronx Veterans’ Advisory Council will hosted the annual Bronx Veterans’ Appreciation Day Breakfast today as part of Bronx Week 2016.

  “We are grateful for our borough’s veterans and their service to our people and the United States of America. This event is a time to pay tribute to and salute those who continue to give back to our community,” said Borough President Diaz.

  The Master of Ceremonies for the event that was held at Maestro's Caterers was Mr. Gary Axelbank of Bronxnet Television fame. The Honorees were Mr. Eric Chester (Bronx Vet Center-Outreach Coordinator), SSG. Luis Hernandez (Recruiter U.S. Marines Bronx), Anthony 'Tony' Salimbene (Bronx Community Board 10), SSG. Zaida Marie Tirado (Retired 29 years of service U.S. Army), and Mr. Herb Young (Bronx Community Board 8) 


Above - Mr. Joe Binder WWII Veteran at age 105.
Below - Mr. Herb Young one of the Honorees. 




Above and Below - BP Diaz made it a point to thank as many of the veterans that he could.




Above - The NYC Joint Services Color Guard begin their march to the front of the room.
Below - On stage, Belinda Barnes of the Bronx VA Medical Center Belts out the National Anthem, as the Color Guard stands at attention. 



BP Diaz Hosts Centenarian Luncheon to Start Bronx Week



 

    Bronx Borough President welcomed the 42 people in the room last Thursday at Villa Barone who have had their 100th birthday or more. The oldest person in the room was 108. There were several others who were 98 or 99 years old also in the audience. BP Diaz's Director of Senior Services Ms. Larcenia Walton is at his side holding all the Citations with the names and ages of the Centenarians. 


Above - Master of Ceremony Dr. Bob Lee has the crowd dancing up a storm.
Below - Even one of the centenarians got up and danced to the beat.



Above - The centenarian dancer tells of her fountain of youth as BP Diaz holds her citation.
Below - 99 year old Beatrice Castiglia-Carullo and Founder of RAIN Senior Services holds her citation with BP Diaz on one side, and Deputy BP Greene on the other.




Above - Dr. Bob Lee and Deputy BP Greene chat with Irvin Ladimer who at 100 is the oldest active Bronx Community Board member. 
Below - The highlight of the event however were the jokes as said by 105 year old Mr. Joe Binder, as you see all around him laughing.