Lone holdout tenant is blocking this $70M NYC condo tower

It’s David and Goliath, Upper West Side edition. 

A lone diehard tenant’s refusal to leave his Manhattan condominium is preventing a worldwide authentic estate enhancement expense business from moving ahead on a $70 million condominium offer involving his building. 

The renter, 52-yr-outdated Ahmet Nejat Ozsu, says he is lawfully entitled to go on dwelling in his condominium of 15 decades. His new landlord, the Naftali Group, disagrees, and is now suing Ozsu and his attorney for additional than $25 million in reaction to their resistance and protection of it. 

“He has a lawful right to keep on the premises under ERAP,” Ozsu’s legal professional, Adam Leitman Bailey, advised The Post of New York State’s pandemic-period Crisis Rental Help System, beneath which Ozsu may well be allowed to stay in the device for a different whole calendar year or extra. 

“Unfortunately, the landlord hasn’t recognized this,” Leitman Bailey ongoing.

In its place, he mentioned, the developer has allegedly put in a loud lover (for the sole purpose of building an annoying din) and a protection digital camera outside the house his doorway, stripped the ground of all fireplace protection signs, and employed personnel to yell and spit at him when he exits and enters the building, all for the sole goal of building Ozsu’s life at 215 W. 84th St. unbearable. 

“Even although he’s knocking down the building, he has accomplished construction directly opposite his dwelling each individual day,” Leitman Bailey extra.

The Naftali Team purchased the 128-apartment making for $70 million last June, and when they’ve still to file for new construction permits, regional zoning skilled and urban planner George M. Janes informed the New York Situations a complete demolition adopted by the building of a new residential tower is the most possible state of affairs. 

“The present circumstance at 215 W. 84th St. signifies a holdover predicament, wherever a singular tenant occupying a sector-level condominium has not respected his contractual obligations following his month-to-month lease was lawfully terminated in December of 2021,” Y. David Scharf, the chairman of legislation agency Morrison Cohen, which is symbolizing the developer, instructed The Post in a statement. “While the setting up owner respects the legal rights of tenants, primarily as it pertains to the existing packages in put for rental guidance in New York Town, this is totally not the situation below.” 

ahmet nejat ozsu upper west side
From remaining, Ahmet Nejat Ozsu and his lawyer Adam Leitman Bailey.
Courtesy of Adam Leitman Bailey,
ahmet nejat ozsu upper west side
An industrial-strength enthusiast the developer has put in outdoors of Ozsu’s door.
Courtesy of Adam Leitman Bailey,
ahmet nejat ozsu upper west side
A safety digicam instantly outside Ozsu’s apartment.
Courtesy of Adam Leitman Bailey,
ahmet nejat ozsu upper west side
The developer has been accomplishing “daily” design on Ozsu’s flooring irrespective of probable options to demolish the making.
Courtesy of Adam Leitman Bailey,
ahmet nejat ozsu upper west side
The developer will very likely demolish the creating and assemble a new household tower in its location.
Google Maps

Ozsu filed for ERAP following his market-fee, thirty day period-to-thirty day period lease expired in December, Scharf claimed, noting that Ozsu was not singled out: Each and every creating tenant was served a termination observe. As well, Ozsu has been nonresponsive to an offer of comparable space at a similar hire for two many years and instead biding his time in hopes of receiving a seven-determine payout, Scharf explained. 

“The present-day circumstance at 215 W. 84th St. signifies a holdover scenario, where by a singular tenant occupying a marketplace-amount apartment has not highly regarded his contractual obligations just after his thirty day period-to-thirty day period lease was lawfully terminated in December of 2021,” Y. David Scharf, the chairman of regulation organization Morrison Cohen, which is representing the developer, instructed The Article in a assertion. “While the developing operator respects the rights of tenants, primarily as it pertains to the recent applications in place for rental aid in New York Metropolis, this is entirely not the circumstance listed here.” 

Ozsu submitted for ERAP immediately after his current market-rate, thirty day period-to-thirty day period lease expired in December, Scharf claimed, noting that Ozsu was not singled out: Each building tenant was served a termination observe. As well, Ozsu has been non-responsive to an offer of equivalent house at a equivalent hire for two several years and rather biding his time in hopes of acquiring a 7-figure payout, Scharf offered on background. 

“I have the right to be below,” Ozsu insisted to the Occasions of he and his 13-year-old boxer-mix Penelope’s profession of his 700-sq.-foot, $3,350 leading-flooring one-bedroom, which offers a private balcony. “And I have no spot to go.” 

For several years Ozsu worked as a software package engineer, but has been unemployed for some time now, and owes approximately $13,600 in back lease. 

Now, in addition to the loss of his career and apartment, he’s also dealing with a $25 million lawsuit Naftali recently filed against him. A Naftali lawyer not component of that litigation is also now personally suing Leitman.

“I’ve never ever gotten that in 27 several years,” he told The Article. 

Scharf said that accommodate is in reaction to Leitman acting unethically in the direction of the building homeowners. 

If the problem seems absurd, even by the crazy requirements of New York Town genuine estate drama, Leitman claims, it is simply because it is: “I mostly depict developers. [Ozsu] was advised to me by a developer who was disgusted that Naftali was making other builders look lousy.” 

He’s not even individually “a fan” of quite a few tenant security legal guidelines passed by the point out legislature, “I’m a capitalist,” he proudly declared “but I have to stick to them, because they’re New York regulations.” 

Naftali, in the meantime, has “decided that they’re going to skirt them and bully and harass [Ozsu] out of the constructing in its place of respecting his right to are living there less than the recent rules that exist,” he claimed. “My client is seriously sweet and innocent and he’s dwelling in worry.”

Lone holdout tenant is blocking this $70M NYC condo tower

Enregistrer un commentaire

0 Commentaires