New York, NY – November 10, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Tenants at Whitehouse Estates at 350 East 52nd Street in Manhattan will be joined by striking apartment building workers, elected officials and supporters today to announce the filing of a lawsuit that claims building owner William Koeppel has been illegally overcharging on rents for years.
According to the lawsuit, tenants at the 85-unit complex discovered that the building was covered by the J-51 law, which means the owner received certain tax advantages in return for pledging to rent stabilize a portion of the building. The tenants were never informed of this and were charged at market rate, the suit states. Tenants have also been protesting the deteriorating conditions at the complex by the landlord that include harassment and neglected maintenance. Koeppel has a history of mistreating tenants, including rent gouging. In the 1990s, he pled guilty to soliciting campaign contributions for Rudy Giuliani’s mayoral campaigns in exchange for rent-regulated leases.
WHAT: Tenants Announce Lawsuit Against Landlord
WHO: Whitehouse Estates Tenants
Whitehouse Estates Building Workers, who have been on strike since June 6
State Senator Liz Krueger
Council Member Jessica Lappin (represents the district)
Kyle Bragg, 32BJ Vice President
WHEN: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 4:30 pm
WHERE: Whitehouse Estates, 350 East 52nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues
With more than 120,000 members, including 70,000 in New York, 32BJ is the largest buildings services union in the country and the largest private-sector union in the state.
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Kwame Abasi Patterson
Communications Department
32BJ SEIU
Work (212)388-3676
Cell (312)371-2485
www.seiu32bj.org
