January 9, 2020, BROOKLYN, NY – Today, 22名住在皇冠高地东部公园大道1074号的租金稳定租户宣布,他们正在起诉Iris Holdings Group和Rubin Dukler,指控他们自2002年以来非法多收租金约200万美元, when New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), the state agency that oversees rent-stabilized housing, 冻结租金,禁止涨租金直到整栋楼的问题得到解决.
The rent freeze is still in effect today. The lawsuit, 由布鲁克林法律服务租户权利联盟向纽约州最高法院提起诉讼, 亦指称Dukler诈骗HCR,向该机构登记虚假租户及租金金额,以收取更多租金。Iris Holdings Group在知情的情况下受惠,但却故意不予以纠正.
“我是一个单身母亲,多年来我的房东一直在掏空我的口袋,还骗走了我急需的养女儿的资金," said Tabita Sylvestor, a tenant of over eight years 谁被多收了房租还因为她拖欠房租而被驱逐. "We don't have reliable heat and hot water in the building, 但艾瑞斯控股集团违反法律,每月多收大发app软件下载数百美元. They don't care about us."
Iris Holdings Group和Dukler为了从低收入的纽约黑人和棕色家庭中疯狂获利而触犯了法律——这正是去年租户们争取并赢得租金改革的原因,这项改革堵住了激励房东从低收入租户身上获利的漏洞," said 托马斯·周,布鲁克林法律服务租户权利联盟的律师. “执行租金稳定法的重担不应该只落在租户身上, but too often it does. 目前,HCR几乎没有监督房东是否遵守了减租命令或诚实登记租金. 房东不应该为了不受HCR的影响而非法增加租金而自我报告虚假租户和租赁几十年, and yet that is what we have here."
In 2002, HCR发布了一项减租令(冻结租金),禁止向租户收取租金,直到整个建筑物的条件得到修复. In defiance of the rent freeze order, Dukler, and now Iris Holdings Group, 继续透过续租向租户收取租金, 有些租户每月的租金比法律规定的租金高出900多美元. Tenants are owed an estimated $2 million over the last six years, 限制租户因租金过高而寻求损害赔偿的期限, according to the lawsuit. Tenants, however, have been regularly overcharged since 2002.
租户亦指控Dukler和Iris Holdings Group在知情的情况下大发app软件下载欺诈HCR,并从中获利。该欺诈涉及虚假租户登记,目的是抬高租金和增加大厦的租金. 租户们认为Dukler注册了一系列假租户名, including "Barbara Heywood," "Barry Newton," "Charles Allen," and "Harry Johnson," in order to take advantage of a housing law loophole, since closed, 这使得房东可以在租户搬出租金稳定的单元时获得20%的租金增长, commonly known as a "vacancy bonus.“Iris Holdings Group继续坚持该欺诈行为,并未能改正有关名称及租金金额。, or file any registrations for the building since 2016.
租户要求法院强制Iris Holdings Group和Dukler支付损害赔偿, reimburse rent overcharges, 并纠正欺诈的租金登记历史和每个租户的租约. 既然已经提起诉讼,Iris Holdings Group和Dukler必须对指控作出回应.
“Iris Holdings Group是时候结束谎言,停止欺骗租户的钱了," said Viola Bibins, a tenant of 37 years 自2002年房租冻结以来,谁被非法收取每年数千美元的租金. “他们对待大发app软件下载就好像大发app软件下载不是人类,好像大发app软件下载不配拥有一个安全、干净的家园. 然后他们转身拿走了大发app软件下载的房租,让大发app软件下载觉得大发app软件下载应该感谢他们. It's not right."
“Iris Holdings Group知道他们不应该提高大发app软件下载的租金, 当我的权利和邻居的权利被践踏时,我不能袖手旁观," said 她已经在这栋楼里住了18年 目前,她每月支付的租金比2002年的租金冻结令水平高出近300美元,她本应被起诉. “大发app软件下载要把房东告上法庭,因为他们一直在跟大发app软件下载玩心理游戏,想把大发app软件下载赶出这栋楼, 因为大发app软件下载有权利住在自己的房子里,而不是被骗钱."
In a separate case back in February 2019, tenants in the building, 以及Iris控股集团在皇冠高地的另外两栋大楼, 寻求法院命令,迫使房东修复危险和不卫生的建筑条件,并停止房客骚扰, or else face civil penalties. Even after the court proceeding, Iris Holdings Group继续在东园道1018号的楼宇内违例个案超过220宗, 1074 Eastern Parkway, 斯特林广场1392号——包括冬季供暖和热水不足, mold and water leaks, vermin infestations, uncapped radiator valves, missing window guards, and broken front doors and intercoms. 租户最近向HCR申请了公寓和公共区域的额外租金减免订单.
Read the full complaint HERE.
Iris Holdings Group和Dukler为了从低收入的纽约黑人和棕色家庭中疯狂获利而触犯了法律——这正是去年租户们争取并赢得租金改革的原因,这项改革堵住了激励房东从低收入租户身上获利的漏洞," said 托马斯·周,布鲁克林法律服务租户权利联盟的律师. “执行租金稳定法的重担不应该只落在租户身上, but too often it does. 目前,HCR几乎没有监督房东是否遵守了减租命令或诚实登记租金. 房东不应该为了不受HCR的影响而非法增加租金而自我报告虚假租户和租赁几十年, and yet that is what we have here."
In 2002, HCR发布了一项减租令(冻结租金),禁止向租户收取租金,直到整个建筑物的条件得到修复. In defiance of the rent freeze order, Dukler, and now Iris Holdings Group, 继续透过续租向租户收取租金, 有些租户每月的租金比法律规定的租金高出900多美元. Tenants are owed an estimated $2 million over the last six years, 限制租户因租金过高而寻求损害赔偿的期限, according to the lawsuit. Tenants, however, have been regularly overcharged since 2002.
租户亦指控Dukler和Iris Holdings Group在知情的情况下大发app软件下载欺诈HCR,并从中获利。该欺诈涉及虚假租户登记,目的是抬高租金和增加大厦的租金. 租户们认为Dukler注册了一系列假租户名, including "Barbara Heywood," "Barry Newton," "Charles Allen," and "Harry Johnson," in order to take advantage of a housing law loophole, since closed, 这使得房东可以在租户搬出租金稳定的单元时获得20%的租金增长, commonly known as a "vacancy bonus.“Iris Holdings Group继续坚持该欺诈行为,并未能改正有关名称及租金金额。, or file any registrations for the building since 2016.
租户要求法院强制Iris Holdings Group和Dukler支付损害赔偿, reimburse rent overcharges, 并纠正欺诈的租金登记历史和每个租户的租约. 既然已经提起诉讼,Iris Holdings Group和Dukler必须对指控作出回应.
“Iris Holdings Group是时候结束谎言,停止欺骗租户的钱了," said Viola Bibins, a tenant of 37 years 自2002年房租冻结以来,谁被非法收取每年数千美元的租金. “他们对待大发app软件下载就好像大发app软件下载不是人类,好像大发app软件下载不配拥有一个安全、干净的家园. 然后他们转身拿走了大发app软件下载的房租,让大发app软件下载觉得大发app软件下载应该感谢他们. It's not right."
“Iris Holdings Group知道他们不应该提高大发app软件下载的租金, 当我的权利和邻居的权利被践踏时,我不能袖手旁观," said 她已经在这栋楼里住了18年 目前,她每月支付的租金比2002年的租金冻结令水平高出近300美元,她本应被起诉. “大发app软件下载要把房东告上法庭,因为他们一直在跟大发app软件下载玩心理游戏,想把大发app软件下载赶出这栋楼, 因为大发app软件下载有权利住在自己的房子里,而不是被骗钱."
In a separate case back in February 2019, tenants in the building, 以及Iris控股集团在皇冠高地的另外两栋大楼, 寻求法院命令,迫使房东修复危险和不卫生的建筑条件,并停止房客骚扰, or else face civil penalties. Even after the court proceeding, Iris Holdings Group继续在东园道1018号的楼宇内违例个案超过220宗, 1074 Eastern Parkway, 斯特林广场1392号——包括冬季供暖和热水不足, mold and water leaks, vermin infestations, uncapped radiator valves, missing window guards, and broken front doors and intercoms. 租户最近向HCR申请了公寓和公共区域的额外租金减免订单.
Read the full complaint HERE.