Folks who live in a rent-stabilized building owned by one of the most high-profile developers in Brooklyn are finding a hot shower hard to come by nowadays, according to a press release sent out last night by Councilmember Letitia James’s office. Tenants in 25 Lafayette Avenue, in the BAM Cultural District, say that the gas in the building has been off since July 31st because their landlord, the Dermot Company, neglected to pay National Grid. The lack of hot water and stovetop-related amenities has fed the ire of residents who are already wary of Dermot because they believe the management company is trying to force rent-stabilized tenants from the property. The press release provides a bit more color:
“Since Dermot has taken over management of our building, there have been a series of transgressions on their part,” said Joe Pressley, who is a long-time resident of the building. He added, “With all the capital improvements that they have done to our building, I don’t understand why they could not afford to pay the monthly gas utility bill.” Members of the tenants association, which began to organize after Dermot’s acquisition of the building, believe that the new owners’ intent is to rid the building of its rent stabilized apartments. “Dermot has failed to communicate to us their desire to make certain that we remain as residents in this ever-changing neighborhood,” said Pressley. “Our area has become the Manhattan of Brooklyn, and the location of our building is seen as Ground Zero.”
To make matters worse, tenants say they’re caught in a bizarre situation where National Grid may not turn the gas back on because “the building may not be able to pass a required inspection.” Dermot, which developed the landmark One Hanson Place, has purchased a number of rent-stabilized buildings in Clinton Hill and Fort Greene over the past year and a half. Many tenants in those buildings have said the Dermot Company has used harassment tactics to get them out of their apartments. A tenant association meeting is being held tonight at 25 Lafayette Avenue to discuss the building’s problems.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Matt // Aug 5, 2008 at 9:54 am
Worst management company ever! Dermot bought our old building and forced all the tenants out in a matter of months. We were all told that renewal leases were forthcoming, but they never came. People quickly gave up on them and started apartment hunting. I guess we should be grateful we never had the utilities shut off….
Now we’re worried that they’ll be equally unhelpful with returning our security deposit. Has anyone had any experiences with Dermot on this? Maybe they’re more cooperative once they’ve got your out of their building?
2 Klongloff // Aug 5, 2008 at 10:33 am
No gas = no rent.
Time for a rent strike.
3 Camille Hyatt // Aug 6, 2008 at 10:03 am
Yes, rent strike is necessary. However I don’t believe your strife will get anywhere in having Tish James as your advocate.
It’s a complete slap in the face that she is speaking out against lack of hot water in this dwelling. She does know a thing or two about denying her tenants hot water, as this occurred on numerous occasions at 296 Lafayette Avenue. This occurred on many a cold winter’s morning. We even received a letter Keyspan stating that we were in danger of losing our heat entirely as a result of her non-payment. On another occasion, she tricked one of the tenants into paying for her heat, despite her lease stating “landlord will cover heat and hot water”. So please Tish, spare the good people of 25 Lafayette your ersatz sentiment, as you too have behaved in the same manner as Dermot. Complete and utter hypocrisy. I can’t believe we have her representing our communities, have we no one else? Someone please run for city council to oust this in-effective hypocrite.
4 Karen Vaughn // Aug 6, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Ms. Camille –
I suggest that you get a life – for real. You have been trying to smear CM James name for far too long now. You really sound like a (damn) fool, seriously. I know the truth – you are still ‘salty’ because she evicted you for not being a good tenant (years ago now)! Get over it.
CM James is one of the hardest working Council Members in New York City, period. Just leave her alone, and please look into therapy for your obesession.
Oh, and by the way, residents of 25 Lafayette only have words of praise for her efforts; go ask them if you’d like. Their gas service is back on…
Thank you.
5 Camille Hyatt // Aug 14, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Karen Vaughn, or whomever you are, I won’t resort to name calling, swearing, insults, or speaking non-truths as you have. Your attempted insults towards me, someone you don’t know, or have never spoken with, are truly reflective of the type of “administration” CM James is running: ego-driven, ineffective, and lacking in facts. Did you live at 296 Lafayette, what type of experience do you have as having lived under “CM” James?
I, on the other hand, have, and I will speak from experience. I will speak to allow the folks at 25 Lafayette and her constituency to know the real Tish James and her behavior as a landlord. Tish James did not evict my fiance and I, nor did she evict Grace, Rachel, Bethany, or Sean. So please, get your facts straight, and be careful what you put in writing. You don’t know me and you don’t know the living situation at that dwelling. We were all courteous and respectful tenants, who paid our rents on time, and adhered to the crazy mood swings that afflicted “CM” James. We chose to leave a dwelling that was rodent infested, contained more leaks than Watergate, endured stolen mail, privacy that was compromised (perhaps because she couldn’t get a life, was she lonely?), heat that was sub-standard and at times non-existent. Perhaps you should check the 311 records, you’ll see the city was called about CM James on numerous occasions. I cannot, in good conscience, watch her point fingers at other landlords and community leaders in re their improprieties, without calling her out on her own. I too would want to be armed with the truth, so I choose to arm others as well.
Those are the facts, and should you or anyone choose to defend her with this knowledge then you, my friend, are the bigger fool.
Oh and by the way, residents of 25 Lafayette have reached out to me because I’ve chosen to write about our experience with her, and they too are fed up with her false promises. I’ve also received calls from the Brooklyn Eagle because they weren’t even aware that she was a landlord, and with such a poor record at that. To quote one of the folks that sent me an email on a separate issue “Please don’t even begin to bring up Tish, she is screwing my school up so badly with all these false promises. I KNOW she is a *****! So I can only begin to imagine what she put you two through!”
So please, Karen Vaughn, before you come to the defense of someone, whether Tish James or others, check your facts, do your homework, and leave your emotionally charged rhetoric at the door.
Good luck to you,
Camille
6 Shanty // Aug 14, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Yes Camille, leave poor Tish alone (sarcasm)…who is this whiny broad, Karen Vaughn. Are you Tish’s bodyguard? Say no to all slum lords.
7 Camille Hyatt // Aug 14, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Karen Vaughn, or whomever you are, I won’t resort to name calling, swearing, insults, or speaking non-truths as you have. Your attempted insults towards me, someone you don’t know, or have never spoken with, are truly reflective of the type of “administration” CM James is running: ego-driven, ineffective, and lacking in facts. Did you live at 296 Lafayette, what type of experience do you have as having lived under “CM” James?
I, on the other hand, have, and I will speak from experience. I will speak to allow the folks at 25 Lafayette and her constituency to know the real Tish James and her behavior as a landlord. Tish James did not evict my fiance and I, nor did she evict Grace, Rachel, Bethany, or Sean. So please, get your facts straight, and be careful what you put in writing. You don’t know me and you don’t know the living situation at that dwelling. We were all courteous and respectful tenants, who paid our rents on time, and adhered to the crazy mood swings that afflicted “CM” James. We chose to leave a dwelling that was rodent infested, contained more leaks than Watergate, endured stolen mail, privacy that was compromised (perhaps because she couldn’t get a life, was she lonely?), heat that was sub-standard and at times non-existent. Perhaps you should check the 311 records, you’ll see the city was called about CM James on numerous occasions. I cannot, in good conscience, watch her point fingers at other landlords and community leaders in re their improprieties, without calling her out on her hypocrisy. I too would want to be armed with the truth, so I choose to arm others as well.
Those are the facts, and should you or anyone choose to defend her with this knowledge then you, my friend, are the bigger fool.
Oh and by the way, residents of 25 Lafayette have reached out to me because I’ve chosen to write about our experience with her, and they too are fed up with her false promises. I’ve also received calls from the Brooklyn Eagle because they weren’t even aware that she was a landlord, and with such a poor record at that. To quote one of the folks that sent me an email on a separate issue “Please don’t even begin to bring up Tish, she is screwing my school up so badly with all these false promises. I KNOW she is a *****! So I can only begin to imagine what she put you two through!”
So please, Karen Vaughn, before you come to the defense of someone, whether Tish James or others, check your facts, do your homework, and leave your emotionally charged rhetoric at the door.
Good luck to you,
Camille
8 Resident of 25 Lafayette // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:16 am
I am appalled, though not surprised, that “CM James” has taken credit for having the gas turned back on at 25 Lafayette. We, the tenants, called 311 and filed complaints. The Department of Health came to inspect and confirmed that we had no gas and Dermot was forced to pay the bill. That’s all there is to the story.
If Tish really does wish to help us, perhanps she could work on helping to resolve some of the other problems we face. The basement, including the laundry room, is infested with rats (yes, the Department of Health confirmed this) and residents on the first floor are seriously worried that rats will climb into their windows. Some can’t sleep at night because of the rats’ screeching. Others are afraid that the ceiling will cave in, or there won’t be enough warm water to bathe their children, or that the water pressure will be so low that they can’t get the soap off of their bodies.
So don’t anyone be fooled, WE the tenants are fighting the fight and attempting to restore an acceptable level of living conditions. That’s the truth.
9 Resident of 25 Lafayette // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:24 am
OK
10 Former resident of 296 // Aug 17, 2008 at 12:30 am
Dear 25 Lafayette resident,
Sounds like Tish James’ dwelling. We did not get evicted by James, no one did, we evicted her as a viable lieutenant for Fort Greene living.
Sincerely,
Not an obsessed fan of James’ (see that Vaughn chick), nor an evicted former tenant.