East Harlem Tenants Demand Repairs After Years Of Neglect

EAST HARLEM, NY — A group of East Harlem tenants say that they are forced to live in deplorable conditions and their landlord refuses to conduct repairs ever since buying their buildings in an attempt to displace low-income tenants and convert rent-regulated units to the market rate.

Tenant organizers living in 124, 231 and 235 E. 117th posted a letter demanding "immediate improvement of conditions in our homes and tenant representation in all negotiations about future ownership" to the front door of Emerald Equity's management office Thursday morning.

Residents of the buildings say that they deal with problems such as leaky ceilings, warped floors, vermin infestation, broken mailboxes and a lack of heat and hot water on a daily basis.

Cathy Stephens has lived in her 124 E. 117th street apartment for 32 years, but fears that an out-of-control mold problem in her apartment is endangering her life. Stephens suffers from asthma, and her doctor recently told her that she shouldn't be living in her home. Mold has triggered Stephens' asthma so often that she has already exceeded her paid time off for 2020.

When building workers come to her apartment they simply scrape the mold and re-paint her walls, she said. Problems intensified in September when building workers removed her bedroom radiator but forgot to cap the pipe. Stephens returned home from a vacation and said her room was completely destroyed because the building had blasted the heat while she was gone.

Despite a years-long effort in court to force owners to remediate the mold and several inspections by city agencies detailing the extent of the problem, Stephens has not been able to get relocated to a new apartment.

"I have an inspection report that says there's more mold in my apartment than out on the street," Stephens said. "They're playing Russian Roulette with my life."

Tenants at the three Harlem buildings said that neglect of the buildings is part of Emerald Equity's business plan to force residents from their homes and rent the vacated apartments to tenants willing to pay market rate.

Marie Miranda, a resident of 231 E. 117th st., said she was offered a $10,000 buyout offer that was later raised to $50,000 when she told owners she wouldn't settle for less than half a million. Miranda said that workers covered a heat valve for an entire line of apartments in the building shortly after Emerald Equity bought the buildings in 2016, cutting off heat to longtime residents in rent-regulated apartments.

On top of the lack of heat, Miranda said that her building is swarming with vermin such as rats and mice.

"When I say rats, I'm talking about the mother, father, cousin — ok. Aunt, uncle, everybody, all them hanging out. Babies are hanging out. They know about the situation, I've called 311, I spoke to [management] numerous times. They don't do repairs properly."

Miranda has also dealt with a number of poor repairs in her apartment. A warped ceiling in one of her rooms has collapsed twice, and workers removed a sink from her bathroom because "it's not mandatory." When she needs repairs done, a super is nowhere to be found.

"He doesn't live on the premises as they claim," Miranda said. "Every time there's an emergency his phone is not connected, he doesn't have a voicemail. You have to text him, but he doesn't answer."

In January, the tenant association retained Manhattan Legal Services to demand immediate repairs for their building. Tenants are also worried that Emerald Equity plans to sell the building due to new rent laws that have disrupted the firm's business plan of removing regulated tenants for market rate tenants.

Tenant Julian Coker said that the residents organized with local nonprofit Community Voices Heard to represent about 60 tenants in the three buildings. The tenant group's short-term goal is immediate repairs, but the long-term goal is a seat at the negotiating table should Emerald decide to sell, Coker said.

Emerald Equity took out a large amount of debt to conduct capital improvements at the Harlem buildings after acquiring the portfolio for $350 million in 2016, the Real Deal recently reported. New rent laws — which limit the amount landlords can increase regulated rents for capital improvements — have thrown a wrench into the firm's business plan. The firm is struggling to pay back its debts, according to the Real Deal.

In addition to pursuing a sale, Emerald Equity may seek an Article XI tax abatement that would require the firm to lease no more than one third of the apartments at market rates, according to the report.

Emerald Equity did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.