Troubled Hell's Kitchen Landlord Hasn't Paid Hotel Penalty: City

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — A Hell's Kitchen landlord who once paid a hefty settlement for hosting illegal hotels in his building is now facing a new lawsuit from the city, accusing him of skipping out on a city-imposed penalty.

Salim "Solly" Assa is the owner of 334 West 46th St., a three-story building on bustling Restaurant Row. In 2015, he was sued by the city for hosting a tourist hotel in the building — along with three others in Midtown. He ultimately settled for $1.2 million in 2018, as part of an agreement where he admitted to no wrongdoing.

This week, the city filed a new suit, saying Assa has paid a $60,000 penalty issued in September for illegally converting the apartments for non-residential use. (Assa is not named in the suit, but the listed defendant is an LLC with the same address as his company, Cassa NYC.)

Though Assa appealed the fine, a city hearing upheld it in February, the suit says, and the window to challenge the decision has passed.

The city has cracked down hard on illegal lodgings, which largely cater to tourists, and which it says contribute to skyrocketing rents for New Yorkers. Much of that action has occurred in Hell's Kitchen, like the $700,000 settlement reached in August with a woman accused of hosting dozens of illegal Airbnbs in Hell's Kitchen buildings.

Assa's company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the city's initial lawsuit was playing out in 2016, Assa faced another legal challenge from a former business partner, who accused Assa of improperly "seizing" the West 46th Street building and locking him out of an agreed-upon deal.

Related coverage:

• Owner Of Illegal Hell's Kitchen Rentals Hit With $700K Settlement
  
• Illegal Rentals In 2 Midtown Buildings Hit With $86K In Fines

Patch writer Kathleen Culliton contributed reporting.