Landlords To Pay Queens Tenants After Threatening To Lock Them Out: AG

QUEENS — A development company will pay Ridgewood tenants $1,000 after the company threatened to lock them out of their apartments if they did not respond to lease termination notices, the New York Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday.

BlueSky Management NY settled to pay the tenants after the company bought two adjoining buildings in Ridgewood, one of which was rent-stabilized, and sent tenants lease termination notices saying tenancies were not covered by Rent Stabilization Law, prosecutors said.

Tenants who remained in the building after receiving the notice received messages from the company saying they would be locked out of their apartments if they failed to comply with the notice, James said.

“BlueSky’s greedy and aggressive behavior left tenants frightened, confused, and unsure of their rights under the law,” said Attorney General James.

BlueSky bought the buildings located 402 and 404 Onderdonk Avenue in June 2022 and told tenants that the buildings were no longer rent-stabilized because of renovations that combined the two units in 2012, according to the attorney general.

After sending the termination notices, they sent the lockout threats to remaining tenants in October via text messages, emails, and letters, prosecutors said.

Tenants who received the threats will receive $1,000 in restitution, and additional apartments will be returned to rent stabilization, according to the settlement agreement.