Bronx Tenants Seek Justice in Rent Overcharge Case

May 24, 2017, BRONX, NY– A group of twelve Highbridge tenants today filed a lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court alleging that their landlord, SCS Realty, LLC, has been deliberately and illegally overcharging them for years. The tenants are represented by Bronx Legal Services (a program of Legal Services NYC) and supported by Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA).

Press coverage: DNAinfo.com; The Real Deal, The Village Voice

 
SCS Realty built 1434 Ogden Avenue, a 131-unit rent stabilized building off of University Avenue, in 2005. Since 2007, SCS has received approximately $3.2 million in tax breaks through the 421-a tax exemption program. In exchange for these tax breaks, SCS was required to provide affordable housing to working-class and formerly homeless tenants. Instead, SCS has consistently charged the tenants above and beyond what was allowed under the Rent Stabilization Code and a 2007 regulatory agreement which placed additional restrictions on rent increases and mandated additional protections for the tenants.
 
“When I moved from the shelter system in 2007 when the building was first built, the landlord initially refused to sign the lease and I ended up in housing court,” said tenant leader Lourita Shegog. “Eventually, the landlord agreed and we signed. Then I found out I was being overcharged almost $500 every month since 2009. They never told us we were rent stabilized, just low-income. Landlords are overcharging many tenants, and they need to get their rent history.”
 
“They are already charging us more than what we are supposed to pay,” said tenant leader Adalberto Santiago. “We work so hard to pay rent and it’s not fair. On top of that, we don’t always get repairs and in the winter, it gets really, really cold.”
 
Upon learning about the extent of their overcharges, the tenants decided to assert their rights as rent stabilized tenants, and organized tirelessly to get ready to file today’s lawsuit. With the help of Bronx Legal Services and CASA, the tenants are fighting to lower their rents to a truly affordable level.
 
“The City’s goal of providing safe, stable and affordable housing to underserved communities was thwarted when SCS Realty, LLC overcharged the tenants by tens of thousands of dollars,” said Kulsoom Ijaz, Staff Attorney in Bronx Legal Services’ Tenants Rights Coalition Unit. “We stand in solidarity with the tenants in bringing this action and are proud of their courage in asserting their rights and sending a message that landlords will be held accountable for their wrongdoing.”
 
Tenants are asking the New York Supreme Court to lower the rents to the correct amount and order that SCS Realty, LLC refund their overcharges.

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