83 Year Old Bossert Tenant Worries About Its New Owners

By on November 20, 2012 7:06 am in Brooklyn Heights

The Brooklyn Paper reports that one of the Bossert Hotel’s four rent-controlled tenants, 83 year old Monica Grier, has some concerns about life under the building’s new owners.

Brooklyn Paper: “When they go altering things, there are a number of things that can go wrong,” said Grier. “You always wonder what is it, and I didn’t want to wait and see.”

But an attorney for the new ownership, Clipper Equity and the Chetrit Group, said Grier and the three other tenants that live in the building have nothing to worry about.

“The owner recognizes there are four protected tenants who live in the building and their rights will be fully protected,” said Michael Sillerman, who added that he hadn’t heard Grier had hired a lawyer.

But Grier’s attorney, Richard Klass, hinted that landlords will sometimes make life difficult on tenants with guaranteed low rents in hopes of forcing them out — and he wants to make sure that doesn’t happen to his client.

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  • Bob Sacamano

    While I wish no ill will to the people who live in rent controlled apartments, its disgusting that landlords can not get these people out of their building. The new owners should be able to do whatever they want with the building. Its disgusting that landlords have no or very little rights in the city when it comes to evicting these people. They are like squatters. If you can’t afford market rates, then move where the cost of living more within your means. If I made an investment in a building and rent controlled apartments could interfere with the plans, I would get these rent controlled people out on the street as soon as possible.

  • alo

    Agree with Bob. That is crazy. That should be a new law about it.

  • George

    No one bothers herb who lives on montague street, so leave these guys alone. They have the right to live there.

  • eg

    A very harsh opinion Bob is it really “disgusting” I find your remarks quite disgusting. Why all the anger and hate over what?
    That a few very elderly still live in rooms that they have lived in for years? Where would they go? At what rent? Do you even know their income, age or state of health? You’re very cavalier about pushing people around.

    The new owners knew of these tenants when they bought the building; they were also there when Johovah’s Witnesses bought the building. We’re getting on to Christmas – show some compassion!

  • Robert Moses

    “Bob Scamano” is Kramer’s friend who never actually appears on “Seinfeld.”

    Understand why this jerk hides behind pseudonym.

    Surprised he didn’t suggest we don’t just take rent-controlled tenants out and euthanize them when their buildings get sold/re-sold.

    BTW, there’s an old folks’ home on Pierrepont that might make great condos. Wonder if “Bob” has a plan for clearing it out.

    (Also, four tenants in the 300-room Bossert will really break the bank, right?)

  • Bob Sacamano

    Are you really Robert Moses you stool head? Perhaps we should euthanize you. I could care less what people on this board think about my remarks. I just think the laws always favor the tenant and not the landord and if I own the building I should have the right do with it what I please. Just because somebody lives in a place for a long time does not give them the right to be there. The laws really need to be changed. I am not saying they are bad people. Why does the law give them rights to something that is not theirs? Yes, EG you are correct. Compassion is not my strong suit.

  • George

    no one seems to care about my comment but i agree with Bob!

  • Gerry

    Regretfully rent-protections have become weakened over time thousands of rent control and rent stabilized apartments fall off of the citys roster of DCHR – Division of Community Housing and Renwal annually.

    The elderly tenants at the Bosset have the law on their side and family members may have succession rights to the lease they have nothing to worry about.

    Rent Protections laws were created to protect tenants from greedy landlords with a Bob Saccomano mentality.

    Recently here in Brooklyn Heights a landlord on Montague Terrace paid a tenant a large sum of money to recind the lease and with that money the tenant moved to a home on the water in Westport, Ct. so there are legal ways to get rid of a tenant.

    Being a rent stabilzed tenant in a nice apartment is the next best thing to home ownership in fact in many ways its better.

    A few abuses of the law exist but most tenants in rent stabilized apartments are middle class or poor – they get to enjoy a nice home with automatic lease renewal and moderate rent increases determined by law and immediate family or freinds have sucession rights to the lease.

    The elderly people at The Bossert have nothing to worry about they can stay as long as they wish.

  • MC

    Gerry

    The way I understand it, Rent Control has succession rights for family only, not friends. Rent Stabilized apartments have no succession rights.

  • Abe Lincoln

    I wish both Bob Sacamano and Robert Moses would grow some walnuts and not hide behind pseudonyms.

  • Bob Sacamano

    Look who’s talking Mr. President? What good does it do to put my real name out there? Which I generally don’t like to do on the internet. I can’t change the laws. I can only express my opinion. If you want to buy me beers at the Custom House I can share my opinions on certain topics with you. Some you will agree with and some you wont and vice versa. Honestly, I’ve got better things to do with my time. Now go the the theatre so you can get shot in the head.

  • eg

    .MC – both rent-controlled and rent-stabilized apartments have succession rights with very special qualifications. It could be family or friend who lives with the tenant and has a relationship with the tenant, and can prove it.

    I’m glad to read that there are very few with Bob’s attitude. Anyway Bob, if you don’t buy a house with regulated tenants, then you wont have any problems with evicting people.

    Happy Turkey

  • God Almighty

    In the day of cleansing to come, people like Bob Sacamano will be hanging from the lamp posts.

  • Bob Sacamano

    Take your God crap and stick up your butt.

  • George

    everybody is disregarding me like i dont even exist, but this is not a place for religion, rather a place to talk about issues in brooklyn heights. i agree with bob once again

  • Bob Sacamano

    Thanks George. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

  • km

    Seems to me an article about nothing. Grier is concerned – okay. Grier’s lawyer ‘hints’ landlords can make life difficult – okay. The landlord’s lawyer says there is nothing to worry about – okay.
    Doesn’t really seem to be a problem yet as far as I can see.

  • km

    Although God Almighty might have some insight on that, being all knowing and all…

  • eg

    Yes, KM, There is no problem at all. i have been answering the hate, bile, and filthy and harsh language used by some people to express their views and call names.

    And yes, George. Bob has the right to express his views but grown-up people usually have better vocabularies to do so.

  • Gerry

    Bob Saccomano has a right to his opinion and yes there are abuse of rent protections and landlords do need to offer below market rent often way below market rent to tenants who may not need them.

    @ MC and EG – sucession rights go to a family member or partner of any kind either domestic partner or life long companion or friend a court would only rule in how long the person who claims the rights has legally lived in the apartment its 2 years. No Judge would rule on the nature of a relationship.

    I would love to drink with Bob Saccomano and hear his views on world issues and Brooklyn Heights issues his blunt remarks are a breath of fresh air here on the blog of left wing liberals who have no clear cause this guy Saccomano is a gift to humanity – yes its true he really is.

    Again the eldery tenants at the Bosset have nothing to fear but a possible million bucks in buy-out money of which they may accept or decline.

  • Jorale-man

    Two observations:

    1) there are some people with a REAL chip on their shoulder here.

    2) “its disgusting that landlords can not get these people out” – should be spelled “it’s.” That tells you a lot.

  • Wiley E.

    A quote from our City Councilman Steve Levin, “Real Estate greed knows no bounds”. I must agree.

  • Elizabeth

    The most effective privilege is the kind that is unnoticed. When your rights as a tenant to have heat, hot water, and a non-invasive landlord are trampled because you don’t have the means to complain without being evicted, you really can’t have an every-man-for-themselves outlook. Growing up in Brooklyn Heights, and then living outside of the swaddled cradle of gentrification kind of makes you appreciate the simple things that don’t involve threatening other people’s means of survival.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    Jorale-man: it’s a delight to know that someone else cares about apostrophe abuse. I’m nominating you for membership in the Apostrophe Protection Society.

  • Joey Wall

    The housing policies in NYC are horrendously broken. As a result, 59% of all apartments in the city are under some sort of government program (rent control, rent stabilization, SCIRE, public housing, etc).

    Join market-rate tenants discussing common sense housing policy reforms that will expand the market, stabilize then lower prices, and make NYC a place were the middle class can once again afford to live.

    The Renters’ Alliance: facebook.com/nycrenters

  • Gerry

    @ Joey Wall – what is SCIRE?

    I am surprised by your claim 59% of apartments are regulated I do not see how that many can offer rent protections?

    Weakened rent protections have a negative effect on even market rate rentals a person would move into a $8K per month apartment if it was rent stabilized so that in 30 years when they are old that would be an affordable home.

  • Wiley E.

    Discover the forces behind NYC housing. Read “How the Other Half Lives” by Jacob Riis. It was published in 1901. The economic conditions are the same. Greed is still greed.

  • Andrew Porter

    SCRIE—not SCIRE—is Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption, a NYC program in which seniors, over 62, who meet certain income requirements, are exempt from future rent increases. For more information, call 311 or just Google the word.

    BTW, rent control, but not rent stabilization, is a program in which those who are renting in buildings built before WW2 of a certain size, who moved in before 1970, can stay in their apartments without a lease. The program allows increases of 7.5% annually, so the belief that those under Rent Control are all paying $25 a month is Not True.

    And this is indeed my real name.

  • Boerum Bill

    Every time Bob Sack-o-guano posts here God kills a kitten.

  • Gerry

    @ Andrew Porter – I had thought that Rent Control apts are frozen rents they never go up?

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