The Eastern Empire (East Village) of Ben Shaoul/Magnum Management/
Westbrook Partners/Meadow Partners/PVE Associates/Fortune East LLC
These are 38 apartment buildings in the East Village identified as owned and managed by the many-headed hydra of Ben Shaoul. (See below for many others he owns elsewhere in the city.)
Shaoul, Magnum Management, Westbrook Partners, Meadow Partners, PVE Associates, and Fortune East LLC, the company managing our buildings, are landlord/developers known as predatory real estate investment firms. Meadow Partners alone boasts $23 billion of real estate assets throughout the world. Their goal is to squeeze as much profit as possible out of the residential buildings and commercial properties they have purchased. An integral part of their process is to force out tenants who don't know their rights or who aren't covered by city rent laws. And from the tenants that remain: a fusillade of complaints about deplorable conditions and construction code violations.
Shaoul, Magnum Management, Westbrook Partners, Meadow Partners, PVE Associates, and Fortune East LLC, the company managing our buildings, are landlord/developers known as predatory real estate investment firms. Meadow Partners alone boasts $23 billion of real estate assets throughout the world. Their goal is to squeeze as much profit as possible out of the residential buildings and commercial properties they have purchased. An integral part of their process is to force out tenants who don't know their rights or who aren't covered by city rent laws. And from the tenants that remain: a fusillade of complaints about deplorable conditions and construction code violations.
East Village apartment buildings owned/managed by Shaoul:
23 Avenue A
191 Avenue A
165 Avenue A
167 Avenue A
211 Avenue A poorly maintained and understaffed49 1/2 First Avenue Shaoul kicked out The Bean to bring in Starbucks
129 First Avenue
143 First Avenue
33 Second Avenue partial Stop Work Order February 2012, for demolition without permit
201 East 2nd Street false information on permit applications
118 East 4th Street
201 East 2nd Street false information on permit applications
118 East 4th Street
120 East 4th Street
122 East 4th Street
195 East 4th Street
199 East 4th Street
201 East 4th Street
203 East 4th Street
515 East 5th Street illegal addition of a story; major code violationsand unpaid $100,000 in fines for building-code violations and harrassment
and Department of Buildings imposes a mere $300 fine for building a sixth story plus a penthouse
542 East 5th Street Cabrini Nursing Home low-income nursing home forced to close
and officials urge Cabrini maintained as nursing home
514 East 6th Street state senator slams Shaoul penthouse
516 East 6th Street 2-story expansion illegal and fire hazard
and opposition to rooftop additions
620 East 6th Street
230 East 7th Street
120 St Marks Place intimidation of tenants and stop work order
649 East 9th Street
315 East 10th Street controversial rooftop addition slated for building in newly designated East 10th Street Historic Districtand Department of Buildings slips in permit just before East Village Landmarks Committee meets
349 East 10th Street
338 East 11th Street
340 East 11th Street one of the notorious "East Village Portfolio" purchased by Westbrook Partners in 2007 for $97.5 million500 East 11th Street tenant video "Dust, Debris, Damage by Building Owner Construction"
514 East 11th Street
636 East 11th Street The Sky East used deception to get a zoning bonus
435 East 12th Street management disguises their identities, hides their address
504 - 508 East 12th Street tenants protesting predatory equity firm Westbrook Management/PVE Associates
509 East 12th Street
421 East 13th Street The A Building a luxury condo building in EV plagued with faulty construction
516 East 13th Street
518 East 13th Street
The list doesn't end here. Shaoul made the 10 Worst Landlords List in 2007 for Chinatown properties at:
332 Mott Street
166 Elizabeth Street slumlord suing Chinatown tenants he is trying to evictand a case study in displacement
In 2008 Shaoul built luxury condominiums in Chelsea:
166 West 18th The Yves Chelsea mold remediation needed in this super-hyped luxury building with apartment prices starting at $950,000133 West 22nd St a 12-story "luxury" condo was one of twenty condos and co-ops cited in December 2009 as having a high percentage of contract disputes
He owns/manages these additional rentals throughout NYC:
77 White Street
183 Hester Street
63 Clinton Street
13-15 Essex Street
173 Ludlow Street
61 Delancy Street
380-386 Broome Street
37 Spring Street
55 Spring Street
253 Elizabeth Street Shaoul threatened demolition, got rid of tenants with unlivable construction conditions219 Mott Street
228 Mott Street
813 Broadway
9 Christopher Street
216 West 16th Street
236 West 16th Street
148 West 28th Street
435 West 54th Street
434 East 83rd Street
346 East 120th Street
2095 Madison Avenue
Shaoul seems to be everywhere.
In March 2007 he was partners with the outfit that failed to secure a crane they were operating at 303 East 51st Street. It crashed, crushing a building, injuring two dozen and killing seven people.
Why is a negligent landlord and flawed developer who for years has been flagrantly violating city building codes and ethics still conducting business in every corner of New York City?
In March 2007 he was partners with the outfit that failed to secure a crane they were operating at 303 East 51st Street. It crashed, crushing a building, injuring two dozen and killing seven people.
Why is a negligent landlord and flawed developer who for years has been flagrantly violating city building codes and ethics still conducting business in every corner of New York City?
Thanks for all the research. The DOB is corrupt. It gives one a terrible sense of hopelessness that family run businesses and buldings seem to be a thing of the past.
ReplyDeleteLook the renovations are illegal. In this I mean that they violate the certificate of occupancy. In other words if the certificate of occupancy states the dwellings in a partiular building to be 2 bedrooms and then they get turned into four bedrooms, that is illegal and can be called into DOB as such. To call DOB and say apartment #1 is contrary to the c of o which calls for a two bedroom dwelling but has been converted into a four bedroom. Then call again for apartment #2,#3 and so on.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we could get Rosie Mendez involved. I am wondering if she could call for an investigation from DOB of all the converted buildings so far?
Ok, so you are two organizations that teemed up to do what? I came across this blog while looking for an apartment, if you guys have an apartment why are you attacking this group?
DeleteWe are not attacking this "group". We are defending ourselves from attack, from shady, greedy business practices that bend the rule of law at every turn. We have apartments, yes, and we want to remain in our apartments. We have rights according to the rule of law and we intend to exercise those rights. We hope you find the apartment you desire, and also take a moment to have a close look at what YOUR rights are. Don't let corporate greed push you around.
DeleteYes, find the apartment that best suits you, and the best of luck to you in that endeavor. Do look into what your rights are so you do not end up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop.
DeleteThank you for the response and explanation. In reading some more it seems that the owners have rights also, and many people take advantage of the law - tenants and owners - for what suits them best. If your not doing anything wrong then you can't lose a truly stabilized apartment, according to everything I have read (I've been reading everytying available to me since the other day!!!!)Again I am not trying to antigonize your group but you are certainly going beyond defending yourselves by putting peoples names out like this, this is an attack. I cetainly don't want to offend your group and end up with my business on your site. Thanks again for the insight and best of luck to you all.
ReplyDelete