"G-Way, G-Way, you can't hide! We can see your greedy side!"
On Saturday, Public Advocate Letitia James, joined by Assemblymember Walter Mosley and around 30 tenants of 410 Eastern Parkway, held a press conference to address growing complaints of landlord harassment practices aimed at forcing longtime tenants out of their homes.
The protest was held outside of a building owned and managed by G-Way Management, a company that owns ten other buildings throughout Brooklyn and that is on James's Worst Landlord's Watchlist.
For months, tenants have complained about the dangerous living conditions that G-Way Management has failed to address and repeated attempts to reach the landlords, all of which have been ignored.
Donna Mossman, president of the Crown Heights Tenant Union, said that some of the tactics used by G-Way included a refusal to return leases, meet with tenants and even acknowledge that repair problems, such as leaking ceilings, mold, exposed wires and rodents.
"They are chopping up apartments and using other illegal tactics," said Mossman. "They are taking advantage of loopholes in the tax laws to drive us out. They are pretending that we do not have secession rights and are making multi-generational families homeless.
"Landlords have to remember they are not housing cattle; they are housing people," said Mossman. "And we the people are fighting for tenant power to save our homes."
Assemblymember Mosley said, after receiving several complaints at his office about the management company from tenants of several of G-Way Management's buildings, he and a few staffers from City Councilmember Laurie Cumbo's office paid a visit to the office. But, he said, they not only were denied an opportunity for a discussion with the management of the company, but also, Mosley said he was physically threatened by a staff member when he refused to leave.
"As our city grows and as our neighborhoods continue to change-- and we welcome the change-- but we want to grow with the change; we want to be part of the change and we want to remain in our homes and benefit from the change," James said. "We should not be displaced in the city of New York-- particularly at a time when we are looking at 60,000 New Yorkers who are homeless this evening. It is unacceptable what G-Way is doing. We will be the countervailing force against landlords who think they can violate the rights of innocent tenants."
Mosley said they plan to put G-Way on notice on the state level, which will include reaching out to the head of the Tenant Protection Unit in Albany to report on what's been happening. He added that if G-Way refuses to address its tenants' concerns, he will work with the public advocate's office to bring legal action.
"But we have a myriad of options to address the building and other buildings that are showing a pattern of practice of harassment," said Mosley.
