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Confused During WAR Over My Apartment Building

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Confused During WAR Over My Apartment Building

Postby Cazmia » Wed May 29, 2013 4:09 pm

I live in a 5 unit bldg in the Bronx which seems to be in the midst of a war over ownership. Since I moved in 7 years ago, I have been receiving paperwork from a court-ordered agent every now and then that stated that there was a legal case in progress from a bank/mortgager to foreclose upon this building. My landlord, the City of NY and myself, as a tenant, were listed as defendants.

About 3 years ago, management of the building was then shifted to another person who knew the former landlord and would now be acting as the new landlord (collecting rent and signing my rent receipts). He began making repairs to the building and fixing a lot of stuff that the former landlord simply could not accomplish and I like this new "landlord" very much. I can't confirm he is technically the landlord, but the first landlord told me he owns the building and it is safe to start paying him rent . I never saw my first landlord again after that.

Now, a troublemaker tenant who my current landlord is trying to evict is having a FIELD DAY, because he states that the building was sold due to foreclosure and another gentleman now owns the building. This tenant has somehow produced papers from the court which reflect that the building was sold after foreclosure about 2 months ago. He says we should not pay our current landlord rent, because there is a new owner.

I haven't personally met this so-called new owner, but I was given his number by the troublemaker, and I gave that number to my current landlord asap.

I have a good rapport with my current landlord and would hate to see him go. I have asked him what is going on, and he says he is going to court, because someone is trying to take the building by under-handed means, and that if someone besides him asks for rent I should ask him to produce a deed, ect.. He says if he did lose the building that I would be the first to know directly from him.

My question is, should I be listening to the trouble-making tenant who is the one telling everyone there is a new owner and producing paperwork? Should I stop paying rent until I am certain who really owns the buidling? This tenant knocks on people's doors at midnight and stands in the hallway telling people not to pay. He takes great pleasure at the idea of our current landlord having lost the place.

All tenants are very uneasy, confused and tired of this tenant's mouthing off. The troublemaking tenant also says he is "taking the landlord down" using his own lawyers and that a judge is personally coming to see that the building has actually been converted to a 6-unit and to investigate other violations. I doubt a judge has time for that.

What bothers me is the foreclosure sale paperwork which looks pretty authentic, stating the price the new owner put down and what he has left to pay to complete the full purchase. Why would a tenant go to court himself to furnish the building with this information? Shouldn't the new owner be doing that?

About 3 weeks ago, I was told the new owner had knocked on my door when I wasn't home. He didn't leave any info. The troublemaker is the only one who has personally given me this guy's info.

Any sound advice might bring some comfort to the other 4 families in this building. I was mainly wondering if my current landlord has any chance left of holding onto his property. Is the forecast bleak in that respect?

Thanks.
Cazmia
 
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Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:05 pm

Postby TenantNet » Wed May 29, 2013 4:18 pm

This should be part of your original thread.
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