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COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

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COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

Postby Cranky Tenant » Sun Oct 23, 2005 10:39 pm

From http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/29920.htm

COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD
By BRAD HAMILTON

October 23, 2005 -- Cops raided the Midtown offices of an upscale landlord family Thursday, hauling out boxes of records after residents complained the clan has waged a campaign of abuse and harassment to drive them out of their apartments.
They say Fred Ohebshalom, 52, head of an Iranian Jewish rug-merchant family called the Shaloms, and two nephews own about 90 buildings in some of Manhattan's most desirable neighborhoods — and will stop at nothing to churn the 2,000 or so units they control.

They break into apartments, spy on tenants and torment residents with illegal construction, once putting an MRI clinic in a courtyard, say fed-up tenants, who include author Malachy McCourt.

Ohebshalom, who lives in a sprawling mansion in Great Neck, L.I., and nephews Ben and Jon Shalom, has maliciously shut off heat and hot water and forged residents' signatures on documents stating that violations and unsafe conditions have been removed, they say.

The goal is to drive them crazy — and out of their homes, allowing the family to jack up rents each time apartments change hands, the tenants say.

The raid at Sky Management on East 54th Street came after tenants begged Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau to take action.

"Apparently, the police and DA's Office went in and removed files," said state Sen. Liz Krueger, who's helping the tenants.

"Based on my knowledge of the TV show 'Law & Order,' they apparently got a search warrant signed by a judge."

Said state Sen. Thomas Duane: "It's no surprise to me that they would be the subject of an investigation, because the way they treat their tenants is criminal."

A spokesman for Morgenthau declined to comment.

A letter tenant William Fowler sent the DA on Sept. 20 claims prosecutors have been investigating the Shaloms for nearly a year.

"I have no comment," said Fred Ohebshalom.

Ben and Jon Shalom did not return messages left for them at Sky Management.
I'm a cranky tenant NOT a cranky lawyer.
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Re: COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

Postby queensborough » Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:18 am

Shalom Tenants Alliance has a website that describes the buildings and what these owners have done and continue to do to their tenants. I can't believe that the Shalom's get away with what they are doing...they should be in jail! What is really happening here? I guess the old saying "money talks" really is true. They seem to be getting away with it all, at the expense of the tenant's who are losing their homes.
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Re: COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

Postby HardKnocks » Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:14 am

They may very well go to jail. Imagine how many forged signatures (read: FRAUD) will turn up in those files.
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Re: COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

Postby Anna » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:14 am

Two threads about the same very bad NYC LL:
http://www.tenant.net/.WWW/ubbgraphics/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001505

Here's the URL for the T association:
http://www.shalomtenants.org/listings/index.php

Who Are We?

We are a coalition of residents of more than 90 different New York City apartment buildings owned and/or managed by the Shalom family, a.k.a. Ohebshalom, which includes Jon Shalom, Ben Shalom, Fred Ohebshalom, David Ohebshalom, Nader Ohebshalom and others. Operating under various corporate names, including Sky Management, Empire Management, Gatsby and Keystone, the Shaloms buy rent-stabilized buildings and then systematically dismantle required building services (Warranty of Habitability) and attempt to force out legal residents through harassment, intimidation, negligence and deception.

We are committed to preserving our rights, our quality of life, our health, and our personal safety in the face of these relentless anti-tenant policies. Through this website and our allied tenant associations, we share information, provide moral and organizational support, document specific incidents of harassment and illegal activities, and warn of strategies and tactics used by the Shaloms to deprive us of our homes. We establish liaisons with politicians and other groups that support tenants' rights and the enforcement of rent stabilization laws, and we make effective use of the city's pro-tenant resources.

We invite residents of buildings owned and/or managed by the Shaloms to use the resources provided here to protect their homes and safeguard their basic rights as law-abiding, community-minded citizens. Join us in raising a collective voice to speak out against the Shalom family’s disgraceful tenant policies, and help us investigate and make public their questionable business practices and financial dealings.
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Re: COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

Postby lofter1 » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:02 am

I hope the DA kicks butt on these cretins.

Strong action would send a message to ALL LLs that such behavior is not only unacceptable but also bad for business.

As money is the bottom line issue in cases such as these, huge fines / penalties are in order to stop such practices.

Any news on what law firm represents this gang?
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Re: COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

Postby Anna » Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:36 pm

1. In 2001, some of the people who own some of the companies that own some of the bldgs sued their lawyers for malpractice:
Fred Ohebshalom, Nader Ohebshalom, and Capital Assoc., LLC v.
Rosenberg & Estis, P.C., et al.,
Sup Ct, Nassau County, Index No. 018115/01

2. In Housing Court in 2004, Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C., New York City, represented one of the companies:
Acquisition America VI, LLC v. Lamadore
5 Misc.3d 461

There are currently 5 eviction proceedings in Manhattan commenced by Acquisition America: someone could look up their atty at the public access database in Hc at 111 Centre St. (or attys for other Shalom properties, note: you need to know the corp name of the bldg, not just the address or management company)

3. The Adam Leitman Bailey website has a letter of recommendation by Empire:
"I met Adam Leitman Bailey and it was the best thing that happened to Empire Management" Sean Adams, Empire Management
http://www.alblawfirm.com/

4. Someone could browse thru the Ts websites, see if any other LL-lawyers are named:
http://www.shalomtenants.org/listings/articles.php
http://www.shalomslumlords.org/
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Re: COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

Postby dirae » Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:57 pm

Robert Ohebshalom has teamed up with Peter Rose of Rose & Rose to evict an entire 8 unit rent stabilized building on Jane St on the claim that Peter Rose needs the whole building for himself under "owner occupancy".
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Re: COPS BARGE IN ON BAD LANDLORD

Postby queensborough » Tue Oct 25, 2005 2:02 pm

A note of interest on Fred Ohebshalom...April 15, 2001 - The Iranian American Democrats of NY announced today that Fred Ohebshalom has joined the organization's board of directors. The organization's advisory board includes: Senator Charles Schumer, Congressman Gary Ackerman,Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, Assemblyman Thomas DeNapoli, Town Supervisor May Newburger, etc. Don't these politicians know who this guy is? I think it was tenant.net who said on another thread that when it comes to politicians it's "career before constituants". I think we are seeing more and more of this in NYC.
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