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We have a nominee for the "Worst Landlord Ever (This Week)" after reading a sad story in the The Brooklyn Paper. Ninety-four year old Dominick Diomede was interviewed about his real estate plight: He is being evicted from the Carroll Gardens apartment he's lived in for years.
Diomede, you see, pays just $500 a month for his floor-through apartment on Woodhull Street. His downstairs neighbors? They came much later, so they pay $2,500.The Department for the Aging has been trying to find an apartment for Diomede, but the Department of Housing controls the housing stock and won't give seniors priority until they are on the street (!). The Brooklyn Paper's Gersh Kuntzman spoke to Diomede's pro-bono lawyer who says, "Dom’s legal battle is hopeless, really."Unlike them, though, Diomede doesn’t have a lease. He never needed one; his best friend Charlie owned the building, and back in the old days, a handshake and an on-time rent check were the only contract anyone needed.
But Charlie is long gone and now his grandkids want Diomede out. They served him with an eviction notice on Jan. 5 and he’ll be forced to move on Jan. 22. (Neither the landlord, nor his lawyer, could be reached for comment.)
Diomede laments the greed, saying how he shoveled the snow and mowed the lawn for the family that owns the building, and says he'll "sleep in my Buick before I move" from Carroll Gardens. The Brooklyn Paper's Gersh Kuntzman mentions that Diomede can afford up to $800/month, in hopes that "Diomede’s plight will encourage someone to rent this nice guy an apartment." We hope so, too.
Photograph by Gersh Kuntzman for The Brooklyn Paper
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Nah, we don't need rent control. Landlords can police themselves. They're an ethical lot.
Outrageous.
[Information removed by Gothamist]
"Info gathered on Google."?
On Google or NOT it's wrong to post it and is encouraging harassment. I hope Gothamist Pulls it...
Here's a case where a private citizen should have access to eminent domain. The landlord 'kiddies' should suck it up and do the right thing, but what are the chances of that? Bloomberg, what do you say?
Building ownership information is in the public domain, as it happens.
"Info gathered on Google."?
On Google or NOT it's wrong to post it and is encouraging harassment. I hope Gothamist Pulls it...
And you call the actions of the Landlord Humane? Call, Call, CALL!
Back on topic: Any lawyers here? I know a family that was in a rent controlled apartment for over 40 years and did not have a Lease. Despite their landlords attempt, they could not be evicted but I was not clear why.
Landlords are not a charity service. Old geezers don't have a god given right to live in NYC. And get over Carroll Gardens. Retire to somewhere pretty, with nice weather, where you actually CAN rent for $800/month.
"And you call the actions of the Landlord Humane?"
I did?? Where??
Larry is from Curbed. Larry needs a life.
Even if they originally had a handshake lease, it's still a legal lease in the eyes of the state..because they were cashing his rent checks
That's not that much help though, it only means the landlord has to give him 30 days to vacate
http://www.tenant.net/index.html
The guy is 95 how much longer do they think he is going to live?
He will be out soon enough. If he is super healthy 10 years max.
The grandkids should just suck it up in respect for their grandfather and his friend. Plus when he does move on the rents would probably be higher for the new tennant anyway.
We have created a culture where greed is no longer frowned upon.
Plus I doubt they are loosing money, they just are not making as much as they want to.
But hey nobody is making as much as they want to.
The grandkids are lowlifes.
Under rent control regulations, you don't need a lease to be protected by the law. It sounds like this guy didn't have rent control. He was, instead, a regular month to month tenant.
perhaps a good samaritan would be willing to sponsor this man in a new, safe place. I would if i had the extra money.
Remember what Wesley Autrey said about looking out for one another? And remember how many people were moved by what he said?
You know, you can be as racist as you want to be and that's safe because you will never be whatever race you choose to hate (for no reason whatsoever). You can hate on fat people if you want to because you'll never be fat, whatever. But most of us will grow old. You can't avoid that. We're all going to age. I understand that some folks lack the compassion for just anyone, that folks are selfish. But one would think that compassion might come easier if it's something we all might experience one day.
Bastards.
"We have created a culture where greed is no longer frowned upon."
Spearheaded by Trump.
Hypocrites. Why don't you go buy an apartment and rent it out to this guy for $500 if you feel so strongly? Any takers? Didn't think so.
The landlord's grandchildren didn't work for that building. The only work they did was being related to the original owner. That's the free market for you, family members receiving things they didn't work for.....
"Hypocrites. Why don't you go buy an apartment and rent it out to this guy for $500 if you feel so strongly? Any takers? Didn't think so."
That's quite a sound argument you've got there, champ. Letting someone stay in a building that they've been living in for years is quite different than someone buying a building specifically for this man to live in. Hypocrites? No, just compassionate.
so you think it's wrong for parents to work hard to improve the lives of their children?? for most, that's one of the primary functions of family. you think everyone should be born with a blank slate and all fruits of a parent's labor be reverted to the state just because the children 'didn't work' for them? get some perspective and climb off the free market's back, 'economist', these kids are just heartless.
You're entitled to do a lot of things, include evict a 94-year-old dude. Doesn't mean you're not a complete fucking asshole for doing so.
#20, whether it comes from the parents or comes from the state, any free money one doesn't work for is a form of welfare.
One's entitlement to wealth solely due to family ties is another form of royalty. We're supposed to be more advanced than the times of castles, kings, queens and moats.
Yes, I'd love to see everyone be required to start from scratch with a zero-balance at age 18. Imagine how things would be: the truly talented would prosper, and the leeches will fail. Fewer spoiled brats getting things they don't deserve, and fewer talented people struggling to survive.
Charlie should have put something in his will when he gave the building to his family (if that's how he did it) saying that he gave possession to the building contigent on the rent for this man remaning the same or something to that effect. Unfortunately he probably thought his grand kids would be kind and respectful enough to honor his agreement with his friend and not throw him out on the streets. I agree he probably doesn't have many more years left why not let him live them out happily and comfortably in what has been his home for some time. I'm sure someone out there would give him a home at a rent he can afford, but then the lesson of respect for elders (both this guy and thier grandfather) would be lost.
Shame on these landlords.
The grandkids are losing a possible $20,000/yr in rent by having him stay. He is not their family, he most likely is not in the deceased friend's will, and he is not the responsibily of the grandkid's.
Maybe he should have considered the possiblity that his sweet hand-shake rent would not last till his death. Even if the grandkid's don't need the extra $20,000/yr... why should they basically give this guy $20,000/yr? Because he's a family friend? Do you have any friends you give $20k/yr to?
It's easy to say that you would be so charitable, but you can't assume that the grandkids don't need the money to upkeep the building.
If they do put this man out, I expect karma to be meeted out instantly.
If not now, when the grandchildren see their grandfather again. And, they will.
Maybe the couple wants to have children but for some reason she keeps coming up with miscarriages after miscarriages. Maybe she'll get lucky with a live birth but it will come with defects.
What a bunch of sanctimonious bee-otches on here..
You don't know the financial situation of the landlord's family here. Maybe they have medical bills to pay or children to put through college.
Would you not send your children to college to give a stranger a huge break on their rent? Would you forgo surgery to give a stranger a huge break on their rent?
Where is the family of the guy being evicted? Isn't it >their
Wow, I hope some of you never have to grow old.
I love that old man.....
#22 you are clearly no economist and you obviously have no children. family and tribal strings are not comparable to the state. they are instinctual at every level since the dawn of mammals. yeah, just imagine the world we'd live in if you stole personal motivation and reward for hard work in the interest of 'wealth distribution'... oh, yeah, it's been done in ussr, china, north korea. go there.
Funny thing is that across the street lives a US Congresswoman...
"Landlords are not a charity service. Old geezers don't have a god given right to live in NYC. And get over Carroll Gardens. Retire to somewhere pretty, with nice weather, where you actually CAN rent for $800/month. Larry"
Why don't you sign using your REAL name: GRINCH! ...you two-sizes-too-small hearted piece of CRAP.
I'm positive the old man can get an apartment somewhere else, and that the press being generated by this story will further help his search for a new home. Good luck to him.
As for the new Landlords, we can only hope that they themselves are committed by their own grandchildren to a particularly nasty nursing home when they turn 90 years old.
Talk about cold and heartless
I spent 20 years living in various apartments in Greenwich Village and Soho - back when you could get a 2 bedroom apt for about $1200.
That's where I would like to live now. But apartments are outrageously expensive there now.
Don't you think I should get to live there still? After all, I did live there for 20 years, and it's the place I really consider home.
I'm entitled to live there! Aren't I? I mean, never mind that I can't afford it, I'm entitled, right?
why can't old people just kill themselves? they take forever to cross the street and can't drive, take a huge chunk out of healthcarer, social security, beneifits. They feed the pigeons so they can shit on everything. I plan on moving to antarctica when I'm 75 and freezing to death so I don't burden nobody.
"I plan on moving to antarctica when I'm 75 and freezing to death so I don't burden nobody."
Why wait til then?. You're already a burden.
And you call the actions of the Landlord Humane?"
I did?? Where??
[10] Posted by: S.D. | January 12, 2007 2:25 PM
A Fool will always reveal themselves...
The Question "Why Do THEY Hate Us?" has been answered on this thread, They don't hate us, they pity people like the respondents who support greed over life. I mean How can they hate us when so many on this thread hate themselves.
Your probably the kind of people who complain at the price of GAS. There was a term for you folks back in the 80's when NY was to SCARY for you to live it was YUPPIE SCUM!
[34] popo,Let Me Live Where I Can't Afford It, BURP ! Michael,Economist.
NY is full of Assholes.
I smell a made-for-tv movie!
Pops should get a laptop and an agent!
I know from personal experience that the back seat of a Buick is quite roomy.
The grandkids are a reflection of our culture, just like pops is a reflection of his (handshake deal). Solomon decrees that he must be taken in by the grandkids and adopted as their own, and half the rent they pull in for the freed up apt must be given towards pops getting his own place.
Next!
If I had the money and/or an apartment available, I would help that 94 year old man. Yes, money is important but there's something extremely nauseating and ugly about boucing a senior citizen out of his apartment.
Damn, that's just cold.
RickTheCabbie.. how about do one better than a made-for-tv movie.
why not a episodic drama about a young couple that moves into their first apartment in brooklyn, only to find out that they must live with a 95 year old man as their roommate. they learn what it's like to care for another human being, decide to have a baby, and in a heartfelt season finale, the old man dies the same moment the young woman gives birth to her first child. and snow patrol plays behind the whole thing.
i think we've got a hit!
I hope that #25 has miscarriage after miscarriage.
what's the matta? because what I wrote was the truth?
what comes around goes around, if not now, later.
ask yourself why can't I give a live birth? well, ask yourself what you did to deserve it and you'll see.
Ask why my first born has a birth defect? well, if you're truthful, you don't have to ask because you know what you did to deserve it.
It's all around us, if you look.