Family Fighting to Stop Landlord from Blocking 90% of Windows

Astoria property owner Santino DiFiore has a permit to build a six-story "DiFiore Tower" next to his other four-story building, where hairdresser JoAnn McGurty Sullivan, 42, has been living in a rent-controlled apartment off-and-on since childhood. The other tenants on her side the building have all vacated, but she's proving to be the fly in DiFiore's ointment, because doesn't want the landlord to brick in nine out of her ten windows to accommodate the new building. Apparently one window just isn't good enough for Sullivan, who's managed to get the Department of Buildings to issue a stop-work order. She tells the Post, "[DiFiore] took my life, shook it up and threw it on the floor—all for greed."

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By John Del Signore in News on September 29, 2009 3:03 PM

Comments [rss]

yourtopic

wow I happen to run into this I know im alittle late but I am the person you are all talking about. If you have any questions feel free to ask me but real quick my rent controll apartment you are all talking about as dirt cheap is a 1000 a month. Anything you would like to know I will be happy to answer!!

al oof

you should not read comments about yourself. people online just write junk to see themselves in print. good luck with your landlord.

it's gross how hard it is for people who grew up in ny to stay here.

meechybee

Unless there is only one bedroom, and the 10th window is located in that bedroom — he can't block them all up.

Under NYC law, every bedroom must have a window.

joekemp

yes, you are correct. Every habitable room must have legal natural light and air. If these windows were in fact lot line windows, then they were never legal bedrooms to begin with. If the 4 story building had a light and air easement from the six story building, these can be considered legal bedrooms. Since he owns both, I would check the easement and see how long it was for, but since he owns both lots I would say get ready to move out, tough luck. Consider yourself lucky while it lasted, there is nothing greedy about this, he owns them and is within his right to a financial gain.

thewildpansy

actually you don't need a window in every room, but if there is no window there needs to be some sort of ventilation system.

Snoopy

Give the woman a break. Her ancestors came over during the potato famine and the family has been living in the same apartment since then. And the landlord has never put a taste of paint on the walls since.

The original rent was twelve quid a year. Now they be talking that same amount per month. Outrageous I tell you.

NannyState

Twelve quid per year? How did they manage to attend Red Sox games having paid that pricely sum in rent?

ANGRYGOD11

42 years old is too young to expect government protection from reality for life.

Steven

Ah Please. She is paying next to nothing for the place and now she thinks she owns it.

Snoopy

JoAnn McGurty Sullivan, huh? Take the drunken Irish bitch to the nearest local pub and buy her a couple cold ones and have her sign off on the papers.

yourtopic

you dont know me so save your comments!!!

stereotypical

You must be gay.

Snoopy

When Irish eyes are smiling,

Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.

In the lilt of Irish laughter

You can hear the angels sing.

When Irish hearts are happy,

All the world seems bright and gay.

KiljoyWasHere

I've always wondered how windows built up to the side of a property line worked. I would think it is a risky move when the building is being constructed. The lot next door shouldn't have its rights restricted because of the poor planning of someone else.

janelle

lots of clarification missing from the post's story to get the full picture. i wonder: are any of the windows on the lot line? which of the rooms in the apartment are legally habitable rooms? which rooms will be rendered uninhabitable if the windows are bricked up? is the apartment itself legal?

nicemarmot

I wondered about that too. When we were looking at apartments with lot line windows, the agents and owners flat out told us, yeah, if something gets built next door, you WILL lose those windows, and the bedrooms will no longer be legal bedrooms if that happens. It seems rather odd, as in is it legal? odd, that 9 of 10 windows would be on the lot line. You've gotta think that an apartment with 1 window (which used to have 10) will probably not be legal.

douchebag5000

according to the curbed comments they're all on a lot line. fuck her and her inherited rent controlled apartment.

whitecastlerock

She should move to the midwest-plenty of affordable housing out there

Cautious Pessimist

On one hand, that sucks. If I were her, I would try to be doing the same things she is to hold on to that apartment.

On the other hand, I feel absolutely no sympathy towards anyone with a rent-controlled apartment. If you want nice things, you should either have studied harder in school or move to the other 99% of the country where the cost of living is lower.