Vantage Faces Cuomo On Harassment Claims

By KAITLYN KILMETIS

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is suing landlord Vantage Proprieties based on allegations the group harasses tenants in efforts to free up rent-controlled apartments. Cuomo is seeking monetary compensation for the tenants Vantage has been accused of victimizing throughout the years.

“Landlords who illegally harass tenants to boost their bottom line do great harm to the fabric of this City,” Cuomo said. “Their underhanded tactics displace long-time residents from their homes and exacerbate the acute affordable housing shortage. My office is committed to the preservation of affordable housing. We will continue to enforce the laws intended to protect tenants and bring unscrupulous landlords to justice.”

Since 2006, Vantage has purchased more than 125 buildings throughout Queens, Harlem and upper Manhattan containing more than 9,500 apartments – a vast majority of which are rent-regulated.

According to the Attorney General’s legal action, Vantage attempts to force long-term tenants out of its buildings through “baseless legal notices and commencing frivolous Housing Court eviction proceedings,” such as refusing to cash rent payments and then calling for eviction due to failure to pay rent. After these tenants leave, the company significantly increases rent for new tenants.

Cuomo alleges the company’s recorded business plans include set targets for how many residents need to be removed in each building in order to increase profits though an institutionalized strategy titled the “Golub Program.”

Rob McCreanor, the director of legal services for the Catholic Migration Office’s Immigrant Tenant Advocacy Project, said the Attorney General’s actions solidify the victories of the tenant organizations and nonprofits who have stood up to Vantage. He also mentioned that the Attorney General’s office has the power to monitor Vantage in a way that smaller agencies involved lack.

One of the most important implications of the suit against Vantage is the establishment of key precedent against companies who take part in “systematic displacement,” McCreanor said.

“The Attorney General doing this sends a message to other corporate landlords that would seek to emulate vantages business model, it tells them this is illegal and there will be consequences for it,” he said.

McCreanor added that the tenants are elated about the Attorney General’s actions and feel validated in their fight through Cuomo’s decision to sue Vantage.

A Vantage spokesman released a statement in response to Cuomo’s legal action.

“Vantage is genuinely committed to serving its residents and to the future of affordable housing in New York City. We look forward to demonstrating this to the Attorney General.”

Reach Reporter Kaitlyn Kilmetis at kkilmetis@queenstribune.com, or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.