Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY – Closing testimony was heard in the two-week trial in Brooklyn Housing Court, in a non-payment action filed by the owner of a Williamsburg apartment building scheduled for upscale redevelopment against 18 longtime tenants.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Brooklyn Judge Timmie Elsner presided in the rent-strike case involving landlord Adam Mermelstein of TreeTop Development LLC and the tenants living at 188 South 3rd St.
The 18 tenants remaining in the previously rent-controlled 41-unit, six-story apartment building have refused to pay rent since early last fall, citing extensive complaints including the neglect of necessary repairs and rent harassment. The tenants and their lawyer, Marty Needelman, claim Mermelstein is seeking to displace the low-income Latino residents to make room for the wealthier newcomers flooding into a neighborhood that has recently been gaining real estate steam.
The court session, which lasted just under an hour and in which Mermelstein didn't attend, focused primarily on Elsner's second inspection of the building. Elsner reviewed her findings and expressed mixed feelings about her visit, starting off by saying she was "disappointed" and "had certain middle-of-the-road expectations based on past testimony" that were not met despite the prolonged time Mermelstein has had to make repairs.
However, Elsner also pointed out that she saw "substantial progress" on minor, class-C violations that had been corrected.
Elsner concluded the trial by retaining jurisdiction, saying that she highly doubted she would make a decision before she leaves for vacation on August 10. She did say she would potentially issue a decision that will give the tenants ongoing rent abatement until violations are corrected. Needelman said he would prefer a different outcome, because of the assumption that such a decision would require ongoing rent. [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]