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I know how a lot of people on here feel about RS and Rent Control, and the NYC reddit forum? Forget about it. Most of them are probably beside themselves reading this article.
But, I love this article, in a kinda nostalgic way. People like her made downtown what it is to some degree. That 'generation' or sub-culture of old kooky artists, living in what would be considered a prime area, paying next to nothing, living like spartans, is all but gone today. She was probably one of a small handful of people like her left down there. I'm not so much talking about her monthly rent, but just her lifestyle in general. It was people like her and that whole lifestyle that had people flocking to the Village in the first place.
Through an old friend, I knew an older couple who had a huge 2 bed on Bethune Street. One of them had been living there since the early 60s. They never told people what they were paying but I heard through my friend it was around $400 a month. They were both actors, self published authors, painters, the whole works. They'd teach acting classes here and there and sell a painting or two a year , basically just making enough to cover their (cheap) rent and life a stress free life revolved around art and other friends who were into the same thing.
I know people get worked up about 'subsidizing' the rent of these types of people, but frankly it was people like them that made these areas so attractive to others in the first place
This woman should have gotten a real job when she was younger. It does not make sense to live like that or to try to hold up a building just so you can get cheap rent.
As for why this was reported SeventhFloor, easy. In very expensive NY, rent controlled units these days are rare and are rapidly disappearing as the elderly who occupy them die off.
She should have gotten a real job when she was younger? Why? I personally wouldn't want to live like she did, but it seemed to work for her. The LL purchased the building over 15 years ago and by all (limited) accounts he had NO desire to get her out. On top of that, there was only 1 other residential unit in the building. The LL could have done a million and one things, half of them actually legal, to get her to leave...and he didn't. People like her helped make that area what it is today. She wasn't bothering or hurting anyone and lived the life she wanted to live. I say god bless her. Not sure why this gets people worked up. Was she holding the building up and preventing it from entering the 21st...or even the 20th century? Yeah, but it's a two way street. There are certain upgrades that the landlord could have forced if he wanted to and from what the article says, he left it alone
I'm just trying to understand why her specific situation offends you. Do you think if you take people like her out of these situations and extrapolate it, the Village would be more affordable? I don't get why everyone thinks people like this lady, who was in an extremely rare situation to begin with, are holding up the world from being affordable and highhandedly driving up rents
She probably wasn't going to leave for any amount of money, and let's just say there's a good chance that happened.
I'm curious to that as well. It didn't seem the LL was too adamant about getting her out (from what he says anyway, she's no longer alive to tell her side of the story) but I'm sure you're right...I bet a few buyout offers were made.
We have a friend that inherited his mothers apt when she died several years ago. On the UWS. Huge 3 BR apt. over looking Central Park. On the open market at market rate rent they could easily get well over $6,000 a month probably. At least once they fix it up a bit & update it. He pays. Well lets just say less than $400 right now as per his new lease. Right now it is just him & his wife living there. But they have rented the other 2 rooms often in the past for extra $$. That angers me so much personally. When they rent the rooms. They make far more per month than they even pay in rent. That apt is gold to them. That is the type of practice that really needs to be stopped. Inspections need to be enforced & subletting should never be tolerated. In fact if they are caught renting rooms or subletting at all. Then the apt should be forfeited by law if you ask me. And immediate evictions should happen in those cases IMHO.
This woman should have gotten a real job when she was younger. It does not make sense to live like that or to try to hold up a building just so you can get cheap rent.
As for why this was reported SeventhFloor, easy. In very expensive NY, rent controlled units these days are rare and are rapidly disappearing as the elderly who occupy them die off.
Not if a family member can inherit that apt. You would be surprised as to how many long lost relatives step up in cases like this to get these apts.
Not if a family member can inherit that apt. You would be surprised as to how many long lost relatives step up in cases like this to get these apts.
They have to show up and live in the apartment at least 2 years before the original tenant dies.
I think there is a provision in the Rent Stabilization law that a tenant cannot rent out his apartment for more than he pays in rent (perhaps with a +10% profit is furnished <or something nominal like that.>)
Now that same sex people can marry, I imagine there could be a lot of deathbed marriages. Don't know if that 2 year proviso pertains to a spouse?
They have to show up and live in the apartment at least 2 years before the original tenant dies.
I think there is a provision in the Rent Stabilization law that a tenant cannot rent out his apartment for more than he pays in rent (perhaps with a +10% profit is furnished <or something nominal like that.>)
Now that same sex people can marry, I imagine there could be a lot of deathbed marriages. Don't know if that 2 year proviso pertains to a spouse?
Sometimes all they have to do to show occupancy is get official mail at the address. Or add themselves to the lease as an occupant I believe. As for our friend that inherited his moms huge 3BR apt on the UWS. I will give him some credit as he did move back in with his mom when she got ill to take care of her. So he was living there already at the time of her death. Maybe that helped him who knows. But he did say he was listed as occupant. So that probably mattered in the end.
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