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    <title>News Posts</title>
    <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/</link>
    <description></description>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>jhmiii@stpcvta.org</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2013</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2013-05-18T00:46:26+00:00</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>Neighbors To Educate Prospective Renters at Leasing Office Saturday and Sunday</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/neighbors_to_educate_prospective_renters_at_leasing_office_saturday_an</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/neighbors_to_educate_prospective_renters_at_leasing_office_saturday_an#When:00:46:26Z</guid>
      <description>Mid&#45;term rent increases, quality of life issues will be the main focus.&amp;nbsp; TA is asking for registration to fill short two hour shifts both days.Visit http://stpcvta.org/CommunityNotCommodity to learn more.&amp;nbsp; Posters to display in your windows will be available. 

Share with prospective neighbors and tell them about:

&#45; Staggering mid&#45;term rent increase
&#45; Slugging your laundry blocks away because laundry rooms are inoperable
&#45; Unreliable elevator service &#8212;months after Sandy
&#45; Your personal belongings rotting in a shipping container for six months
&#45; Tepid enforcement of the quality&#45;of&#45;life rules
&#45; Noisy, disrespectful neighbors
&#45; Worrying your next maintenance visit might become a security issue</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2013-05-18T00:46:26+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>How to Handle Requests For Access To Your Apartment By Manangement</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/how_to_handle_requests_for_access_to_your_apartment_by_manangement</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/how_to_handle_requests_for_access_to_your_apartment_by_manangement#When:16:17:41Z</guid>
      <description>With so many complaints of unauthorized access by management we thought it important to explain your rights as well as your responsibilities.Ever since Sandy the tenants association has received numerous complaints about management entering apartments without a resident’s permission.&amp;nbsp;  Whether it was to (without explanation) remove your shower door, to fix your intercom, or now, to randomly inspect your apartment, you have the right to privacy and safety. 

If you are not going to be present and do not want to authorize management access to your apartment, call and reschedule your appointment and, if you are unable to because you have a problem getting through to management,&amp;nbsp; post a notice on your door indicating that you called to reschedule your appointment and also state that they do not have permission to enter on the original date.

With all these complaints&#8212;and now four confirmed “intercom installation” related burglaries in Stuyvesant Town&#8212;the tenants association urges caution when permitting management access to your home.&amp;nbsp; The TA wants you to be fully aware of your rights and responsibilities as it relates to these issues.

The TA has consulted with its counsel and, while every situation is unique and may require individual legal counsel, in summary, and then later in detail below, is what we were advised:


Necessary repairs, improvements required by law, and inspections are lawful and you must comply.
Landlords must give you proper notice and you have the right to be present in non&#45;emergency cases.
A failure to provide access as demanded  does not result in immediate eviction; you have many opportunities to cure.
Unlawful alterations to the apartment, fire safety issues, and hoarding could put you at risk for eviction, but you have multiple opportunities to cure these conditions.


Generally speaking tenants should cooperate with management and provide access where management seeks to make necessary repairs or improvements required by law or to inspect conditions in the apartment. Under § 2524.3 of the Rent Stabilization Code (&#8220;RSC&#8221;), in the case of inspections, management must give five days notice to the tenant and the date and time are to arranged at the mutual convenience of the parties so the tenant may be present at the inspection.&amp;nbsp; The NYC Multiple Dwelling Rules §25&#45;101(a) require one week&#8217;s written notice for access for repairs and improvements required by law.&amp;nbsp; 

A failure to provide access to the owner as demanded does not result in immediate eviction. There are multiple cure periods provided in the law.

Section 2524.1(c) of the RSC provides that &#8220;[n]o tenant of any housing accommodation shall be removed or evicted unless and until such removal or eviction has been authorized by a court . . . on a ground authorized in this Part or under the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law.&#8221; Section 2524.3 of the RSC entitled &#8220;Proceedings for eviction&#8212;wrongful acts of tenant,&#8221; discusses the grounds upon which an action or proceeding to recover possession of any housing accommodation may be commenced without DHCR approval. Those grounds include occasions when a tenant &#8220;unreasonably refuse[s] the owner access to the housing accommodation for the purpose of making necessary repairs or improvements required by law or authorized by the DHCR&#8221;&amp;nbsp; That section (RSC § 2524.3 [e]) provides in full:

The tenant has unreasonably refused the owner access to the housing accommodation for the purpose of making necessary repairs or improvements required by law or authorized by the DHCR, or for the purpose of inspection or showing the housing accommodation to a prospective purchaser, mortgagee or prospective mortgagee, or other person having a legitimate interest therein; provided, however, that in the latter event such refusal shall not be a ground for removal or eviction unless the tenant shall have been given at least five days&#8217; notice of the inspection or showing, to be arranged at the mutual convenience of the tenant and owner so as to enable the tenant to be present at the inspection or showing, and that such inspection or showing of the housing accommodation is not contrary to the provisions of the tenant&#8217;s lease or rental agreement.

A lease may provide other and further grounds for access.&amp;nbsp; However, any lease provision that is inconsistent with the RSC is unenforceable (9 NYCRR 2520.12; see also 9 NYCRR 2520.3 [&#8221;(t)his Code shall be construed so as to carry out the intent of the Rent Stabilization Law to ensure that such statute shall not be subverted or rendered ineffective, directly or indirectly . . .&#8221;]).

Where the owner alleges that a tenant has breached their lease by unreasonably refusing access, a 10&#45;day notice to cure may be required under Rent Stabilization Code (RSC§ 2524.3 (a)). A further seven&#45;day notice of termination is required before the owner can commence an eviction proceeding under RSC § 2524.2(c)(2).&amp;nbsp; Throughout this period the tenant has a right to cure and end the eviction proceeding.

Even if an eviction proceeding is commenced and the court finds that refusal of access was unreasonable, and even after a judgment of possession is issued against the tenant after trial, the tenant is still afforded an additional ten day period to cure under RPAPL 753(4) before an eviction can actually take place. 

None of this is to suggest that requests for access to inspect by management should be ignored.&amp;nbsp; But such inspections should only be permitted for proper purposes and with proper notice. Tenants may insist that the inspections take place at a mutually convenient time so that they can be present.&amp;nbsp; If, however, the tenant is away for an extended period, arrangements should be made to allow a friend or relative to provide access to the apartment.

WHAT IF THE LANDLORD IS SEEKING ACCESS TO SEARCH FOR VIOLATIONS OF MY LEASE?

It is debatable that management has a right of access solely to search for lease violations&#8212;such as dishwashers, unauthorized alterations, accumulations of paper or refuse or other breaches of the lease. Nonetheless, motives are difficult to prove. 

If you have made unlawful alterations, installed a dishwasher or other unauthorized appliance; or if you believe you have conditions such as stacks of accumulated newspapers or refuse that may prompt management to seek an eviction, you should attend to these things before management seeks an inspection (unless, in the case of appliances or alterations, you can argue that management knows of and has waived any objection to the condition you have).&amp;nbsp; If such conditions are found and they are clearly breaches of your lease, you should promptly correct or remove the conditions so to avoid litigation.&amp;nbsp; Again, however, if you are sued for a breach of your lease, you will have several opportunities to cure prior to facing actual eviction.&amp;nbsp; 

In sum, a notice that you have breached your lease is something that you should take seriously&#8212;but it is by no means reason to panic.</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2013-05-17T16:17:41+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Roberts Tenant or Not, Join our Press Conference and Rally Today at 10am</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/roberts_tenant_or_not_join_our_press_conference_and_rally_today_at_10am</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/roberts_tenant_or_not_join_our_press_conference_and_rally_today_at_10am#When:04:59:49Z</guid>
      <description>CW Capital rains pain upon unsuspecting families and neighbors.&amp;nbsp; Raises rents on hundreds of apartments with just two weeks notice.It is time to go public with CW’s abuse of power. We’ll be doing just that today at 10:00am.

Many Roberts tenants&#8212;about at least 1,000 individuals&#8212;got an unwelcome notice under their doors yesterday indicating that they are receiving a mid&#45;lease rent increase&#8212;in some cases thousands of dollars per month.&amp;nbsp; Although CW Capital is exercising its prerogative to increase rents under the terms of the Roberts Settlement, the move is despicable, to say the least.

To focus press and public attention on this newest predatory move against affordability in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, the Tenants Association and City Councilman Dan Garodnick along with other elected representatives are holding a press conference at 10:00am in front of the Stuyvesant Town Peter Cooper Village Leasing Office, located at First Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets.

If you received the notice under the door today, you are a member of the Roberts class and your blood should be boiling enough to make certain at least one family member or roommate gets to the press conference at 10:00am to let the world know you’re angry.&amp;nbsp; If you’re not part of Roberts, you don’t need anyone to tell you this is just the latest assault on the affordability and stability of a community we all need to join in protecting.

This affects all tenants of our community: this is a crude and callous act by CW Capital to cut through the heart of our community.&amp;nbsp; Two weeks notice on substantial rent increases is simply outrageous and is nothing short of heartless: this action was clearly planned well in advance, but CW Capital deliberately chose to give tenants just two weeks notice of their rental increases.&amp;nbsp; 

We need to show solidarity for our community &#45; a community of tenants that CW Capital is trying to tear apart.

Please try to join us for a serious show of strength:&amp;nbsp; 10:00am, Wednesday, May 15, Stuyvesant Town Leasing Office.</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2013-05-15T04:59:49+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>CRIME ALERT: Burglaries Plus Unauthorized Apartment Entry in Stuyvesant Town</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/crime_alert_burglaries_plus_unauthorized_apartment_entry_in_stuyvesant_town</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/crime_alert_burglaries_plus_unauthorized_apartment_entry_in_stuyvesant_town#When:19:34:02Z</guid>
      <description>UPDATE: 5/14/2013: A FOURTH report has just been confirmed.&amp;nbsp; See more.

With increasing reports of serious felonies and “open&#45;door” invitations to crime in our community, Tenants Association advises residents to double lock and keep eyes open.UPDATE: 5/14/2013  A fourth report has been confirmed by the 13th precinct.&amp;nbsp;  We are trying to get more details. 

UPDATE: 5/8/2013: A third report has just been confirmed in a third building, 620 E 20th St, again intercom related work, no forced entry, value of loss near $40,000 (forty&#45;thousand dollars).&amp;nbsp; A police report has been filed and public safety notified.

The Tenants Association has received two separate reports of burglaries, one at 610 E 20th, the other at 319 Ave C.&amp;nbsp; According to the residents and investigating detectives, there was no sign of forced entry in either instance. Intercom repair work was underway in both buildings. Reports of two more burglaries are being verified at the time of this writing.

In the recent burglaries in two Stuy Town apartments, one resident lost $5,000 in jewelry, the other, $10,000 in jewelry. Both burglary cases&#8212;third degree grand larceny, a very serious Class D felony&#8212;are under investigation by the NYPD and Public Safety.

The TA also recently received two separate and presumably unrelated complaints from residents who returned home to find their doors left open by workers who had entered their apartments for repairs. Both of these &#8220;door left ajar&#8221; reports were from buildings receiving the new intercoms. One of the reports was from the building where one of the burglaries occurred and in the same time frame.

In another unwelcome development, workers are entering apartments without the tenant’s permission, according to a number of phone and e&#45;mail reports to the Tenants Association.&amp;nbsp; Several were from residents who were at home when workers entered and were terrified to find strangers in their living rooms. The TA has also received tenant reports of workers entering their apartments despite their clear orders to management denying “permission to enter.”

In light of these reports and developments, the Tenants Association advises great caution when giving &#8220;permission to enter&#8221; and to think carefully about granting such permission. Non&#45;emergency entry must be at a time mutually convenient to both tenant and owner and with sufficient notice. Tenants may want to consider double locking their doors with their secondary top&#45;locks.

Commenting on these events, Tenants Association Chair Susan Steinberg said,&amp;nbsp; “ I remember a time when one could allow owner&#45;employed maintenance personnel into one’s apartment without fear of losing valuables. And I remember a time when schedules were always negotiated with Resident Services, who would never dream of forcing an entry, except for an emergency such as water overflow, fire or serious gas leak. Tenants have the right to limit unannounced, unauthorized entries to actual emergency conditions and should insist that management  respect these limits.&#8221;

Tenants are advised to report any suspicious behavior to Public Safety or the NYPD.</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2013-05-07T19:34:02+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Judge Approves and Finalizes Roberts Settlement</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/judge_approves_and_finalizes_roberts_settlement</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/judge_approves_and_finalizes_roberts_settlement#When:12:50:07Z</guid>
      <description>A judge approved the settlement and ended a seven&#45;year epic battle between tenants and big real estate.&amp;nbsp; The case was initiated before the Tenants Association board in 2006 in a Chrysler Building meeting room when the TA first tried to purchase the property with its 4.5 billion dollar bid and ended on April 9, 2012 in Justice Lowe&#8217;s courtroom.The State Supreme Court for New York County, Justice Richard Lowe presiding, on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, approved the Roberts class action settlement.

Although never a party to the suit, the  Tenants Association was instrumental in helping to find the charter plaintiffs and has fought successfully for several years lobbying to prevent the nullification of the ruling by big real estate&#8217;s friends in the State Senate.

The settlement provides $68.75 million in damages for class member tenants who were overcharged market rate rents, going back to 2003. It also returns all formerly market rate apartments in both Peter Cooper and Stuyvesant Town to rent stabilized status until June 2020, when the J&#45;51 benefits expire.

For details of the settlement, see the press release from the office of the Roberts lead attorneys.

All class members who have not yet done so should file their claims, on the designated forms, by the MAY 15, 2013 DEADLINE.&amp;nbsp; For more information visit the Berdon Claims’ website or phone 800&#45;766&#45;3330.

Please also see a statement on the settlement from Councilmember Dan Garodnick and his thoughtfully prepared &#8220;The Roberts Settlement in Plain Language&#8221;.</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2013-04-11T12:50:07+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Notice of Nominations for 2013 Election</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/notice_of_nominations_for_2013_election</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/notice_of_nominations_for_2013_election#When:02:43:08Z</guid>
      <description>3/26: Update Copies of the ballot petition form are now available here.&amp;nbsp;  Tenants Association announces 2013 record date and spring election nomination requirements.A copy of the 2013 Ballot Petitioning form my be downloaded here
&amp;nbsp;
The Nominating Committee of the Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association (the &amp;ldquo;TA&amp;rdquo;) is soliciting candidates for election to its Board of Directors.
The election will take place in May 2013. To vote, members must be current in their dues as of April 17, 2013&amp;mdash;the Record Date. In accordance with the TA bylaws, four Directors are up for reelection this year. Other TA members may run in accordance with the rules below.
Important Dates:

Tue, March 26: Petitioning for a place on the ballot begins
Fri, March 29: Final date for interested candidates seeking endorsement to apply
Sat, April 6: Oval Forum for candidates to gather signatures/meet residents (rain date: 4/7)
Thu, April 11: Petition drop&#45;off date (in person)
Fri, April 12: Final date for mailed petitions to be received

Residents who fulfill the requirements below may petition to share a place on the ballot:

Must be 18 years of age or older;
A resident of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village;
Current in Association dues as of Wednesday, April 17, 2013;
Should be prepared to spend 20 to 50 or more hours each month on TA business;
Commit to a monthly board meeting, and other phone or in&#45;person TA meetings as needed.

How Do I Get on the Ballot? &amp;nbsp; There Are Two (2) Alternative Methods:
Application Process: The Tenants Association Board will endorse four (4) candidates.&amp;nbsp; Interested TA Members may submit their qualifications to the Nominating Committee for consideration as a candidate for the Board by Friday, March 29, 2013. A r&amp;eacute;sum&amp;eacute;, curriculum vitae (&amp;ldquo;CV&amp;rdquo;) and/or statement of two pages or less stating your qualifications to serve on the Board, including past community activities here and elsewhere, any relevant professional or work experience, and why you are interested in serving on the Board should be submitted via email to: nominations2013@stpcvta.org. Please be sure your r&amp;eacute;sum&amp;eacute; or CV includes your best contact number and email address.
&#8212;&#45;OR&#8212;&#45;
Petitioning Process: Interested TA Members may seek a place on the ballot by submitting a petition signed by forty&#45;five (45) or more Members of the TA. For the purpose of the petition process, any resident of an apartment that is current in its dues as of Wednesday, April 17, 2013 is a Member of the TA. No more than one candidate&amp;rsquo;s name may be on any one petition. Individuals signing the petition must sign and print their name, address, apartment number, home phone number, and if available, an email address. The Nominating Committee will judge the validity of all petitions. While the Committee encourages any applicant to seek an interview, it cautions that the only way a candidate can ensure a ballot position is to complete the petitioning process.
Petitioning begins on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, and petition forms will be available on the Tenants Association website (stpcvta.org) that morning.&amp;nbsp; Completed petitions and other required items (see below) may be sent by mail to: Nominating Committee, ST/PCV Tenants Association, P.O. Box 1202, New York, NY 10009&#45;1202. Petitions are due in the TA post office box no later than Friday, April 12, 2013. You may also deliver your petition in person to the Community Center at 449 East 14th Street (1st Avenue Loop) between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, 2013.
In addition to your petition with at least 45 valid signatures, you must submit:

A statement with your name, address (including apartment), telephone and email;
A statement that you are 18 years of age or older; and
A summary of your qualifications in 100 words or less.</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2013-03-20T02:43:08+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Association Denounces CW Capital for  Unexpected &#8220;Release&#8221; With Rebate In Rent Bill</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/tenants_association_denounces_cw_capital_for_unexpected_release_with_rebate</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/tenants_association_denounces_cw_capital_for_unexpected_release_with_rebate#When:20:46:32Z</guid>
      <description>Association cautions tenants on unexpected &#8220;release&#8221; for service related rebates.In a surprise and questionable move, CW Capital let tenants know that the much anticipated rent reduction for loss of essential services, previously announced without conditions, comes with a kicker.&amp;nbsp; Simply by paying their reduced rent, management states, tenants will be waiving their rights to make any Sandy&#45;related claim for any reason now and in the future.

On November 11, 2012, management posted a letter from Andrew MacArthur of CW Capital to residents on the pvcst website announcing that residents would receive a rent abatement due to the loss of certain services as a result of Hurricane Sandy.&amp;nbsp; Mr. MacArthur stated:

“As a demonstration of our commitment, and in appreciation for all that you have been through since last Monday night, I am announcing that anyone who has been without heat, elevator service or electricity will not be charged rent for any day in which they were without one or more of these services.”


(Note:&amp;nbsp; The Tenants Association later convinced management to include loss of cooking gas in the abatement.)

However, residents who opened their rent bill this month may have found —in a “Dear Resident” letter tucked behind the bill — that there are limits to Mr. MacArthur’s and CW Capital’s commitment and appreciation for what residents went through and, in many cases, continue to go through as a result of Hurricane Sandy. After announcing rebates with no conditions attached, the notice slipped in with the rent bill tells residents that they can receive the abatement only if they agree to release CW and management from any and all liability, not just claims for a rent abatement but also for claims residents may have now or in the future against management for loss of property or injuries resulting from Hurricane Sandy.&amp;nbsp; The letter from management is a crass overreach, similar to the surprise that accompanied their announcement — without prior notice —&amp;nbsp; that tenants could retrieve their property from storage lockers only if they executed a similar overly broad release.

These actions by management and CW Capital are nothing more than a variation on the old “bait and switch” particularly because, in initially announcing the rebates, CW Capital , rather than being magnanimous, was merely recognizing the inevitable reality — that a court would order rebates if tenants sued.&amp;nbsp; Now, with this inappropriate tactic, CW is attempting to obtain something they would not have obtained had the matter been litigated — a general release of all claims. 

The Tenants Association believes, for various reasons, that management’s effort to turn acceptance of the rebate into a general release that goes beyond abatement claims would fail if litigated.&amp;nbsp; However, the TA cannot provide residents with legal advice and cannot guarantee that any tenants who pay the lesser rent will not be releasing valuable claims. Thus, tenants who believe they may have claims now or in the future relating to property damage or health, apart from service&#45;related claims, should carefully consider whether to accept the rent abatement or pay the full rent and also consult a lawyer.&amp;nbsp; 

Lastly, the TA calls upon Mr. MacArthur and  CW Capital to demonstrate that they have a real commitment and appreciation for residents of this community and what they have recently gone through and do what is right for them by publicly stating that any release for accepting the rebates will be limited to claims for loss of essential services.</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-12-29T20:46:32+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>A Warning:&amp;nbsp; Fraudulent Pretexting Calls to Roberts Class Members</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/a_warning_fraudulent_pretexting_calls_to_roberts_class_members</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/a_warning_fraudulent_pretexting_calls_to_roberts_class_members#When:17:49:56Z</guid>
      <description>Reports of pretexting calls by an unknown entity in an attempt to garner personal information or to submit false claims.&amp;nbsp;   Class members should not expect these calls and what to do if you receive them.Attorneys for the Roberts class have received reports of class members getting unsolicited phone calls from unknown entities attempting to acquire the personal information of class members.&amp;nbsp;  In one instance, a class member was pretexted by being told they would receive a certain sum of money.

Be aware that neither the attorneys for the Roberts class, nor the claims administrator, Berdon Claims Administration are making these calls.

Members of the class should not expect such calls and if they receive one should not share any personally identifiable information with the caller.&amp;nbsp; If caller ID is available note the phone number of the caller, the date and time of the call, and the gender of the caller and report this information to the Roberts attorneys at Wolf Haldenstein by calling 212&#45;545&#45;4600 and asking for Mr. Michael Liskow.

Class members should await official notification by postal mail from Berdon Claims Administration which is expected in early January.</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-12-11T17:49:56+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Sandy Service Restoration, Property Loss, and Gas Repair Survey</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/sandy_service_restoration_property_loss_and_gas_repair_survey</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/sandy_service_restoration_property_loss_and_gas_repair_survey#When:18:30:44Z</guid>
      <description>Survey of dates for restoration of services for evaluation of additional rebates, property losses, and issues with gas repairs.The Tenants Association needs your input as it evaluates seeking additional rent abatements from CW Capital for residents who were without some services after they had been restored to most buildings or apartments.

We have created a survey for you to use to note when any of the following services were restored to your apartment: electricity, heat, hot water, cooking gas for your stove, elevators, working Intercoms, lobby lifts (PCV only), and in&#45;building laundry facilities. The survey may be completed on line at  http://www.stpcvta.org/sandyeval/.

In addition, please report whether you have sustained loss or damage for items stored in NTT basement storage lockers or for cars parked in garages. Also, let us know if you were one of the residents whose apartment was forcibly entered by management and Con Edison for the purpose of restoring gas service.

Your answers will help us develop the specifics we need to present in seeking abatements for you and other residents in addition to those management has offered.

Thank you for taking the time to give us your input.</description>
      <dc:subject></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-12-01T18:30:44+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>At Last, The Roberts Litigation is Settled</title>
      <link>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/roberts_is_settled1</link>
      <guid>http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/roberts_is_settled1#When:21:43:57Z</guid>
      <description>The long awaited Roberts settlement was just announced. Stuyvesant Town Class Action Parties Reach Settlement –
Agreement Signed Today Provides $68.75 Million to Pay Damages;
Total Tenants’ Rent Recovery to Exceed $146.85 Million
 
November 29, 2012 – Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman &amp;amp; Herz LLP and Bernstein Liebhard LLP, co&#45;lead counsel for the plaintiff tenants in the Roberts v. Tishman Speyer class action, announced they have signed an agreement with the defendants to settle all past rent overcharge claims and future rent claims raised in the action.&amp;nbsp; The settlement was preliminarily approved today by Justice Richard B. Lowe, III, the Chief Justice of the Appellate Term, First Department.&amp;nbsp; The agreement requires final court approval.&amp;nbsp; A hearing on final approval is scheduled for April 9, 2013.
 
The settlement agreement signed today sets aside $68.75 million to compensate class members for rent overcharges from January 22, 2003, the start of the class period, through December 31, 2011, the end of the overcharge period. 
 
“Once finally approved, today’s $68.75 million settlement agreement, when combined with past refunds and rent savings the tenants have already received, will bring the total recovery in the lawsuit to at least $146.85 million,” said Alexander Schmidt of Wolf Haldenstein, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney.&amp;nbsp; “There will also be future benefits,” he added.
 
The past rent savings and refunds resulted from an interim agreement that was reached in the case in December 2009 between the plaintiffs and the two limited partnerships that currently own Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, PCV ST Owner LP and ST Owner LP.&amp;nbsp; Under that interim agreement $2.4 million in rent was refunded to class member tenants in 2010, and the tenants saved an additional $75.7 million in rent over the past three years, Schmidt said.&amp;nbsp; Ronald Aranoff of Bernstein Liebhard, another of the plaintiffs’ lead attorneys added “we believe this settlement provides an extraordinary recovery for our clients and we couldn’t be happier for them.”
 
Schmidt noted that the $146.85 million amount could significantly increase in the future because the settlement sets future rents based on a “Preferential Rent” formula that will save tenants at least another ten to twenty million dollars, and potentially more than a hundred million, over the next eight years.&amp;nbsp; The exact amount of future rent savings under the formula will depend on future rental market conditions and tenant turnover rates, Schmidt added.
 
The settlement also continues rent stabilization through June 2020 for each of the 4,311 formerly decontrolled Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village apartments at issue in the suit.&amp;nbsp; June 2020 is when the residential complexes’ New York City “J&#45;51” tax benefits expire.&amp;nbsp; The New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, found in October 2009 that the apartments had been removed improperly from rent stabilization while the complexes were receiving those tax benefits, which are available only for rent stabilized buildings. 
 
The current owners of the complexes contributed $58.25 million of the $68.75 million cash component provided by today’s agreement.&amp;nbsp; Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company, the owner until mid&#45;November 2006, contributed $10.5 million.
 
The settlement concludes almost 18 months of negotiations.&amp;nbsp; Aranoff said that today’s $68.75 million settlement includes a generous legal rent formula for the past rent overcharge claims, which yields damages of almost $10,000 per leasehold and average damage awards of $3,200 for the 21,250 class members. 
 
Because the legal rent formula under the interim agreement was even more generous, Schmidt said, the rents going forward may be adjusted upwards by the landlord after the settlement is finally approved, subject to the Preferential Rent formula caps. 
 
The cash received and saved will not be the only benefits the class members achieve as a result of this litigation, Schmidt said. “Class members will realize substantial additional benefits by retaining the full protections of the Rent Stabilization Law for the next eight years, including, most importantly, the rights to automatic lease renewal and succession.&amp;nbsp; The settlement is eminently fair and reasonable, and a very good result for the tenants.”
 
The settlement agreement and other pertinent information about the settlement and the litigation are available at http://www.berdonclaims.com (click “Cases:&amp;nbsp; Current and Completed,” narrow your search to “New Cases” and click “Stuyvesant Town Class Action”).
 
 
 Media Contact for Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman &amp;amp; Herz:
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      <dc:date>2012-11-29T21:43:57+00:00</dc:date>
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