Amid charges of landlord harassment, rent-stabilized tenants of a six-story building across the street from the Brooklyn Academy of Music finally had their gas turned on last week.
The lack of service meant the tenants didn't have heat, hot water or the use of their stoves for six days. The service was cut from July 31 until Aug. 5.
Meanwhile, the owner of the building, Manhattan-based Dermot Realty Company, denied it was engaging in any harassment — and said the problem was simply that it had forgotten to pay the gas bill.
The 34-unit building is at 25 Lafayette Place and also houses a Viennese restaurant, Beisl.
Dermot is also part owner of One Hanson Place, the former Williamsburgh Bank Building, and bought 25 Lafayette Place for $7 million last December, according to published reports.
“Since Dermot has taken over management of our building, there have been a series of transgressions on their part,” said Joe Pressley, a long-time resident of the building. “With all the capital improvements that they have done to our building, I don’t understand why they could not afford to pay the monthly gas utility bill.”
Members of the tenants association, which began to organize after Dermot’s acquisition of the building, believe that the new owners’ intent is to rid the building of its rent-stabilized apartments.
The tenants have also been in communication with elected officials in the Fort Greene area.
The officials have long been complaining that large realty companies have been buying properties, and then trying to get rent-stabilized tenants out of their apartments, and convert them to luxury residential units.
“I am partially suspicious of this gas outage in light of Dermot’s history and pattern of tenant harassment,” said Councilmember Letitia James.
David Sorise, Dermot’s vice president of operations, said the bill was not paid because it wasn’t processed properly after KeySpan, the gas company, changed its name to National Grid.
The bill was $720 and the gas in the entire building was turned off after the company did not receive it, he told real estate bloggers.
National Grid spokesperson Chris Mostyn said the company makes every effort to work with our customers.
“We go through a whole series of steps to avoid discontinuing a service — try to set up payment arrangements, send written notifications, make phone calls,” said Mostyn.
“There are lots of protections in place and full disclosure for tenants in multiple dwellings. National Grid is in full compliance with the NYS PSC requirement to send letters to tenants regarding their rights and responsibilities as occupants and their recourse with the owner,” he added.
Mostyn said the company also needs access to all of the apartments in order to secure pilots and restore service.
“We previously made some appointments but did not have access. We managed to gain access to all the apartments [by Aug. 5] and by 8 p.m., restored gas to the building and re-lit all the ranges in the apartments,” he added.
Beisl restaurant owner Thomas Ferlesch said the gas remained on at his establishment.
“We have a separate meter,” he said.
