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City Sues for Control of Decrepit Heights Apartment Building
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 1, 2008
Modified Sep 1, 2008
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 1, 2008
Modified Sep 1, 2008
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Meet 87-year-old Anna Reyneso, a Washington Heights resident who, when she needs to use the bathroom at night, must awaken her 50-year-old daughter to guide her by flashlight to a vacant apartment down the hall. That’s because her landlord, Dorothea Levine, sent contractors in January to rip out Reyneso’s bathroom toilet, tub, floors and walls--a harassment tactic the Daily News says is part of an ongoing battle over the 54-unit, rent-stabilized building's future. Three other tenants had their bathrooms removed, and the building has so many violations the city has taken the rare step of suing Levine to take over the building. Of course, two can play at that game: landlords are suing the city right back in order to stop the recently-passed Tenant Protection Act.
Tagged
bathroom
dorthea levine
landlord
slum
Washington Heights
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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