A $2.1 Million Settlement: NYC Landlord Agrees to Fix 14 Buildings Across 3 Boroughs After Years of Neglect
The city has reached a deal with A&E Real Estate, one of New York City's largest landlords, to resolve nearly 4,000 code violations and allegations of tenant harassment at 14 buildings in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. The agreement comes after a year-and-a-half-long legal battle initiated by Mayor Eric Adams' administration.
Under the settlement, A&E will pay $2.1 million to cover about 750 tenants who have suffered under the company's negligence. Housing Commissioner Dina Levy hailed the deal as "sustained" enforcement by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Anti-Harassment Unit, which is the largest in its history.
The settlement resolves a long-standing issue with A&E Real Estate, which has been plagued by code violations at some of its properties. The company's CEO, Donald Hastings, framed the agreement as a partnership with the city, stating that he believes it will lead to improvements in the buildings and compliance with housing regulations.
However, A&E Real Estate also faces an ongoing lawsuit from dozens of tenants of the La Mesa Verde apartments in Jackson Heights, who are seeking repairs after years of alleged systemic neglect. The company's Executive Chair, Douglas Eisenberg, donated $125,000 to a super PAC supporting former Governor Andrew Cuomo during the recent mayoral election.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that A&E Real Estate has "mistreated and neglected" tenants for too long, but the city will not tolerate such behavior. The settlement is seen as a significant victory for tenant rights, with Housing Commissioner Dina Levy stating that safe, livable housing is an "absolute right."
If A&E fails to comply with the terms of the settlement, city officials say they may seek additional court orders and penalties.
The city has reached a deal with A&E Real Estate, one of New York City's largest landlords, to resolve nearly 4,000 code violations and allegations of tenant harassment at 14 buildings in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. The agreement comes after a year-and-a-half-long legal battle initiated by Mayor Eric Adams' administration.
Under the settlement, A&E will pay $2.1 million to cover about 750 tenants who have suffered under the company's negligence. Housing Commissioner Dina Levy hailed the deal as "sustained" enforcement by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Anti-Harassment Unit, which is the largest in its history.
The settlement resolves a long-standing issue with A&E Real Estate, which has been plagued by code violations at some of its properties. The company's CEO, Donald Hastings, framed the agreement as a partnership with the city, stating that he believes it will lead to improvements in the buildings and compliance with housing regulations.
However, A&E Real Estate also faces an ongoing lawsuit from dozens of tenants of the La Mesa Verde apartments in Jackson Heights, who are seeking repairs after years of alleged systemic neglect. The company's Executive Chair, Douglas Eisenberg, donated $125,000 to a super PAC supporting former Governor Andrew Cuomo during the recent mayoral election.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that A&E Real Estate has "mistreated and neglected" tenants for too long, but the city will not tolerate such behavior. The settlement is seen as a significant victory for tenant rights, with Housing Commissioner Dina Levy stating that safe, livable housing is an "absolute right."
If A&E fails to comply with the terms of the settlement, city officials say they may seek additional court orders and penalties.
had some insane crab cake bites their setup was so cool too had a little too much coffee tho now im wide awake lol anyway back to this A&E settlement... think its kinda crazy how one bad actor can mess up entire buildings idk what the deal is with all these code violations but at least theyre taking responsibility and paying out some cash 
cant say ill celebrate just yet though cause those tenants are still dealing with the aftermath of neglect 
. I mean, what's the real cost of neglecting tenants? Can we really put a price tag on their suffering? It feels like a lot of money could be better spent on preventative measures instead of just fixing the problems after they've arisen.
I'm just saying, this settlement might be a step in the right direction, but it feels like we're still only addressing symptoms rather than the root cause of the problem.
this is amazing news!!! I mean $2.1 million for 750 tenants who have been living in these crappy conditions? That's like a whole lotta dough 
. These tenants deserve so much better and it's awesome that Mayor Adams' admin is finally taking action. I'm all about DIY solutions but sometimes you gotta call in the pros 
and it looks like this settlement is a major win for tenant rights! 
. They've been neglecting their tenants for years and it's crazy how they got away with it for so long.
That's some shady stuff right there.
. It's about time the city took action and held these landlords accountable. If A&E fails to comply with the terms of the settlement, they're gonna get some serious consequences 
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, but it's also super frustrating that it took a year-and-a-half for the city to take action. Like, shouldn't we be expecting more from our landlords already? 
. What really gets me is that they're still paying out $2.1 million but I'm guessing that doesn't even scratch the surface of the costs these tenants have incurred over the years 
The fact that Housing Commissioner Dina Levy is calling this a "sustained" enforcement effort is music to my ears - it's about time someone spoke up! 
The La Mesa Verde apartments lawsuit is still ongoing, but I hope this settlement sends a strong message that tenants' rights won't be ignored. 
750 tenants deserve that $2.1 mil tho, it's the least they can get after suffering all these yrs of neglect 
. Now, on one hand, it's a huge win for tenant rights - safe and livable housing is an absolute right, you know? 
Housing Commissioner Dina Levy's all about enforcing those regulations and making sure tenants aren't being harassed or mistreated.
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. The $2.1 million settlement is definitely a good start, but what's gonna happen to the tenants who are still living in those buildings? We need more than just a slap on the wrist.
. But hey, at least its not all bad news.
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anyway i feel bad for those tenants who had to suffer for years because of A&E's negligence 
it's about time someone held them accountable 
. anway, what's really interestin' is that this settlement comes w/ zero accountability for the people in charge 
. noone's gonna face consequences 4 their role in lettin' these buildings fall into disrepair 
The fact that there's still an ongoing lawsuit from tenants of La Mesa Verde apartments shows you that there's a lot more work to be done but at least we're moving in the right direction.