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So Wednesday night I was on a digital panel explaining to around 100 people how #rentstrike2020 works and why they should talk to a lawyer like me & organizers at @housing4allNY and @ourcityRTTC to see if it makes sense for their situation. A few trolls joined the chat... (1/10)
and tried to use scare tactics on tenants without realizing the hosts on Zoom can see their usernames even if they change their display name.
One name was for an executive with Related Company/Equinox gym. Both owned by Trump funder Stephen Ross. (2/10) https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-calls-for-reopening-americas-gyms-day-after-call-with-soulcycles-owner
One name was for an executive with Related Company/Equinox gym. Both owned by Trump funder Stephen Ross. (2/10) https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-calls-for-reopening-americas-gyms-day-after-call-with-soulcycles-owner
The other trolls were mostly small time brokers but seeing Related was particularly galling. The gym @Equinox is not paying rent while Related, a billion dollar company, is publicly decrying those who don't pay them. (3/10) https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/relateds-stephen-ross-trump-crony-has-a-giant-coronavirus-hypocrisy-problem
Perhaps he is just bored? Perhaps he is scared? Apparently 3/4 of their commercial tenants stopped paying rent. I guess rent strikes are only good when their gyms get to do it? (4/10) https://therealdeal.com/2020/04/08/equinox-isnt-paying-rent-at-multiple-nyc-locations/
Again this is the same Related who wanted and then tried to lie about building a wall between open space of @_HudsonYardsNYC (which received large government subsidies) and the popular High Line park. (5/10) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/nyregion/hudson-yards-wall.html
I've seen so many claims that not paying rent is immoral. I have a family member battling cancer in a state with few protections who now was one month to move despite paying rent because it is just business. (6/10) https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/coronavirus-illegal-evictions-moratorium-rent-lawyer-aid
I've seen rampant rent gouging and price hikes by LLCs that have a monopoly on a necessity because it is just business. (7/10) https://gothamist.com/news/landlord-worth-1-billion-exploits-coronavirus-panic-jack-rent-25-percent
I've seen the real estate industry spend millions of dollars to stop laws that would restrict rent hikes to reasonable increases and require that tenants can only be removed if the LL has a reason like not paying or breaking the lease. (8/10)
The question I wonder about this executive from Related is the morality of renting. It is right that tenants should not be gouged by large hikes especially when buildings are already profitable. People shouldn't be evicted for no reason. (9/10)
When millions of people are facing a crisis, from deaths to loved ones to loss of all income, what can they do but ask for a more just world. Rent striking isn't for everyone but hopefully those who it does make sense get the attention to create a more moral world. (10/10)
