Eviction threat after 50 years in Park Slope is 'like a deat

If she's been the sole occupant of the building since the 80's, which is what the article implies, paying a pittance each month, then she's an idiot to expect the owner of the building to tolerate her forever. She should have taken the buyout and found a rent-stabilized apartment.

I don't think that non-profit status rules out making a profit... it just requires that any profits be used for the educational (or charitable or whatever) purposes of the institution.

And even with such high tuition costs, the school probably doesn't make much of a profit, because it employs many teachers, custodians, etc., has high building maintenance and renovation costs, and also doesn't charge full tuition to its lower-family-income students.

You'd be surprised how much it takes to run a school. I've sat on the boards of a few charter schools and I've learned that a lot of the independent schools don't end the year with googobs of money. They rely significantly on alumni donations and their endowments to make ends meet. While the staff gets paid a living wage, even the headmasters and the 20+ year staff aren't raking in Wall Street kinds of dollars.

Besides, BC needs to replace its early childhood center so this is really just the domino effect of institutions growing in high market neighborhoods with limited space availability.

I worked at a private school on the UES and they charged more than $30K tuition even for pre-schoolers. They had a strict budget of capitol improvements, increasing salaries to be in line with education and of course the endowment. That endowment factor is huge. It ensures the future of the school. Just sayin.

I feel bad for her, but think of all the money this woman has saved. She is at retirement age and she should have quite a nest egg to buy something or rent something. If she had been paying half of what I pay for the last twenty years she would have almost $300k. Um yeah.

I feel as if this woman is parroting some sob story her lawyer fed her to make this a PR story. I understand she doesn't "want" to move, but she's paying an absurd amount of rent and has been given several opportunities to leave with $$ in her pocket, which, combined with $$ she should have saved paying such a small rent, would allow her to avoid financial hardship.

I have memories of beloved family members in several homes at which I no longer live, and not once did I think those memories gave me the right to hold on to those properties (although looking back, I wish they did).

I can understand why she's sad, certainly, but she had to know this good thing would come to an end. And perhaps it will be good for her happiness to look forward, not back.

two nit-picking points: The wait list for NYCHA is years. Section 8 waiting lists and lotteries are frozen.

Now back to the topic at hand: Yes, it sucks to be her. She should have taken the buyouts. If you rent, you can never be assured of permanence. ...she should have saved some of that money she wasn't spending on rent.

And definately "she should look forward and not back". She got a deal for years; how many of us can say that?

Berkley Carrol hopefully has hired a good attorney/spin artist as well. ...C'mon, it'll be fun, just like the Lower East Side eviction battles all over again!

...needless to say the school has a lot to lose with their lefty tution paying parents if they end up being portrayed by the press like greedy entitled jerks.

Or rather, what parent would ADMIT to wanting their kids taught by greedy entitled jerks?

...maybe the kids are the jerks for wanting to evict her so they can get an expansion.

If you think for a second that this woman doesn't have a nice country home somewhere or another apartment in the husband's name, you are crazy. She has had a job at a local bank (where she's reportedly a not very pleasant person to deal with) and a good income the whole time she lived at her landlords expense.

She is nobody's victim. She has enough money to buy a place right here in park slope if she doesn't already have one she's renting to someone else for 3k/mnth.

booklaw wrote: I don't think that non-profit status rules out making a profit... it just requires that any profits be used for the educational (or charitable or whatever) purposes of the institution.

And even with such high tuition costs, the school probably doesn't make much of a profit, because it employs many teachers, custodians, etc., has high building maintenance and renovation costs, and also doesn't charge full tuition to its lower-family-income students.

You seriously don't think that Berkely Carrol makes a profit? They have scholarship students there-I know a set of twins myself that go on scholarship. But, the majority of people pay and pay a lot! Where the $29k a year comes from I am not sure, but, when I looked into the school many years ago for my oldest child, i remember being quoted different rates depending on the grade the child was in. Tuition went up every year as the child's grade progressed.

As for booklaw saying this woman was an idiot to not have taken the buy out of $70k years ago and go look for another rent controlled apartment-are you serious? you make it sound so easy! Like tons of people have rent controlled apartments out there up for lease!

And, yeah, while the buy out money might have made a nice down payment on an apartment, then you have to pay your mortgage and your maintenance every month which I am sure would be a hell of a lot more than the rent she has been paying all these years (and not everyone makes mega salaries around here). I can't believe how cold some people are about this!

I don't see it as cold for people to call this woman on trying to scheister the system, regardless of where her personal ghosts live.

"It's like closing a box, it's like a death. How do you just go on?"

Uh, I know it's tough to part with a sweet, sweet deal but let's not overplay the hand here; this isn't like a farm that's been in the family and worked for generations. It's an apartment that the occupant doesn't even own.

So to answer the question: you move and you cope. My grandparents ran into a similar situation well into their 60's and although they were certainly less than pleased they dealt with it. Even if there had been some legal framework that allowed them to squat for years, they would have considered it wrong to do so - but they were crazy and old-fashioned like that.

LongTimeSloper wrote: And how is she trying to sheister the system? By not wanting to be thrown out of her apartment.

I guess I am missing something here-is she trying to sheister the system because she refused the buy outs from years ago? Is she trying to sheister the system because she is refusing to leave? Where is the sheistering? Please explain this to me.


One of my neighbors for years refused to be bought out of her apartment, because even with 50k -where would she go? She was a single woman who worked as a secretary for many years and did not make a lot of money-maybe 40k to 50k. So, while 50k would make a nice down payment-she wouldn't be able to afford the rest of the living expenses unless she moved out of NY which she did not want to do. Again, not everyone living in Park Slope is making 200k per year!

all good things must come to an end

LongTimeSloper wrote: I don't care what paltry sum she gave BC all these years-it was a rent controlled apartment and I assume she had a lease. I don't see why everyone thinks that just because she doesn't own it and had a good deal all these years, she should just walk away! I mean, she was a tenant, she did her end of the bargain by paying the rent and she is by no means obligated to just take the buy out offered if she doesn't want to.

Every one here seems to think that oh well, she had a good run, leave now because the landlord tells you to leave. But, I see it as she also has rights as a tenant-no matter what she has been paying all these years!

And she stuck it out in PS during a time when people were practically running from the neighborhood.

I still love that non profit status!! yet, they are going to do a multi million dollar renovation!