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Brooklyn landlord sues to evict Department of Veteran Affairs
Lease at 25 Chapel Street in DoBro allegedly expired March 31
A Brooklyn landlord is gunning to evict the Department of Veteran Affairs from his Downtown Brooklyn office building, claiming in a new lawsuit that the DVA continues to operate a medical center at the property although its lease ran out in March.
Joseph Jemal of ISJ Management, whose 40 Flatbush Realty Associates owns the 12-story, 300,000-square-foot building at 25 Chapel Street, is seeking the DVA’s eviction from the building’s eighth floor and damages of no less than $85,000 per month – the “fair and reasonable” monthly rate for the space, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York last week.
The suit claims that while the DVA’s lease term expired on March 31 and was not renewed, it continues to possess the space “without permission” of the landlord. The DVA primarily operates a mental health services facility on the eighth floor of the building, according to its website.
Representatives for ISJ, which operates several other commercial properties across the city, could not be reached for comment. Jemal also runs suburban commercial real estate firm The Jemstone Group with his brother Samuel.
The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, which represents the DVA, declined to comment.