Midtown co-op board allegedly asked to interview buyer’s child

Co-op boards can be notoriously picky about who they allow to buy units in their buildings, but one prospective buyer has claimed discriminatory practices after the board of a Tudor City building reportedly instructed her to bring her child to an interview.

Publishing executive Joyce Kacin alleges that the co-op board of the Woodstock Tower, at 320 East 42nd Street in Murray Hill, made the “discriminatory” request that she bring her minor son to the co-op board interview, according to a complaint Kacin sent last year to state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Kacin claimed the request violated the city’s Human Rights Law, which makes it illegal to reject a purchaser for having a child, according to DNAinfo. She said Susan Isaacs, board president of the Woodstock Tower, only dropped the request after Kacin wrote a letter to the co-op board.

While Kacin feared that she would lose a $25,000 deposit on the apartment if she refused the request, the board ultimately approved her purchase of a $250,000 pied-a-terre at the 32-story landmarked building in April 2014.

Co-op and condo boards have been subjected to increased litigation in recent years, as The Real Deal reported. [DNAinfo] – Rey Mashayekhi