Citi Habitats broker turned landlord’s roof into urban farm, toilet for dogs: lawsuit

Citi Habitats broker Hana McGrath and her sister are accused of breaking one of the cardinal rules of New York City real estate: don’t turn your landlord’s roof into a personal farm and bathroom for your dog-sitting business.

The sisters went up to the off-limits rooftop at their Lower East Side building at 169 East Broadway, where they let pooches “defecate and urinate on the roof,” landlord CJK Real Estate claims in a lawsuit, according to the New York Post.

The two created areas for large planters and damaged the roof when they watered the plants, the lawsuit claims. They allegedly blocked off fire escapes, stored thousands of pounds of materials on the roof and sublet their apartments without permission.

They also allegedly turned the rooftop into an impromptu restaurant, charging attendees a fee for gatherings.

Hana owes $20,000 in back rent and her sister, Rachel, owes more than $17,000, CJK’s lawsuit claims. They had been in court with the landlord and a judge recently ordered Rachel to let go of her apartment after a failed effort to keep it rent-stabilized. [NYP] – Rich Bockmann