Maverick Real Estate Partners smells new blood in the water.
The New York-based lender, which has bought loans connected to the city’s most troubled landlords, is seeking to foreclose on two Bushwick properties tied to Brooklyn landlord Yoel Goldman.
Maverick, led by David Aviram, filed to foreclose on a vacant warehouse at 120 Evergreen Avenue— across from the luxury Denizen apartment project— and an apartment and retail building at 1157 Myrtle Avenue. Maverick alleges that Goldman defaulted on both of the loans and breached his contract, according to two lawsuits filed in New York Supreme Court in March.
Maverick acquired the loans from Sterling National Bank in June 2021. The lender alleges Goldman had personal guarantees for the loans.
In the case of the Myrtle Avenue property, Maverick alleges that Goldman stopped making payments on the $5 million loan starting in July. The property was also subject to a number of liens, which constitutes a default, including a $29,500 lien filed by B In Power Mechanical, a $78,151 lien filed by Supreme Wood Floors, and a $514,719 lien filed by Big Apple Designers, according to Maverick.
For the Evergreen Avenue property, Maverick alleges Goldman stopped making payments on the $2.45 million loan in October. In addition, Maverick alleges the loans went into default because of liens and an unauthorized transfer of title by Goldman, who sold the property to 10 Independence Center, a company tied to Jacob Sofer of Monroe, New York, in December.
Goldman did not return a request for comment. Maverick’s Aviram declined to comment.
Neither of the properties are controlled by All Year Holdings, Goldman’s former company. The Brooklyn developer was forced to give up control of All Year in 2020 after the company failed to make interest payments to Israeli bondholders and faced foreclosures on its properties. Since then, the company has been managed by restructuring officers who put the company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last year.
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All Year recently secured an offer from Rubin Schron’s Cammeby’s International Group and Avi Philipson’s Graph Group for its portfolio, which would allow it to exit bankruptcy.
Maverick has become among the most confrontational lenders in New York. The company has bought up loans of struggling landlords and developers and then put the loans into default. It acquired the loans on Brooklyn landlord Chaskiel Strulovitch’s 31-building apartment portfolio and became entangled in a foreclosure battle. It has also sought to foreclose on the building that long housed Theatre 80 St. Marks in Manhattan’s East Village.