A Brooklyn judge ruled that a Prospect Park landlord can’t evict tenants from a senior living facility amid a court battle.
Seven tenants remain in the over 130-room senior facility at 1 Prospect Park West, which landlord Haysha Deitsch has been trying to shut down and sell for $76.5 million since last year, Brooklyn Paper reported. The Department of Health approved his plan to give the residents three months to leave.
However, some residents sued, saying that the closure was illegal and that Deitsch had jacked up rents despite services declining. This summer, the management even refused to turn on the central air conditioning until the court ordered them to.
On June 30, a Kings County Supreme Court judge ruled that Deitsch cannot evict tenants while the court case is still pending. Lawyers for the tenants say that they will continue to pay the original rents. On July 1, the judge throughout Deitsch’s motion to dismiss the suit.
“This is a good thing,” said Jason Johnson, an attorney representing the seniors. “We can now move forward with the case.” [Brooklyn Paper] — Tess Hofmann