To:Suzanah Troy
From: Gwen Goodwin
re: Tenant Antiharassment Bill Dubious Legislation created by Christine Quinn and Melissa Mark Viverto
Thank to Christine Quinn and Melissa Viverto for more Smoke and Mirrors not real solutions.....
Don't know if you saw me on NY 1 April 20, 2013.
I publicly called Christine Quinn out at the mayor Forum on housing.
Unfortunately NY 1 muted the sound so the public could only see me but not what hear what I was saying. NY 1 did not post the story on its web site.
I was moved to speak out against Quinn for what was a dubious piece of legislation created by her and Melissa Mark-Viverito, whom I am running against in the 8th district.
The bill known as the "Tenant Antiharassment Bill" which Quinn was crowing about, is what got me out of my seat proclaiming to her and the audience that she was lying with regard to her "great" record on tenants rights, specifically this pro-landlord bill disguised as a beacon of hope for harassed tenants like myself.
Quinn and Melissa Mark Viverio restructured the former law, regarding tenant harassment, in which the tenant was awarded treble damages if they won in a harassment lawsuit and anyone reputable person could serve as a witness, i.e., police or neighbor . Now the way the law has been restructured, the tenant can only bring a harassment case against their landlord if a housing inspector of witness the harassment. If the tenant wins his or her case, (none have ever been won in the 4 years since the bill's enactment) the landlord has a cap of $5000, and the money is a civil penalty paid to the City, NOT the Tenant!
How do I know all this, I have a victim of my landlords retaliatory harassment, including threats from a prisoner at Green Haven penitentiary, my lights tuned off every night for months and tying my electricity meter, charging me hundreds of dollars to pay bills for other people's usage. The police witnessed the harassment and provided me with documentation. Con Ed was prepared to testify on my behalf , but low and behold there would be no trial because of the new anti harassment law written by Christine Quinn and Melissa Mark Viverito. Judge Kaplan told me the last time I tried to get this case heard, and I tried at least four times, that he would dismiss my case, and I could be saddled with paying the landlord's attorney fees, which, at hundreds of dollars per hour, and the hours typically pad dad, could be enormous. He went on to tell me further bad news: No harassment case could go forward unless the harassment was witnessed by a housing inspector!
Thanks Christine Quinn and Melissa Mark Viverto for the smoke and mirrors
Ps check on Quinn Viverito anti harassment law. No cases have ever been won by a Tenent during the entire 4 years since its creation!!the laws
Thanks Gwen: Is Melissa a mega millionaire via her daddy and real estate? I don't know if that is true but I am wondering. Either way thank you for this powerful piece I will post on my blogs.
