Thursday, April 12, 2012

When Section 8 runs out

From the NY Post:

Queens landlord Debra Samuels says her only tenant hasn’t paid the $1,590 rent in more than a year — putting her two-family home in jeopardy.

The cash crunch has put Samuels and her husband, who run a restaurant together, behind on their mortgage for the two-family Far Rockaway home.

Samuels was to receive $1,201 a month from the city’s Section 8 housing assistance program toward tenant Natalie Bryant’s rent. Bryant, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment with her two children, was responsible for $389 a month.

Samuels said she got a notice from the city in February 2011 that Bryant was kicked out of the Section 8 program because the tenant did not do her annual recertification.

Samuels, in order to reclaim her property, filed a case against Bryant in Housing Court only to find out in November that she had brought the wrong kind of case.
She hired a lawyer and started eviction proceedings. During a court date last month, Bryant signed an agreement to leave on April 30, but then ripped it up when she was before the judge, Samuels said. The next court date is in May.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, maybe if the person wasn't charging nearly $1600 for an apt in -Far Rockaway- she might be able to attract a tenant who could pay without complicated government assistance.

Greed does have a way of biting you in the backside.

Anonymous said...

Who in their right mind would want section 8 in their home ?
Rent to the open market instead of being greedy trying to get a free hand out like the tenant. Stupid home owner !

Anonymous said...

It's a two bedroom apt. That rent is not unreasonable. And Section 8 pays most of it.

Anonymous said...

Obviously, the homeowner couldn't afford her own home to begin with...just like her renter couldn't afford the rent.

This looks like a double ended hustle...underwritten and financed by the section 8 system.

Maybe the homeowner bit off more than she could chew.

If she has to rely on a section 8 tenant to help pay her mortgage then maybe it's time to rethink the whole deal.

Anyway, in that neck of the woods, what kind of renter do you think you're going to get?

Anonymous said...

"Bryant signed an agreement to leave on April 30, but then ripped it up when she was before the judge".

So shes ripping up contract papers in front of the judge without penalty?

Anonymous said...

Jewish land(slum)lords used to always complain about their "schvartza" tenants..."oy vey, such tsouris".

Now it's an "African-American" landlord's turn in the barrel to gripe about her deadbeat tenant.

Upward mobility can have it's drawbacks.

Anonymous said...

Wow the comments here show none of you have ever owned a multi family home, and your judgements against this homeowner are unbelievable.

When you own a multi-family home, you are not allowed to turn away a renter because they are Section 8. In Far Rockaway that may be all they were able to attract.

As for the homeowner not being able to afford a home to begin with? That's just absurd. They probably bought a 2 family home for the point of having rental income. There is no "hustle" about that.

Jesus Christ you people are a judgy lot.

Queens Crapper said...

A two family home is not classified as multifamily and the homeowner is not required to accept Section 8.

Anonymous said...

No two-family owner should rent to a stranger. The risk of getting into a Samuels/Brayant situation is much higher than you can imagine. There's no downside for a tenant to be a non-payer or holdover, and facts don't matter in in Housing Court.

Anonymous said...

I thought sec 8 was paid by the govt this is a city program? Nevertheless its a horrible program and destroys neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

They may not be "required" to accept section 8, but good luck with the accusations that follow if you turn them down.

Anonymous said...

1600 for a two bedr1600 for a 2bdrm in far roc? i only pay $500 for my 1brm in park avenue

Auntie Invasion said...

I don't feel sorry for the landlord. Yes, they are overcharging the rent so they can get the voucher money each month in their checking account. they are full of crap. probably have worked out a behind closed door deal w/ the tenant. BECAUSE the tenant gets section 8 rent voucher the court is very lenient. They might have been thrown out of the program because of something that the landlord did. Anyone else, non section 8 voucher holder would have been homeless already.

You can only get Section 8 if you are black or an illegal immigrant. white people are denied access to this government subsidy at this time. in 1995 they changed the requirements to receive section 8 vouchers one of which is to be a REFUGEE. which is major crap because illegal immigrants are getting section 8 vouchers decades before American Citizens by making up sob stories to get REFUGEE status.that's what all of you should be screaming about.

Anonymous said...

Funny how landlords squeal like stuck pigs when complaining about rent regulations and violations...But quietly lobby to keep programs such as Section 8 that artificially inflate rents in some areas.

Leeches.

Anonymous said...

Go out
and get yourself a real job...
multi family homeowner...
instead of gouging your tenants.

But I guess your job is your building.

Perhaps you just want to plant your butt in an armchair and not have any headaches while the monthly rent checks fall gently into your tender hands.

No sympathy offered.
Everybody else works hard for their livings.

Anonymous said...

Her ex-tenant is probably destitute and homeless on the street right now.

Does anyone give a flying F*%K about them?

Put Bloomberg IN JAIL ALREADY WHERE HE BELONGS!

Anonymous said...

Ah, Section 8 - the reason rents are so high for working people. These losers in the country are multiplying faster than we can keep up. The only money that should be given to non-military, non-disabled person by the government to anyone is to be sterilized.

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised the landlord and Housing Authority or a low cost legal agency didn't help the tenant complete the paperwork.

It can be fixed/ reinstated.

I'm multi disabled white and a veteran and used section8 to end homelessness- so please can the color and refugee stuff in your comments... It's substance abusers and the dealers who destroy the neighborhood. Many working families, seniors, disabled and Honorable Veterans use section8.

Section 8 tenants tend to stay and once the mountains of paperwork is done once for the landlord and yearly for the tenant the money is mostly form the HA and steady. Substance abusers destroy neighborhoods, including section8 and project housing. We don't like them either. Help develop supportive housing to keep them out of independent living where they often fail , and support them to be able to get and stay sober to break the chain and make us all safer. PS: Addicts tend to hit the non section8 neighborhoods for goods they can pawn for drug money. Keep them out of section8 and project housing and into supportive housing for long term sobriety and invest a little to get them to be and stay able working, productive members of society.

PS: Section8 tends to pay slightly lower rent than what is freemarket-average for the area due to a formula they use, but they do have minimal yearly inspection that makes sure the housing is at least minimally livable.

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