In an attempt to distance herself from the worst landlord in New York City, Amy Neustein published an article saying that she is his sister and that he is a slumlord. If that wasn’t enough dirty family laundry thrown out the window: Ms. Neustein reported him to the NYC Department of Investigations.
Ms. Neustein told them a slew of illegal activities that range from under the table employees and illegally rented apartments, DNA Info reports (emphasis ours):
Amy Neustein, who has advocated for tenants and has tried to keep tabs on her brother’s buildings, said he has continued his illegal ways even after previous sanctions by the city.
Among the allegations tenants have brought to her and she has passed along to the DOI, are that her brother’s company accepts cash payments from tenants to obtain illegally subdivided apartments and that he retaliates against whistleblowers by refusing to take out the trash.
She said tenants suspect her brother is paying a large number of his employees off of the books, and may be withholding social security tax payments from the government.
She claimed tenants have also seen truckloads of electronic goods pulling up to buildings, and believe that staffers may be involved in the trafficking of stolen goods and drugs, according to the accusations.
Either she went down the list of New York penal code and fabricated a story for each of them, or maybe he really is that bad. Tenants support the latter argument. One in particular, who asked DNAinfo not to disclose his name in fear of retaliation, noted that he’s been trying to have Mr. Neustein repair his apartment for more than a decade.
Last year, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio ranked Mr. Neustein the worst landlord in the city.
DNAinfo reached out to the slumlord, owner of the terrible 1071 Home Corp, only for his to dismiss his “estranged” sister and his tenants:
“She doesn’t know my business,” he said. “I have a crazy sister. She is an estranged sister. She will try every agency. She has nothing else to do.”
“I’m not concerned. None of these things concern me at all,” Josh Neustein said.
He’s not a slumlord, but rather the slumlord.
mewing@observer.com
