A troubled landlord has put up two large banner posts on his house in New York City, purportedly asking his tenants to pay rent of $17,000 (Rs 13 lakh). As the New York Post reports, a banner on the property of landlords Calvin and Gene Thompson in Queens reads that my tenants on the first floor are not paying rent. The couple posted the banners in the hope that it might have an effect on their tenants and force them to pay. On the busy Belt Parkway of the city, drivers saw big posters and made a Tiktok video and posted it.
The video went viral on social media. Which got more than 15,000 likes. According to the New York Post, Thompson has owned two homes since 1989 and says they are in the process of evicting tenants in Queens Housing Court. There are currently about 200,000 eviction cases pending in the city following pandemic containment and state eviction restrictions. Thompson’s son, Calvin Jr., said the posters were too embarrassing for him. This is the only voice we have at this stage.
The problems between the landlord and the tenants reportedly began in July, when Thompson increased the rent of his three-bedroom apartment from $1,800 a month to $1,900. If the owners are to be believed, this is the first hike in nine years. Calvin Jr. told the New York Post that I don’t think a $100 increase in nearly a decade is unreasonable. There are a lot of landlords in our situation due to covid. There are many eviction cases pending. She knows this. But for now, both the parties will continue to live in the same building as the legal process is underway.