The asylum-turned-rental development on Roosevelt Island is back on our radar. If you want to know how the peeps at the Octagon convinced people to live there (FDR's approval notwithstanding), maybe it's because there were some very motivated brokers?one of whom is now speaking out about being slighted:
The building opened back in January and in the beginning they didn't encourage brokers to bring clients to the building but when they couldn't rent apartments themselves they invited the brokers and started offering OPs (owner paid commissions) to the brokers. As soon as they did it the apartments started going like hot cakes and they rented most of their apartments through brokers. Then again the owner/management changed their minds and started discouraging brokers once most of their apartments were rented. Fair enough, it is their building and they can do whatever they want.The problem is that they were quick to rent all those apartments but when the time came to pay the brokers they are taking forever. There is hundred thousands of dollars which they owe to the brokers and are not paying. They keep saying we are processing those payments but never send any.Hmm. First the they say one thing, then they say another, then they go back to other thing. Some would speculate the Octagon is showing signs of, say, a split personality? Wonder where they could seek treatment for that...
· Octagon Won't Fess Up to Crazy Past [Curbed]
· The Ocatgon [octagonnyc.com]