Residents of the Financial District's 2 Gold Street were displaced by the storm?and since then, they say, building manager TF Cornerstone has been rather uncommunicative about the building status. (TF Cornerstone did offer to let residents out of their leases if they don't want to wait for building repairs.) More than 50 residents of the building have signed a letter to TF Cornerstone seeking more information and assistance for residents who need to relocate. These are some of their demands:
- Immediate return of all paid November rent. We understand efforts are underway, but ten business days is unacceptable for tenants who need to find new accommodations, especially if you're not offering any assistance. Everyone who already paid rent should have it returned to them no later than Friday, November 9th.
- Substantial and sincere assistance with relocation and insurance claims for every resident who requests it. One welcome example would be covering moving costs of residents.
- A detailed explanation of why your inspector deemed the building uninhabitable, and under what conditions it would be habitable. In addition to the alarmingly intense smell of gas/oil permeating the building, several tenants have said their carbon monoxide alarms were going off when they returned to the building. Others have been told by TF Cornerstone employees and vendors that 12,000 to 14,000 gallons of heating oil occupy the basement and sub-levels. We don't know what's true and what's not, but we deserve to know what health risks are present in the building and specifics on why.
- A commitment to return security deposit for apartments within 15 business days of notification of breaking the lease for apartments without damage issues. Waiting 40-60 days is an extreme period for return of security deposits. Additionally, the wait-list to move out that is consistently cited does not exist, and we need clarity on the expiration date on the offer to break our lease. The Real Deal reached out to TF Cornerstone, and reps said that November rents have been waived. They also said TF Cornerstone has been helping tenants find other apartments. "I don't even know how to respond to the accusation that we've been anything less than proactive," said TF Cornerstone VP Sofia Estevez. So it sounds like everyone's at an impasse.
· Residents of FiDi's 'Uninhabitable' Two Gold Scramble for Stuff [Curbed]
· 2 Gold Street coverage [Curbed]
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