In a reflection of modern times, a furious Queens landlord hung two enormous posters lambasting his reportedly deadbeat tenants for $17,000 in back rent.
“MY TENANTS ON THE FIRST FLOOR ARE NOT PAYING RENT” read the large posters hanging over the first-floor rental at 175th Street in Springfield Gardens.
The Thompsons, who own the property, put up the banners as a form of humiliation for their renters. It was also included in a TikTok video that has over 14,000 likes – and comments like “not paying your bills is ghetto.”
@spinkii.baddest Do you think the Land Lord went a little over board or you would do the same thing ? #fyp #ny #nyc #nycapartment #newyork #newyorkcity #queensnewyork ♬ original sound – THEE BADDEST🧚🏾🇯🇲
The Thompsons have owned the two-family home since 1989. Last month, they began the procedure of attempting to oust Marie and Eugene Lamour and their daughter Kathia in Queens Housing Court.
With over 200,000 eviction cases pending in the city after pandemic protections and the state’s eviction moratorium worsened a historic backlog, landlords are flocking to humiliation as their next-best option.
“The signs are very embarrassing and shameful for them,” said the Thompsons’ son, Calvin Jr. “That’s the only voice we have at this stage: freedom of speech.”
The indications appear to be effective: Kathia Lamour attempted to remove one of the signs, and Calvin Jr. says it’s true.
“When she calls Uber, she won’t do it in front of the house anymore,” he stated. “She runs to the end of the block, so they don’t see them.”
“It’s uncomfortable that we have to hang these up, but we’re $20,000 uncomfortable, so I think a sign is very minor.”
When the Thompsons increased the rent on the Lamours’ three-bedroom apartment from $1,800 per month to $1,900 in July, it sparked a chain reaction of events that has yet to conclude.
The Lamours didn’t want to pay the 5% raise, according to The Post. According to GovSalaries.com, Kathia, who works for the city Department of Social Services and makes $46,731 a year, attempted to deliver $1,800 in rent rather than the new amount, but the Thompsons refused to accept it – so she stopped paying altogether.
“It’s like all of the sudden, we’re bad tenants,” stated Kathia, who has been out of work on unpaid medical leave since the summer due to an injury. “They were bamboozling me into an increase. They went ballistic on me because I wouldn’t give it to them.”
“I don’t think a $100 increase for almost a decade of living is unreasonable,” said Calvin Jr. “There are plenty of landlords in our situation because of COVID. A lot of eviction cases are backlogged. She knows this and is going to ride this out.”
The pandemic has made life difficult for many people in the state, particularly those who are low-income. The state’s eviction moratorium, which ended in January, gave renters experiencing hardship from the epidemic a lot of leeway, but it left many landlords behind. The injunction also allowed renters to halt an eviction case against them by alleging financial stress without having to provide documentation.
The Lamours made no request for a COVID hardship exemption.
The families reside on the same floor, and their only difference is the thickness of the floorboards.
The Lamours’ lawyer, Andreas Spiker, stated that the sign is a form of harassment and will only complicate the Thompsons’ case.
