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FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/11/2022 06:07 PM INDEX NO. 452058/2022
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 1 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/11/2022
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK
_____________________________________________ x
KEISHE OLIVIERRE,
Index No.:
Plaintiff,
-against- SUMMONS
PARKCHESTER PRESERVATION COMPANY, Plaintiff's Address:
L.P., and PARKCHESTER c/o Housing Works, Inc.
5th
PRESERVATION MANAGEMENT, LLC, 81 Willoughby Street, PlOOT
Defendants. Brooklyn, NY 11201
__________________________________________Ç
To the above-named Defendants:
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the
Plaintiffs'
Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer on the attorneys within 20
days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after
the service is complete if thissummons is not personally delivered to you within the State of
New York).
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT should you fail to answer, a judgment will be
entered against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.
Dated: July 11, 2022
New York, New York
HOUSING WORKS, INC.
By: M 4
Armen H. Mer
Elena Rodriguez
5th
81 Willoughby Street, PlOOr
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 408-6502
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EMERY CELLI BRINCKERHOFF
ABADY WARD & MAAZEL LLP
Diane L. Houk
10th
600 Fifth Avenue, F100r
New York, New York 10020
(212) 763-5000
Attorneys for Plaintiff Keishe
Olivierre
TO: Parkchester Preservation Company, L.P.
2000 East Tremont Avenue
Bronx, NY 10462
Parkchester Preservation Management, LLC
2000 East Tremont Avenue
Bronx, NY 10462
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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK
KEISHE OLIVIERRE,
Plaintiff,
INDEX NO.:
-against-
PARKCHESTER PRESERVATION COMPLAINT
COMPANY, L.P., and PARKCHESTER
PRESERVATION MANAGEMENT, LLC,
Defendants.
Plaintiff Keishe Olivierre, by her attorneys, alleges as follows:
PRELIMINARY STATEMENT
1. Plaintiff Keishe Olivierre ("Ms. Olivierre") is an indigent, homeless woman living
with her two small children, aged one and five years. The City of New York has provided her
with a CityFHEPS (City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement) voucher
that will pay her entire rent and put an end to homelessness for her and her small children.
Defendants are: Parkchester Preservation Company, L.P. ("Parkchester Company"), the owner of
6,000 rental units at Parkchester in the Bronx, New York, and Parkchester Preservation
Management, LLC ("Parkchester Management"), the company that manages Parkchester
(collectively, "Defendants").
2. Anxious to end her homelessness and find permanent housing, Ms. Olivierre
applied to rent a three-bedroom apartment from Defendants utilizing her full CityFHEPS
voucher. The apartment was within the amount of her voucher. Nonetheless, Defendants
rejected Ms. Olivierre's application on the basis of insufficient income, notwithstanding the fact
that she possessed a voucher that would pay her full rent every month (thus rendering Ms.
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Olivierre's personal income irrelevant). In fact, Defendants informed Ms. Olivierre that she
must have an income of at least $62,000 per year, or find up to two guarantors with an income of
at least $124,000. A few months Ms. Olivierre applied once again for both a three- and a
later,
two-bedroom apartment at Parkchester, both within the range of her full voucher. Once again,
Defendants rejected her applications. Among other things, these baseless rejections have forced
Ms. Olivierre and her children to remain homeless to this day.
Defendants'
3. refusal to rent to an individual with a full housing voucher, on the
alleged basis of insufficient income, constitutes source of income discrimination in violation of
the New York City Human Rights Law (the "City HRL"), codified at New York City
Administrative Code § 8-107 et seq., and the New York State Human Rights Law (the "State
HRL"), codified at New York Executive Law § 290 et seq.
4. Ms. Olivierre files this action seeking a temporary restraining order and a
Defendants'
preliminary injunction, and permanent injunctive relief to stop illegal housing
attorneys'
practices, as well as compensatory and punitive damages, fees, and costs.
THE PARTIES
5. Plaintiff Ms. Olivierre is a 34-year-old, indigent woman living with her two sons,
aged one and five years. She is currently homeless in Bronx County, NY.
6. Defendant Parkchester Company is the owner of 6,000 rental units at Parkchester
in the Bronx, New York and is incorporated in the County of New York. Defendant Parkchester
Company utilized the services of Defendant Parkchester Management, as its agent, and had
knowledge of, established, directed, ratified, and otherwise approved the rental criteria for
Parkchester, including income requirements, at all relevant times.
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7. Defendant Parkchester Management is the company that manages the Parkchester
rental units, including advertising, showing, and renting the apartments. Parkchester
Management is incorporated in the County of New York. At allrelevant times, Parkchester
Management acted as the agent of Parkchester Company in the brokerage/rental of apartments at
Parkchester.
8. Parkchester is a planned residential community with on-site management services
and security staff. A subway station is located at Parkchester. There is an elementary school, a
U.S. post office, parking garages, a grocery store, a pharmacy, a 100-store retail shopping center,
on-site high-speed internet, and many parks and recreational areas within the community. Many
of Parkchester's rental units have been recently renovated with new kitchens and bathrooms, and
all of the buildings contain elevators.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
9. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action under N.Y. Judiciary Law
§ 140-b and § 7 of the Constitution of the State of New York.
10. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendants as set forth in CPLR § 301.
11. Venue is properly lodged in this Court pursuant to § 503 of the CPLR.
FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
12. Plaintiff Keishe Olivierre is an indigent, homeless, 34-year-old woman living with
two small children, aged one and five years. She receives Food Stamps and cash assistance.
Because she is homeless, Ms. Olivierre qualified for and received a full CityFHEPS voucher
from the New York City Department of Social Services ("DSS") on April 8, 2022. The voucher
expires on August 8, 2022. CityFHEPS is a rental assistance supplement to help individuals and
families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness find and keep housing.
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13. CityFHEPS clients like Ms. Olivierre are responsible for their own search for a
privately-owned apartment within New York City and within the limit of their voucher. Once an
apartment is located by a client and approved, DSS provides the owner of the apartment the full
months'
first month's rent and the next three rent, together with a security voucher. For clients
such as Ms. Olivierre, DSS continues to provide the owner of the apartment direct-vendor checks
each month thereafter to pay the client's entire rent.
14. In April 2022, Ms. Olivierre's CityFHEPS voucher paid up to $2,217 per month
in rent - the full rent - to the landlord. (This figure has now increased to
monthly directly
$2,527.) Ms. Olivierre's share of the rent under the voucher was fixed at zero ($0.00) each
month. On or about April 8, 2022, Ms. Olivierre applied online for a three-bedroom apartment at
Parkchester with a monthly rent of $2,100. Under the CityFHEPS program, if your shopping
letter says you can rent an apartment with two bedrooms, you may rent an apartment with three
bedrooms as long as it meets the payment standard for a two-bedroom apartment. The
Parkchester apartment was within the range of Ms. Olivierre's voucher.
15. On April 12, 2022, Ms. Olivierre called Parkchester to inquire as to the status of
her application. Her call was transferred to Parkchester employee Aracelis Ladisa, and she left a
message with Ms. Ladisa requesting assistance. On April 13, 2022, Ms. Olivierre received an
email from Parkchester informing her that her application had been denied: "We regret to inform
denied."
you that your screening has been The message also stated that a representative would
contact Ms. Olivierre within one business day with additional information. Later that day, Ms.
income?"
Ladisa called Ms. Olivierre and asked her, "what is your Ms. Olivierre informed Ms.
Ladisa that she was not working but was using a fullvoucher to rent the apartment. Ms. Ladisa
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informed Ms. Olivierre that even with the voucher, Parkchester required her to show an income
of $62,000 to rent the apartment.
16. Later that same day, Ms. Olivierre called Ms. Ladisa to confirm that Parkchester
indeed insisted that she have income of $62,000 a year, an impossible requirement, even though
she had a full voucher. Ms. Ladisa confirmed this requirement, and explained that, in the
alternative, she could secure up to two guarantors, and they must meet double the $62,000
income requirement, or $124,000. Ms. Olivierre does not know anyone who could serve as a
guarantor (and this requirement is in fact illegal under the SOI laws).
17. On June 30, 2022, Ms. Olivierre once again applied for an apartment at
Parkchester, this time applying for both a three-bedroom and a two-bedroom apartment. Her
CityFHEPS voucher now paid up to $2,527 per month, an amount far higher than the rents for
the Parkchester apartments. In her applications, Ms. Olivierre expressly indicated that she
possessed a full CityFHEPS voucher to pay the rent. Once again, and within a matter of minutes,
Defendants rejected her applications, with the message: "We regret to inform you that your
denied."
screening has been
Defendants'
18. As a result of rejection, Ms. Olivierre and her children remained, and
stillremain, homeless.
Parkchester's Antiquated and Discriminatory Rental Policies
19. Defendants own and manage over 6,000 rental units at Parkchester in the Bronx,
New York. These are largely affordable housing units, within the monthly rental allowance of
the housing subsidies and vouchers available to indigent and low-income New York City
residents. Recent advertisements, for example, trumpet one-bedroom apartments as low as
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$1,475 per month, and two-bedroom apartments as low as $1,675 a month; these are well below
the limits for the CityFHEPS voucher.
20. In 2008, the New York City Council passed a law prohibiting SOI discrimination.
The New York State Legislature followed suit in 2019. Defendants, however, failed to altertheir
longstanding policies or criteria to ensure compliance with the SOI law, i.e.,to ensure that they
are not unlawfully excluding indigent and low-income applicants utilizing a voucher or subsidy.
As a result, they have unlawfully excluded CityFHEPS clients like Ms. Olivierre from their
housing (not to mention applicants with analogous subsidies or vouchers).
21. Defendants denied Ms. Olivierre the right to rent an available apartment at
Parkchester allegedly on the basis of insufficient income, notwithstanding the fact that she
possesses a housing voucher that will pay her full rent every month (thus rendering Ms.
Olivierre's personal income irrelevant). This refusal to rent to an individual with a full housing
subsidy, on the alleged basis of insufficient income, constitutes source of income discrimination.
General Allegations
22. As alleged in the foregoing paragraphs, Defendants intentionally and willfully
discriminated against Ms. Olivierre and acted with reckless disregard for the rights of Ms.
Olivierre on the basis of her lawful source of income.
Defendants'
23. refusal to conduct business specifically with an individual who has a
full housing subsidy, on the alleged basis of insufficient income, constitutes discrimination based
upon lawful source of income.
24. By reason of the foregoing, Ms. Olivierre was denied the opportunity to rent an
apartment at Parkchester. As a result, she and her children remain homeless.
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Defendants'
25. By reason of the foregoing, Ms. Olivierre has been injured by
discriminatory conduct and has sustained damages as a result of that conduct, including a loss of
her civil rights, emotional distress, humiliation and embarrassment, and loss of housing
opportunities.
26. Ms. Olivierre has not previously filed any other action with respect to the
allegations that are the subject of this Complaint.
FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(New York City Human Rights Law: Source of Income Discrimination)
(Parkchester Company and Parkchester Management)
27. Plaintiff restates and incorporates by reference the preceding paragraphs as if
fully set forth herein.
28. Defendant Parkchester Company is the owner and/or the managing agent and/or
accommodation[s]"
has the right to approve the rental of "housing in New York City as defined
by the City HRL § 8-102(10).
29. Defendant Parkchester Management is the owner and/or the managing agent
accommodation[s]"
and/or has the right to approve the rental of "housing in New York City as
defined by the City HRL § 8-102(10).
income"
30. A CityFHEPS voucher is a "lawful source of as defined by the City HRL
§ 8-102(25).
31. Section 8-107(5)(a)(1) of the City HRL provides that it shall be:
an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessor, lessee, sublessee,
assignees, or managing agent of, or other person having the right to sell, rent or
lease or approve the sale, rental or lease of a housing accommodation . .. or any
agent or employee thereof . .. because of any lawful source of income of such
person . .. (a)To refuse to sell, rent, lease, approve the sale, rental or lease or
otherwise deny to or withhold from any such person or group of persons such a
housing accommodation . .. (b) To discriminate against such person or persons in
the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, rental or lease of any such housing
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accommodation or an interest therein or in the furnishing of facilities or services
in connection therewith, or (c) To represent to such person or persons that any
housing accommodation or an interest therein is not available for inspection, sale,
rental or lease when in fact itis available to such person.
32. Section 8-107(5)(a)(2) of the City HRL provides that it shall be:
an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessor, lessee, sublessee,
assignees, or managing agent of, or other person having the right to sell, rent or
lease or approve the sale, rental or lease of a housing accommodation . .. or any
agent or employee thereof . .. To declare . .. or cause to be declared . . . any
statement . .. or to use any form of application for the purchase, rental or lease of
such a housing accommodation or an interest therein or to make any record or
inquiry in conjunction with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of such a
housing accommodation or an interest therein which expresses, directly or
indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to . .. any lawful
source of income . .. or any intent to make such limitation, specification or
discrimination.
33. Finally, Section 8-107(13)(a) of the City HRL imposes strict liability upon
landlords and owners for the discriminatory conduct of their employee or agent. Itprovides: "An
employer shall be liable for an unlawful discriminatory practice based upon the conduct of an
employee or agent which is in violation of any provision of this section other than subdivisions
sections]."
one and two of this section [i.e.,other than the employment
34. Defendants violated Sections 8-107(5)(a)(1) and (2) by discriminating against Ms.
Olivierre in the rental of housing accommodations in the various ways set forth supra, including,
e.g., by refusing to rent, denying, and/or withholding apartments for rent because of lawful
source of income; by discriminating in the terms, conditions, or privileges of the rental of
housing accommodations based on lawful source of income; by representing that housing
accommodations were not available for inspection or rental when in fact they were available to
Plaintiff; and by declaring or causing to be declared statements, and making inquiries in
conjunction with the prospective rental of housing accommodations that expressed, directly or
indirectly, a limitation, specification, or discrimination as to a lawful source of income or an
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intent to make such limitation, specification, or discrimination.
Defendants'
35. conduct was willful, intentional, and in reckless disregard of Ms.
Olivierre's rights.
person,"
36. Ms. Olivierre is an "aggrieved as defined in the City HRL, § 8-502(a),
Defendants'
and has suffered damages as a direct and proximate result of discriminatory
conduct.
37. Accordingly, under City HRL §§ 8-502(a) and (g), Ms. Olivierre is entitled to
attorneys'
actual damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief, reasonable fees and costs.
38. Plaintiff has caused to be served a copy of this complaint upon the City
Commission on Human Rights and Corporation pursuant to Administrative Code 8-
Counsel, §
502(c).
SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF
(New York State Human Rights Law: Source of Income Discrimination)
(Parkchester Company and Parkchester Management)
39. Plaintiff restates and incorporates by reference the preceding paragraphs as if
fully set forth herein.
40. Defendant Parkchester Company is the owner or other person having the right to
sell, rent, or lease a housing accommodation as defined by § 292(10) of the State HRL to include
"any building . .. which is used or occupied . .. as the home, residence or sleeping place of one
beings."
or more human
41. Defendant Parkchester Management is the managing agent of Parkchester
Company, with the right to sell, rent, or lease a housing accommodation as defined by § 292(10)
of the State HRL to include "any building . .. which is used or occupied . .. as the home,
beings."
residence or sleeping place of one or more human
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income"
42. A CityFHEPS voucher is a "lawful source of as defined by the State
HRL § 292(36).
43. Section 296(5)(a)(1) of the State HRL provides:
It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessee, sub-lessee,
assignee, or managing agent of, or other person having the right to sell, rent or
lease a housing accommodation, constructed or to be constructed, or any agent or
employee thereof: (1) To refuse to sell,rent, lease or otherwise deny to or
withhold from any person or group of persons such a housing accommodation
because of the . .. lawful source of income . .. of such person or persons, or to
represent that any housing accommodation or land is not available for inspection,
sale, rental or lease when in fact itis so available.
44. Section 296(5)(a)(2) of the State HRL provides:
It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessee, sub-lessee,
assignee, or managing agent of, or other person having the right to sell, rent or
lease a housing accommodation, constructed or to be constructed, or any agent or
employee thereof: . .. (2) To discriminate against any person because of . ..
lawful source of income . . . in
the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale,
rental or lease of any such housing accommodation or in the furnishing of
facilities or services in connection therewith.
45. Section 296(5)(a)(3) of the State HRL provides:
It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessee, sub-lessee,
assignee, or managing agent of, or other person having the right to sell, rent or
lease a housing accommodation, constructed or to be constructed, or any agent or
employee thereof: . .. (3) To print or circulate or cause to be printed or circulated
any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of application for
the purchase, rental or lease of such housing accommodation which expresses,
directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to . ..
lawful source of income . ..,or any intent to make any such limitation,
specification or discrimination.
46. Defendants violated Sections 296(5)(a)(1), (a)(2), and (a)(3) by discriminating
against Ms. Olivierre in the rental of housing accommodations in the various ways set forth
supra, including,e.g., by refusing to rent or otherwise denying to or withholding from Ms.
Olivierre a housing accommodation because of the lawful source of income of Ms. Olivierre; by
discriminating in the terms, conditions or privileges of the rental of a housing accommodation or
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in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith because of lawful source of
income; and by printing or circulating or causing to be printed or circulated a statement,
advertisement or publication, or a form of application for the rental of a housing accommodation
that expressed, directly or indirectly, a limitation, specification or discrimination as to . . . lawful
source of income, or an intent to make such a limitation, specification or discrimination.
Defendants'
47. conduct was willful, intentional, and in reckless disregard of Ms.
Olivierre's rights.
person"
48. Ms. Olivierre is an "aggrieved under the State HRL and has suffered
Defendants'
damages as a direct and proximate result of discriminatory conduct.
49. Accordingly, under State HRL § 297, Ms. Olivierre is entitled to actual damages,
attorneys'
punitive damages, injunctive relief, reasonable fees and costs.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Plaintiff respectfully requests judgment against Defendants as follows:
(a) Issuing a temporary restraining order, pending the hearing and determination of
Plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction, ordering Defendants to ensure
that at least one three-bedroom apartment within the price range of Ms.
Olivierre's voucher will be vacant and available for her to rent should her
application be approved, or if no three-bedroom apartment is or becomes
available, that at least one two-bedroom apartment within the price range of Ms.
Olivierre's voucher will be vacant and available for her to rent should her
application be approved;
(b) Issuing a preliminary injunction ordering Defendants to process Ms. Olivierre's
application for a three-bedroom apartment at Parkchester if one is available, or if
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not, for a two-bedroom apartment utilizing a full CityFHEPS voucher, without
applying a minimum income requirement, and ifthere is a waiting list,to place
her on the listutilizing her original application date;
Defendants'
(c) Declaring that discriminatory practices violate City HRL § 8-107 et
seq. and State HRL § 290 et seq.
Defendants'
(d) Enjoining Defendants, agents, employees, and successors, and all
other persons in active concert or participation from:
(i) Denying or withholding housing, or otherwise making housing
unavailable on the basis of lawful source of income;
(ii) Representing to any person because of lawful source of income that a
dwelling is not available for inspection, sale, or rental when such dwelling
is in fact so available and limiting information, by word or conduct,
regarding suitably priced dwellings available for inspection, sale, or rental
because of lawful source of income; and
(iii) Discriminating against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of
rental of a dwelling because of lawful source of income.
(e) Enjoining Defendants and their agents, employees, successors, and allother
persons in active concert or participation to:
(i) Make all necessary modifications to policies, practices, and procedures to
comply with the City and State HRL, including providing information
about and showing apartments to prospective renters on an equal basis
without regard to lawful source of income;
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(ii) Train all current and future management, agents, and employees on fair
housing laws;
(iii) Display an Equal Opportunity logo (or statement to that effect) on all
advertisements for rental property and display fair housing posters in all
offices;
(iv) Notify New York City organizations assisting prospective renters using a
CityFHEPS voucher that Defendants have adopted non-discriminatory
rental policies;
(v) Allow monitoring of their advertising, listings, showing of apartments,
application process, and rental decisions for multiple years;
(vi) Retain records, including advertising and rental records, to allow for
appropriate monitoring;
(vii) Develop written procedures on rental process and fair housing policy to be
distributed to all staff, tenants, and rental applicants;
(viii) Establish a system so that their employees and agents can be tested for
unlawful discriminatory practices for multiple years;
(ix) Attend fair housing training, conducted by a third-party acceptable to
Defendants'