Tenants in buildings owned by Steven Croman received their first restitution payments in April, under a $32 million settlement the landlord reached with the New York State Attorney General’s office in December 2017.
The Attorney General’s office sued Croman in May 2016 for harassment, fraud, and other unlawful activities toward rent-regulated tenants in some 100 buildings. The settlement requires him to pay $8 million in four equal installments into the Croman Tenant Restitution Fund.
Tenants who lived in those 100 buildings between July 1, 2011 and December 20, 2017 may be eligible for restitution. According to the Croman Tenants Coalition, tenants involved in the suit are to receive four payments of $24,000 each, divided equally among the people named on the apartment lease.
Cooper Square Committee organized tenants to stop Croman’s efforts to drive rent-stabilized tenants out through harassment, including deception to gain entry into tenants’ apartments, frivolous eviction lawsuits, doing construction work without a permit and violating stop-work orders, preventing government agencies from inspecting his buildings, and failing to remedy lead paint and other hazards. New York City Management took over operations of the buildings in July 2018. The Attorney General’s office is continuing to monitor Croman’s business activities for improprieties.