THE ISSUE:

Ved Parkash is the landlord of 2910 Wallace Ave. This is the third building he owns that has burned in the BX within the last 20 months. Ved owns about 72 other properties in the BX and Queens and was previously ranked as the #1 Worst Landlord in NYC. 

“In 2017, a rat infestation in one of his BX buildings led to a Leptospirosis outbreak, killing 1 tenant. 

In 2023, Ved was sued for illegally renting individual rooms inside rent-stabilized apartments at astronomical rates.  Ved’s son represents him as counsel in  Housing court and has been known to be very inappropriate with the opposing counsel. In an interview, [they] shared the reason they buy properties in the Bronx is that they can get away with more in BX housing court vs. Queens’  “It’s a different ball game here,” he said. “Judges like the landlord and judges help the landlord, so I did not buy any more in Queens.” At 72, the grandfather of four is still active. His most recent acquisition, the 2099 Kingsbridge Terrace building in the Bronx, closed on Sept. 27, 2016.

This is unacceptable and we deserve more protection from our so-called civil servants. 

We call upon all tenants to withhold the rent in solidarity with the victims of Ved Parkash. 

Over 250 humans have been displaced with presumably no support from their elected officials so our intention is to share support via education and protest on behalf of our community members. Please note the following (and if you have access, print and share with your neighbors)

• If a Fire Vacate Order has been issued then tenants affected by the order are eligible to apply for a rent reduction, lowering their respective rents to the minimum $1 a month.
  • Applications are filed through the Department of Homes and Community Renewal (DHCR)
    • Paying the monthly minimum of $1 reserves the tenants legal rights to the apartment while is vacant and under repair.
      • Landlords are required to accept this payment in exchange for securing the tenant’s rights to the apartment and tenants are required to make this payment until the order has been lifted
      • Applications can be filed retroactively as long as the Fire Vacate Order is still in place. 
• Fire Vacate Orders are lifted once the Housing Preservation Department makes their inspection and deems the property safe for inhabitants
  • Tenants should note that the Housing Court system is lengthy and does not ensure a timely resolution in favor of the tenants.
• Tenants can negotiate with their landlords to be housed in an alternative temporary unit until the Fire Vacate Order has been lifted from their apartment.
  • Tenants should make sure to receive this agreement in writing and emphasize the terms of the agreement i.e. temporary or long-term. 
  • The agreement must be in the Tenant’s preferred language

The following demands were created by Concerned Bronx Community Members with regard to the displaced tenants of 2910 Wallace Ave and informed by the process outlined above.

We the people of the Bronx Demand that:

• Landlords provide heat and hot water!
• All rent-stabilized tenants affected by the fire will be given direct access to filing a rent reduction form with the DHCR.
• Elected officials will schedule appointments with every affected tenant so they may not only provide access to but guide their constituents through the process making sure to clearly explain their rights. 
• A speedy judicial process for tenants who choose to sue their landlords after housing calamities have occurred. One that takes into account all the lives of New Yorkers, but in particular our most marginalized communities; housing orders should be issued quickly, and landlords should not be granted extra time for adjournments.
• Real consequences are issued to negligent landlords, with fines increasing after each offense at a rate to be determined by the people in a public forum. 
• There is a new way to investigate heat complaints that do not notify the landlord of investigations or pending complaints. This opens a door for targeted harassment towards tenants who file complaints.
• The displaced tenants and tenants currently surviving Ved Parkash’s properties be rehoused in nearby Newly constructed properties of their choosing. Moving costs are to be subsidized by the government until the Fire Vacate Order has been lifted and the tenant decides whether they want to return to the original property. 
• If tenants want to negotiate with the landlord for temporary housing in another unit within the same building or properties then Elected Officials are required to help facilitate these agreements, ensuring to protect the rights of their constituents as well as their rights to their rent-stabilized unit.

Sign petition: https://www.change.org/p/stop-slum-lord-ved-parkash-parkash-2910-llc?source_location=search