FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 27, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11
Astoria woman takes landlords to court claiming tenant harassment
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@cnglocal.com
@QNS
An Astoria resident is taking her landlord
to court next month claiming she is
the victim of tenant harassment at her
Steinway Street apartment building where
she has lived since 2003.
Cherie Ross, 41, a freelance TV news
producer, alleged in a 2016 complaint
that Louis and Antoinette Ciccoto, the
owners of FS Marino Realty, refused to
accept her monthly rent as part of a
scheme to have her evicted.
Ross also claimed in her fi ling that she
was the last rent-stabilized tenant in her
building at 20-70 Steinway St., as other
tenants had left on their own rather than
fi ght the landlords.
“Many of my neighbors were undocumented
people from the Middle East and
North Africa and didn’t want to take any
chances with immigration so they simply
moved out under the cover of night rather
than face the chance of deportation,” Ross
said. “Th is type of thing has been happening
all over Astoria for at least the last fi ve
years since the neighborhood exploded.”
Louis Ciccoto refused to comment on
the case.
Ross said her problems began in 2012
when her refrigerator died and the landlords
refused to replace it and her problems
escalated in 2015 when the Cicotto’s
began refusing to accept her rent payments.
“What I did was put the payments in
an Escrow account so they couldn’t evict
me,” Ross said.
Th e African-American fi led a complaint
with the city Commission on Human
Rights claiming racial bias but the case
was closed due to “administrative convenience.”
Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas,
whose offi ce had been monitoring Ross’
problems since 2013, appealed to the
commission on her constituent’s behalf
requesting a review of her suspended
case.
“It is critical that we safeguard tenants
rights in order for New Yorkers to live
in comfortable harassment free environments,”
Simotas wrote in a 2018 letter
Th e Commission would not reassign
the case. An administration closure determination
still aff ords the complainant
the right to pursue their claim in another
venue, according to a source. In this case,
the complainant was referred to housing
court by the Commission.
Ross sought help with the Division of
Housing and Community Renewal, the
New York State Attorney General and
fi nally appealed to Mayor Bill de Blasio
during an Astoria town hall last July.
“Mayor de Blasio promised to do everything
he could but I never heard anything
from City Hall,” Ross said.
Now she will have her day in Housing
Court on Jan. 29 when her case against FS
Marino Realty goes to trial.
“Ms. Cherie Ross has faced numerous
instances of harassment and abuse of
power from her landlord. Th is is sadly not
uncommon for tenants in rent-stabilized
apartments,” City Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer said. “Tenants’ rights must
be prioritized over profi t. Tenants should
not have to live in fear of reporting issues
to their landlord and should expect those
issues to be resolved amicably and in a
timely manner.”
File photo
Astoria resident Cherie Ross is going to trial against her Steinway Street landlords claiming she is a
victim of tenant harassment.
Visit u
136-29 38TH
3 Ye
H AVE, FLUSH
Min
us at our ne
Call Custo
*
HING NY 11354
AY – FRIDAY 9:
ertifica
ance
MONDA
ear Ce
nimum Bala
$2,500.00
Rate valid as of
| 718-358-440
00 A.M. – 5:00
ate of
Annual P
12/18/2018. Early
our bank too
d Bank locate
or our other att
MER PARKING
s the right to cancel
Is yo
eighborhood
mer Service fo
FREE CUSTO
The Bank reserves
withdrawal penalty
o big for you
ed in the he
ractive CD and
G IN BANK PA
l or modify this offer
FDIC
Member F
00 | WWW.NBN
0 P.M.
f Depo
Percentage
3.30%
y may apply.
u?
art of Flushi
d Money Marke
RKING LOT*
r at any time.
YC.COM
osit
Yield
ing since 19
et Rates.
963.
/WWW.NBN
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
/YC.COM
link