We have learned that the Gateway Plaza Class Action claims administrator has had further delays in calculating the settlement rental credits. The word now is that these credits will appear in time to be applied to the March rent. However, the timeframe from the claims administrator has shifted before and may shift again.
Needless to say, we, like you, are very disappointed in this delay. We reached out to class counsel yesterday and impressed upon him the importance of having the credits properly calculated and applied as soon as possible. We will keep you posted as we learn more.
GPTA
Author: Honey Berk
Free Rides to Vaccination Appointments for NYC Seniors
Curb has recently started an important partnership with the City of New York to provide rides to and from vaccination sites for COVID-19 related transportation for NYC Seniors. Please forward this to anyone you know in need.
What you need to know
Residents aged 65+ unable to travel for their vaccine are eligible for free vaccine transportation services to and from City vaccination sites with Curb-powered taxi services.
How do you get a ride?
It’s easy. Call 877-VAX-4NYC to make an appointment at a City-operated vaccination site or go check out NYC COVID-19 Vaccine Finder. After making an appointment to get vaccinated, participants will be screened and directed to Curb’s 24/7 call center to book their trips, Access-a-Ride, or ambulette services as appropriate.
Taxi safety
All vaccination trips in Curb taxis have partitions; all cabs are routinely cleaned and disinfected as outlined by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. Masks are required for all riders & drivers.
If you have any questions, please call 877-VAX-4NYC.
Don’t forget to share this with anyone you know who is having difficulty traveling to a vaccination site.
Make a Vaccination Appointment Today: Book online or call 877-VAX-4NYC.
GPTA February 2021 Newsletter
Feb 2, 2021
Topics:
- Class Action Update
- GPTA Annual Meeting
- Food Drive beginning Monday
- Clarification for QRS residents switching apartments
- Voter registration for NYC elections
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT UPDATE
Many of you have asked about the credits from the Class Action that were supposed to be applied by Feb. 2. Because of a glitch in calculation of the credits, however, the credits have been delayed by a week or so but are expected to appear on your rental accounts by Feb. 15. The glitch was not a Gateway error, but an error by the claims administrator. This error now appears to have been resolved.
GPTA will be following up if the credits do not appear by that time.
In our conversation with management, we advocated for late fees to be waived and management agreed to waive fees for Feb.
Also, Gateway will not provide information to residents in reference to the Class Action settlement amounts and calculations. Such information should be provided by the resident attorneys.
GPTA ANNUAL MEETING
The Gateway Plaza Tenants Association will hold its annual meeting, by ZOOM, in March 2021 (date to be announced).
The meeting will feature updates from City and State elected officials, as well as the election of GPTA Board Members for the next term.
GPTA membership is open to all Gateway residents.
We will be providing information on the website in the weeks to come so you know how to join, participate in the meeting and vote for Board representatives.
(Perhaps you’d like to run for the Board? If so, write to us at gatewayplazata@gmail.com. Think about it!)
GPTA/ FOOD BANK OF NY FOOD DRIVE
Help fight hunger in New York City by donating food to the Food Bank Of New York City.
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
Deposit food items listed below in the boxes provided by FBNY from Monday evening, Feb. 1 to morning of Feb. 10. Boxes are locate in the lobby of the 400/375 building.
| Vegetables | · Canned Vegetables (low sodium preferred) · Tomato Sauce · Vegetable Soups (low sodium preferred) · Broth (low sodium preferred) |
| Fruits | · Canned Fruits (in juice or light syrup) · Dried Fruits · 100% Fruit Juices |
| Proteins | · Beans – canned or dry · Peanut Butter · Canned Meat (chicken, beef, ham) · Canned Fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) · Canned Stews (chicken or beef) |
| Grains | · Rice (white or brown, flavored) · Pasta/Noodles · Cold Cereal · Hot Cereal (grits, oatmeal, farina) · Flour/Cornmeal/Baking Mixes · Whole Grain Crackers · Couscous |
| Dairy | · Dry Milk Packets · Shelf Stable Milk · Soy/Almond/Rice Milk |
| Specialty Items | · Cereals · Nutrition Beverages (Boost, Ensure, Carnation Instant Breakfast) · Granola Bars |
| Other Items | · Diapers · Feminine Products · Personal Care Items/Hygiene Items |
RENT STABILIZED RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO SWITCH APARTMENTS
GPTA has received inquiries about QRS residents switching apartments and whether the agreement covers the apartment or the tenant. The answer from management was as follows: “QRS Rights move with the resident if they transfer to another Gateway apartment at the end of a current lease term.”
NYC PRIMARY ELECTIONS COMING UP. ARE YOU REGISTERED?
Primary Elections for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President and Council Members is Jun. 22. If you are not registered, or want to declare or change party affiliation, here are dates to be aware of:
- February 14 is the last day to declare or change your party affiliation for the June primaries.
- May 28 is the last day to register to vote for the Jun. primary – register here. You can also check your registration status here.
We send our sincere hopes that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.
GPTA
Rosalie, Robin, Jeff, Bruce, Karlene (Executive Board)
Audrey, Sarah, Howard, Honey, Pat, Steve, Larry, Denise
Food Drive (Feb. 1-10)
From the evening of Monday, Feb. 1 until the morning of Feb. 10, GPTA will be holding a food drive to benefit Food Bank for New York City. Food can be dropped off in the food drive box located in the lobby of the 400 Building. See fliers below for info.
Class Action Settlement Info as of January 11, 2021
Latest news from Marina Towers states that the settlements will be posted in time to be applied to February rental invoices. However, they state that there have been some discrepancies with the administrator overseeing the distributions, so it is possible that the settlements are posted to accounts in February but perhaps not in time to be reflected n the February invoices. The amount per resident is not fixed and varies greatly based on a number of factors.
Settlement + Stabilization Updates
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT UPDATE
Our August 28 Newsletter reported that the notice of entry of the Court’s judgment approving the class action settlement was served on August 6, which should have meant that the settlement would have become final 30 days thereafter – that is, the day after Labor Day. However, because of Gov. Cuomo’s COVID-19 Executive Orders, all court deadlines were suspended until November 4. As a result, the class action will not become final until December 4. Settlement credits are required to be posted to tenants’ rent accounts within 60 days of settlement finality, or by February 3. We understand that the settlement administrator may move more quickly than that. Gateway Management has informed us that they hope that the settlement credits will appear on the January or February rent bills.
If you would like get the most up to date information about the class action settlement, please see the settlement website: https://www.gatewayplazasettlement.com, or contact class counsel, Jeffrey Norton, JNorton@nfllp.com, (212) 619-5400.
RENT STABILIZATION UPDATE
Now that HUD has signed off on the QRS Agreement, GPTA has been told that all QRS tenants, who received 5% increases prior to the new stabilization agreement, have received credit for the overpayment as of this December billing cycle.
Tenant Survey to Collect Info About Pandemic-Related Effects on Rent Payments and About Lease Renewals
GPTA asks you to please take a moment and fill out this important survey as soon as you possibly can.
SURVEY LINK: https://forms.gle/MCnspGYuAXEcoUYF7
The data from this survey will help us and our elected officials better understand the impact of the past five months on our Gateway community, for both rent stabilized and market rate tenants. We need information from residents about the financial effects of the pandemic on the ability to pay rent. We are also interested in knowing more about your lease and renewal status
Please assist us by providing responses to the following questions. You can provide personal information if you wish, but you can answer anonymously as well. GPTA will keep all identifying information confidential. (One entry per household, please.)
We are taking action but we need this information. Please participate!
Thank you for your support,
Resources for Tenants Suffering Financial Hardship
The following resources were recommended to GPTA by Sen. Brian Kavanagh’s office:
Legal Aid Society
Website: legalaidnyc.org
Manhattan: 212-426-3000
Brooklyn: 718-722-3100
Legal Services
Website: legalservicesnyc.org
Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm, call general intake line: 917-661-4500
Will be referred to borough-based offices
New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
Website: nylag.org
For tenants with housing issues, call: 212.613.5000
Monday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Following is a list of other Manhattan legal providers that the senator’s office refers constituents to on a regular basis, though we have been told that many of their services are available across all five boroughs. Contact info can be found on their respective websites.
- Harlem NDS (Neighborhood Defender Service)
- Housing Conservation Coordinators
- Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
- NMIC (Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation)
- Goddard Riverside Law Project
- Mobilization for Justice
- Urban Justice Center
- TakeRoot Justice
Lease Info for Rent Stabilized Tenants
Please be advised that lease renewals being sent to “stabilized” tenants do not reflect the increases recently approved by the Battery Park City Authority and Gateway management. The new rates will be included in the renewals once HUD has approved the agreement. We do not have a time-line for HUD approval, but we understand that the application for HUD approval has been made.
In the meantime, we have learned from residents that Management has advised them to sign the non-stabilized offers that they have received and that tenant accounts will be adjusted, including credits for any money overpaid, once the new stabilization agreement has been approved by HUD.
GPTA will be following up and reporting once we have more information.
Rent Stabilization Deal Announced!
The Gateway Plaza Tenants Association (GPTA) is pleased to report that the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) and the Gateway Plaza landlord (Marina Towers) have reached an agreement to extend rent protections for the tenants who had been covered by the prior rent stabilization agreement that expired on June 30. The new deal is not perfect, but it continues significant protections to those long-term tenants who have lived at Gateway since 2009.
The new agreement will be retroactive to July 1 and it provides a right of lease renewal at fixed rates for 10 years, to June 30, 2030. Unlike the prior agreements, the new agreement does not reference the NYC Rent Stabilization Guidelines. Instead, covered tenants will be offered one-year renewals at a maximum increase of 2.5%, and two-year renewals at a maximum increase of 3.78125%. The one-year 2.5% figure is greater than the current and recent-past NYC Rent Stabilization Guidelines rates, but is roughly equal to the 20-year average NYC Rent Stabilization Guidelines rates since 2000.
While we are glad that a new rent protection deal has been reached, we are disappointed that the deal did not provide stabilization for all current tenants. We are also disappointed by the decision to permit annual rent increases for “stabilized” tenants based on fixed percentage rates, even though those percentages may be based on averages of past Rent Stabilization Guidelines rates. The NYC Rent Guidelines Board takes account of current economic conditions in setting its rates. Even though Rent Guidelines Board renewal rates in the last 20 years have sometimes been as high as 4.5%, Rent Guidelines Board renewal rates in recent years have been below 2.5% and in fact are 0% for the coming year, due to the pandemic. Notwithstanding the new agreement’s 2.5% rent cap, GPTA believes that during the coming pandemic year all Gateway tenants should be offered renewals at 0%. There are many Gateway tenants who are suffering job and income loss due to the pandemic; they will be particularly hard hit by any rent increase at this time.
Although imperfect, the new rent protection agreement is a step in preserving housing affordability for those covered by the agreement. GPTA expresses its thanks for the hard work and determination of the BPCA negotiation team in completing a new deal. We also want to express our appreciation to our elected officials, including Congressman Jerry Nadler, Comptroller Scott Stringer, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou, Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Member Margaret Chin for their long advocacy in support of Gateway’s residents.