Brooklyn – On the morning of the day when parties involved in the Bais Yaakov of Bensonhurst closure are expected to return to Landlord-Tenant Court, Councilman David Greenfield is calling on both parties to come to the table and resume negotiations to prevent the permanent closure of Bais Yaakov of Bensonhurst. Greenfield is in a unique position to make this request, as he has long-standing relationships with both the landlord and the yeshiva administrator, both of whom supported Greenfield’s initial bid for City Council.
“My understanding is that today’s court appointment is a technical debate over whether or not the eviction was legal. However, that will not change the underlying fact that unless there is a quick resolution, the yeshiva will ultimately be evicted,” explained Councilman Greenfield. While, of course, this is a financial dispute, I remind all parties that the well being of 450 precious children is what’s really at stake and urge the parties to enter “good-faith” negotiations to allow these innocent children to immediately return to yeshiva.”
Councilman Greenfield is an experienced education advocate who prides himself on helping all yeshivas. In fact, this is not the first time that Councilman Greenfield has intervened to keep this yeshiva open. In May, just weeks before the end of the school year, Councilman Greenfield worked extensively with the yeshiva’s administration to bring the building into emergency compliance after the Fire Department wanted to close the yeshiva due to serious safety concerns. At the time, Councilman Greenfield helped broker an agreement with the FDNY that ensured the students could safely finish the final days of the school year and would allow the administration to make necessary comprehensive safety improvements over the summer.
On Tuesday evening, Councilman Greenfield was surprised when his office was contacted by officials at the 66th Precinct who called to inform the Councilman that, pursuant to an order of eviction issued in June, the landlord was retaking possession of the yeshiva building located at 120 Avenue M. According to court documents, the yeshiva owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent. The Police Department made the courtesy call to Councilman Greenfield and all other elected officials representing the area, to inform them of this action, as it would certainly cause upheaval for these families and turmoil within the community.
“I was saddened to learn of this unfortunate situation, but grateful that the NYPD kept my office apprised of these developments,” said Councilman Greenfield. “I only wish that the yeshiva’s administration contacted me before the situation escalated to the point of eviction. After my office received a courtesy call Tuesday night from the NYPD, I personally reached out to senior NYPD officials who informed me that there was nothing that they could legally do to stop this.”
In the days since the school was forced to shut its doors, Councilman Greenfield’s office has been flooded with calls from frantic parents, asking the Councilman to intervene on behalf of their children. Councilman Greenfield has since reached out to both parties to encourage a quick settlement. The Councilman, an experienced Georgetown University trained attorney, even offered to personally mediate the dispute to resolve the issue.
“My office has received calls from the parents of more than one quarter of this yeshiva’s students. They are angry, frustrated and most importantly concerned for the welfare of their children. That is why I have taken the extraordinary step of reaching out to the parties involved to encourage a quick resolution to this dispute. The bottom line is that it is simply unacceptable that hundreds of tuition-paying parents are unable to send their children to their yeshiva,” Greenfield concluded.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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9 Responses
Who is the landlord? A Frum Yid, no doubt. And even if he’s not, I don’t see any mention of the landlord’s name (even if it’s a corporation.) Why is that? Protecting the “innocent”?
This seems to be an extremely complex situation. I can’t imagine that the landlord is lying when he says the yeshiva owes hundreds of thousands in unpaid rents. At face value, thats eems very wrong, no matter what. Yes melamdim should be paid, but vendors should also be paid. Parents are screaming, understandable. But the only parents who can scream are those who have paid full tuition and are fully paid up to date. I don’t advocate throwing kids out because of unpaid tuition, but if you haven’t paid tuition, then just shut up.
What is the landlord supposed to do. Take them to B”D, I don’t believe there is a dispute here that the tenant owes the money? The only option he has is eviction, and now that he has evicted,he has an actual chance at getting paid.
It is all well and good to vent, but this situation needs immediate action, which I am glad the Councilman is proactively taking. Rather than fight amongst ourselves about culpability, let’s work as a united community to resolve this. Let the Yeshiva reopen,and then financial isuues can be resolved in time. I am sure if an appeal were launched the Yehiva can certainly raise enough to make a good faith payment to the landlord, and a schedule of rent payments going forward.
Future issues can be explored and debated with the administrators and the parents for the good of all involved. Financial transparency must be demanded and timely tuition payments must also be adhered to. If not, the students will ultimately suffer.
I believe if you make a post here, stick to solutions and not commentary. We need solutions above all, and I know that as a united community we will able to overcome this challenge.
To bestbubby (#1)
I am sure you are the best bubby on 1-mile radius from your home. The landlord is in the business to make money. He also has bills to pay, tuition fees for his children, etc. Why would you not presume he is an innocent, honest, hard-working individual who wants to get the money he is entitled to? He and the yeshiva had a contract. The yeshiva reportedly didn’t pay rent for the past 2 yrs. Meantime, he still has to pay real estate taxes, utilities, repairs and maintenance on the property that’s not generating any income. Do you think it’s unfair for him to want a tenant that pays?
If the yeshiva hasn’t paid so far I’m not sure what they could do to convince the landlord that suddenly they will be able to pay in the future.
Why is the Yeshiva a victim here, they clearly knew they owe the landlord rent for long time. They received the eviction papers in the summer time and they disregard it and accepted money from parents for the upcoming year ! The Landlord has not paid his mortgage and owes property taxes and here the Yeshiva is a victim ????? Why should Greenfield or any person have any claim against the landlord, hes the only one i see as a victim. instead of pointing fingers at the landlord greenfield, maybe you should set up a fundraiser for the yeshiva so they can pay rent to the landlord so the children can resume studies…..
A Godol B’Yisroel once said. “If you don’t have the courage to close down the Yeshiva, then you can not open one in the first place”. If the Yeshiva did not have money for two years to pay rent, they should of closed at the end of the school year and helped everyone to get accepted into new Yeshivas. To push it into the next year is wrong. I am sure if they did not pay their rent, they didn’t pay salaries either. What is the Mitzvah to keep a Yeshiva open if you can’t afford it?
As a tuiton paying parent of daughters in this mosad, I am extremely disturbed that rent was not paid. We were told that if we did not pay our tuition our daughters would not be allowed into class (hmmm sounds almost like an eviction). Why doesn’t the administration put it’s money where it’s mouth is.
It is also rumored that Rebbeim and Teachers have not been paid. Where is my money?
Anyone familiar with landlord-tenant laws in NY knows that there is no way that the landlord could have evicted the tenant without some notification. Furthermore the evictions supposedly took place in June. Are we to believe that the administration had no inkling that they would likely be thrown out?
How could they demand that I pay for the building fund, for the school year, knowing that they were not using the money to pay for a building? How could they pressure me to send in my registration and tuition if there was a chance that my daughters would be evicted? If you collect money for a building do you have the right to misappropriate the funds.
Dear administration, please show us your books!