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Prospect Lefferts Gardens building tenants: No gas, no rent

No cooking gas, no rent – that’s the message tenants at 22 Hawthorne Street in Prospect Lefferts Gardens are sending to their landlord.

Karina Gerry

Nov 18, 2024, 1:00 AM

Updated 3 days ago

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No cooking gas, no rent – that’s the message tenants at 22 Hawthorne Street in Prospect Lefferts Gardens are sending to their landlord.
“Things in this building are not up to par. We have not had cooking gas in over a year. We didn’t have hot water for maybe two or three weeks," said Jacob Bagwell, a tenant.
Tenants are currently on a rent strike. They tell News 12 that they've gone without cooking gas since September 2023 after a gas leak impacted the building.
Since then, they say they have been forced to spend hundreds of dollars weekly to pay for their meals.
“My credit cards are maxed out. You know, that’s like $70, $80 a day," said Delene Ahye.
Ahye says issues with the building began back in 2015 when the company 22 Hawthorne LLC bought the place. The New York Attorney General's Office confirmed that they are currently investigating the company for "a number of ongoing issues."
Three tenants, including Ahye, are also currently fighting them in court for eviction cases. Their next court date is Nov. 26.
“This is another holiday coming up that we don’t have gas to cook for our families, so we’re hoping to get that resolved," said Ahye.