The tenants in "Kushner Village" in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan want a state judge to block Kushner Companies from collecting rent and force it to complete work on the sprinklers and other fire safety measures. Earlier this year, a housing court judge ruled in favor of one tenant living in one of the Kushner Village buildings who was sued by Kushner Companies for not paying rent. The tenant argued she did not need to pay rent since Kushner Companies did not have a certificate of occupancy. The judge added that "no rent is collectible by the petitioner [Kushner Village ] when a building lacks a valid certificate of occupancy." According to the new lawsuit, the tenants allege that Kushner Companies representatives "have badgered tenants for rent payments, despite the COVID 19 epidemic raging at the time."

Source: CNN September 15, 2020 17:22 UTC