Class Action Suit Against Hated NY Landlord Covers 60,000 Tenants

A federal judge has approved a class action lawsuit that accuses one of New York City’s most notorious landlords of violating racketeering laws by trying to force tenants out of their apartments. At least 60,000 tenants would be covered under the class action suit, which accuses Joel Weiner of the Pinnacle Group of harassing tenants in order to drive them out of their cheap rent-controlled apartments in order to raise rent prices. The harassment campaigns, according to plaintiffs, include turning off the heat and water, inflating rent, falsely claiming rent checks aren’t received, placing surveillance cameras on tenants’ doors, and failing to make repairs. Any current or former tenants who have rented from Pinnacle since 2004 are allowed to join the lawsuit. [NYDailyNews]