Brooklyn Gold

Free storage should be taken with grain of salt. It costs them a whopping $1 to store your stuff for one month and not much more thereafter.

Well it's good that we are at least writing about it and giving some warning to those considering the place. When you google "BKLYN Gold" this message board is the 7th hit, and hopefully people who are debating this place will do some research first. There is no way I'd sign a lease if I read some of the things we've been saying. Until they give us our homes, long live the trash talking.

What a hot mess. I'd call 311 and file complaints. If they are this bad now, how will they be as a management company and landlord?

luna, the prices are fairly good no doubt. if the prices on their site are accurate, you could move 20 blocks East and pay almost $1000 less. And non-management company landlords who treat you as a person and don't raise the rent as a matter of course. That is if you are not committed to the area and you don't care about the pool.

I hope it works out for you all. It sounds like it's such a nightmare. Cash and storage don't make up for putting people out for this long.

I'm curious to hear how various individuals are being compensated as a result of this inconvenience. From what I've read so far, it sounds like the following is standard:
- $500 AmEx gift card
- free storage next to Bklyn Gold
- moving fees from storage to Bklyn Gold apt on move-in date

Is anyone else getting something additional (e.g. free rent, hotel room, etc)?

You posted you could get out of it after 90 days and no occupancy.
"We demanded a copy of the lease and they emailed one to us (a BLANK one...not the one we signed) and it says on there that if 90 DAYS have passed and we haven't lived there for some reason or another, the lease becomes null and void. So we would definitely be able to get our money back if this whole process takes longer than 90 Days. "

And waiting around until March 15 does not sound like an appealing plan at all.

Is what they are doing really legal? Is there no other way to get out of the lease based on all of this? I hope you find an answer soon. I cannot imagine being in such limbo and dealing with such frustrating situations.

What does 311 say about it?

It's getting more and more absurd.
The compensation that they offer for this nightmare is ridiculous.

What upsets me the most is the denial of the facts from their side and their unwillingness to provide us with our signed leases. There must be a way out.

And they keep on having people sign new leases... I hope this blog will help to make people aware of this company and the way it treats its tenants.

We went to sign our lease and the sales agent was so damn rude...we walked across the street to the Avalon. Reading these stories...thank God. That was in December. I can't believe they aren't allowing you guys to move in.

Found out the Brooklyn Gold was trying to get a higher deposit than advertised by telling people they don't have good credit. That whole scenario is a sham. About 8 of the people who were in the sales office at Brooklyn Gold that day live in the Avalon with us...they will never believe this story. Sorry this is happening, you guys should call Channel 7 News or something. This is real life, not a game.

http://curbed.com/archives/2010/01/20/no_gold_star_for_brooklyn_gold.php#comment-525091

Also, on Curbed.com

I think NY Post should know about that "success" story as well.

BTW Lisa Cohen is the daughter of Frank Lalazarian the developeer and Cohen is her married name. I suggest you all start asking for Lisa Lalazarian & refer to her as Ms. Lalazarian when you call her just to rattle her up. You might mention they did exactly the same thing - promise when there was in fact no CofO and tenants were prevented from moving in - in 2006 at another of their new constructions 155 West 21st Street in Chelsea. It appears their regular marketing practice is to rent the entire building out whether it's ready to go or not - and TO HELL with the people who agree in good faith to sign and pay up front (in cashier's checks I might add).

Subject: All that Glitters is Not Gold

Hi All -- I'm also a future tenant of the Brooklyn Gold. I signed my lease right before Thanksgiving for a move date of December 31st. I was SOO rushed to sign before I left for the holidays, and the lease signing took forever. When I asked about the all riders, I was told everything had to be signed, and it was all standard procedure (nothing to worry about).

Before Christmas, Lisa Cohen contacted me to give me a "head's up" that they may not have the CofO by the time of my lease date. I was in shock with that first phone call. She said the Dept of Buildings had all the paperwork and we were just waiting for them to file it all. There were no other inspections or anything else outstanding. I called the Dept of Buildings, and they told me that there were many outstanding items, and it was not a matter of paperwork.

The phone calls later turned into emails because Lisa did not take my calls. When i called, the receptionist would answer the phone, and say hold on, but after getting my name, would come back and say that Lisa was away from the office. Miraculously i would receive an email from Lisa 5 minutes later.

She promised that if they did not have the CofO by the 31st, they would definitely have it by January 5th. Interesting that some of you were told January 2nd and January 15th. I think we were all told different dates.

We have reached out to Marty Markowitz's office, Brooklyn Borough President, at this number: (718) 802-3700. They were very interested in hearing about this situation and referred us to the Brooklyn Housing and Family Services (Jonathan Goss at 718-435-7585). If we did not get resolution from the Housing office, we were told to call the President's office back. The Housing office is reviewing the case (they have a copy of the lease). I will post my findings when I hear back in the next 24 hours.

I strongly urge all of you that are in the same situation as me to call the Brooklyn Borough President's office and the Brooklyn Housing & Family Services Office. The more calls, the better. Power in numbers. I will also join you in a class action law suit if that is the outcome. There are postings on craigslist for these apartments, we can use that forum as well.

We're in this together and We will have justice.

I will also call Markowitz's office as well as Brooklyn Housing and Family Services first thing tomorrow morning. Maybe that will help speed things up either way.

Subject: More Info....

Hi, I'm new also and my girlfriend and I were supposed to move in on Dec 19th with SEVERAL changes in dates and now we're almost at the end of January and obviously still homeless. I am letting everyone know that whatever choice of action you/(we) decide you can count me in too. I feel mislead and lied to, this is classic carrot and stick. I'm posting an excerpt from the lease, did everyone sign the same one?
CONSTRUCTION RIDER
This is an agreement between the Tenant(s) named above and Brooklyn Tillary LLC as Landlord for the above
referenced unit.
We are offering this apartment on a future-ready basis. If, for any reason, the current construction work is not
completed in the above referenced apartment by the commencement date of the lease, Tenant(s) agrees and
acknowledges that the Landlord will modify the lease term to reflect a new start and ending date, The new start
date will be commensurate with the first date the Landlord deems the apartment complete and available for move in
purposes. Owner will give You notice (which for this purpose includes oral or electronic notice) of the date that You
can move in.
The Landlord, Managing Agent and all outside agents and parties shall be held harmless from any and all
inconveniences, damages, costs and expenses incurred by Tenant(s) related to the above circumstances.
However, in the event that any delay in the new start date of the lease exceeds ninety (90) days from the original
commencement date of the lease, Tenant(s) may give Landlord thirty (30) days notice that Tenant(s) intends to
cancel the lease and Tenant(s) shall be relieved and discharged from the lease

Good luck to all.

I just wrote an email to NY1 For You ([email protected]) and left a message (212-379-3599) regarding this situation. In the email, I included a link to this discussion board as well as the other links you all have posted regarding other times this has occurred and other posts that are tracking this (thanks everyone!). I informed them that the Lalezarian family is responsible for this so hopefully that name will jump out at them.

If you decide to call, here are procedures: (1) Say and spell your full name, (2) Say your phone number including area code, (3) Provide a brief message about your issue. I got cut off during the message part which is why I wrote a subsequent email. I will keep you all posted if I hear a response...let's keep our fingers crossed for a quick resolution!