The tenant has confronted dozens of violations and makes an attempt by town to kick out the shop.
This story was reprinted with permission from Crain’s New York and written by Julianne Cuba.
New York Metropolis’s Higher West Facet Councilwoman Gale Brewer is accusing the owner of an unlawful hashish retailer within the neighborhood of taking soiled cash as an alternative of shifting to evict his tenant following dozens of violations and makes an attempt by town to kick out the shop.
On March 7, the previous Manhattan borough president penned a missive to the owner, Alan Sackman of the well-known improvement workforce Sackman Enterprises, expressing her disapproval for Sackman allegedly making an attempt to money in on the notorious retailer’s “illicit earnings.” Sackman leases out the primary and basement flooring of 550 Columbus Ave., between West 87th and West 86th streets, to Comfort on Columbus Corp., often known as Zaza Waza Smoke Store.
In accordance with court docket paperwork, Sackman entered right into a lease settlement with Comfort on Columbus Corp. in March 2022, renting out 420 sq. ft of area on the primary flooring and a further 400 sq. ft within the basement for $9,520 per thirty days for the primary two years, rising to $9,800 per thirty days this April.
However somewhat than complying with a number of ranges of regulation enforcement, Brewer alleges, Sackman’s legal professional — Allison Furman of her personal eponymous Madison Avenue-based regulation agency — introduced Sackman’s tenant to court docket Feb. 26, demanding not less than $75,000 — plus attorneys’ charges — for breaching the lease by promoting unregulated weed, cigarettes and banned e-cigarette merchandise. Furman filed the lawsuit, which additionally seeks to drive the tenant to accumulate the right license, on behalf of Sackman’s restricted legal responsibility firm, T&J 2006. The matter is subsequent due in court docket April 4, based on court docket paperwork.
Though the Higher West Facet isn’t any stranger to illicit hashish shops, or makes an attempt to close them down — Brewer estimates that there are about 70 in her district alone — she informed Crain’s on Friday that that is the primary time she has seen a landlord pull such a seemingly shady transfer.
Authorities have tried quite a few instances to close down the smoke store at 550 Columbus Ave., which sits simply ft from Brewer’s native workplace, slapping it with dozens of violations for promoting unlawful merchandise, all the fines for which stay unpaid, based on Brewer’s workplace.
“You have got been urged by me, the Manhattan District Lawyer, and New York Metropolis Sheriff to begin an eviction continuing towards Comfort on Columbus Company,” she wrote.
And her March 7 letter follows one she despatched final month warning Sackman of the implications of leasing his area to an unlicensed hashish retailer, even providing to assist with eviction proceedings. Business landlords are prohibited from knowingly leasing retail area to tenants that promote unlicensed hashish, cigarette and tobacco merchandise.
“Because the constructing proprietor, you might be doubtlessly chargeable for authorized and monetary penalties for this conduct, together with elevated fines following the hashish coverage reform laws enacted in 2023, which included particular provisions to deal with the proliferation of unlawful outlets,” she wrote Feb. 15.
Brewer informed Crain’s she’s annoyed by the rollout of licensed hashish shops. She presently solely has unlawful weed shops in her district, she stated. However the area people board not too long ago accredited an software for one to open up on Broadway, she stated.
“We wish to have the authorized ones achieve success,” Brewer stated.
Brewer says she has not acquired a response to her letter and doesn’t count on one. Makes an attempt by Crain’s to succeed in Sackman and his attorneys have been unsuccessful.
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