Activists Stave Off Sudden Crown Heights Eviction: Reports

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Tenants in Crown Heights managed to stop what they say was an illegal eviction from their building this week after a tense stand-off between their landlord and a group of activists, according to reports.

The confrontation unfolded Tuesday at 1214 Dean St., where tenants, who lost their jobs during the pandemic, say landlords had barged in unannounced the previous day and tried to kick them out to move their own family in.

"They broke into people’s bedrooms while they were sleeping, started ripping off locks, screaming at people to pay rent," Billy Amber, a 27-year-old tenant, told Gothamist.

"They clearly didn't want to go through the eviction process...they're trying to scare people by acting like gangsters."

Tenants in the nine-bedroom house had asked their landlords — Gennaro Brooks-Church and ex-wife Loretta Gendville — for a rent reduction when they found themselves out of work amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Like many New York City tenants, they then withheld the monthly payments, according to the reports.

Brooks-Church has told tenants he planned to sell the building, though the residents say they hadn't heard details from him until he barged in last week and again on Monday.

They enlisted the help of activist group Equality for Flatbush, who helped stave off locksmiths, Brooks-Church and police in the demonstration Tuesday.

The situation comes a few weeks after Gov. Andrew Cuomo's eviction moratorium expired, extending a less powerful version of the executive order until August that advocates feared would create mass evictions.

Brooks-Church, who owns a "living plant wall" business, has denied his tenant's allegations.

“This is absolutely untrue,” Brooks-Church told The Post. “I’m a white male. I’m being demonized for being a white male.”

Gendville, who owns the property with Brooks-Church, is also a prominent Brooklyn business owner. She runs Area Kids, which has stores, yoga studios and vegan eateries in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Park Slope.

The confrontation has gotten the attention of several activist groups and some elected officials who say what the tenant's describe is illegal even without the protections under the eviction moratorium.