Dear City West Condo Community and Supporters,

Recently, the New York City Finance Department (DOF) conducted a tax lien sale. As a result, our beloved pool and tennis facilities were sold to Lisk Avenue Holding Company for just $1,000. We recently learned that the investor is looking to sell the property for $1.2 million after falsely indicating that the land was vacant. 

This is unacceptable and it is imperative that we take immediate action to have our voices heard, property rights respected, and our community spaces protected.

Here are the facts

• City West Condo's Home Owners Association (HOA) was never notified about the Department of Finance's property tax lien foreclosure and our property management company never received a property tax bill for the lot since the property was developed in the 1980's. 
• The first time City West homeowners were informed that taxes were being levied on the pool and tennis court lot was after it was sold and the investor left a note on our doors last October 2022.
• DOF claims they sent notices to the lot's address at 462 Lisk Avenue. But there is no one to receive mail at this location and according to the city records the owner was unknown.
• Since the property was developed in the 1980's, our property management company never received a tax bill for the lot since common charges are included in individual owner's HOA payments. We are therefore being double-taxed.
• The investor (Bo Laing) deliberately marked our land as "residential vacant land" on the New York State Board of Real Estate Services Form (RP-5217NYC). This is a major falsification intended to mislead the city into thinking there would be no harm done when in fact, the investor knew our community pool and tennis court were on this site. 

The loss of our pool and tennis court will not only diminished our property values and quality of life for hundreds of families that live here, but also takes away a cherished part of our hard working diverse community. We need to take action to protect our community amenities, which serve as an integral part of our condo community. We must come together and fight to reclaim what rightfully belongs to us.

We are therefore strongly urging the Department of Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack to consider the 300 households with children impacted by this unfair tax lien and reverse the predatory sale before the summer begins. It is clear that reforms are urgently needed to remove real estate speculation from the tax liens sale process harming vulnerable homeowners in New York City.

Our local elected officials, City Council Member Kamillah M. Hanks and Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton also have a critical role in advocating for our community, including investigating complaints from property owners and ensuring that the tax lien sale process is designed to be fair and equitable, with measures in place to protect vulnerable property owners. Please contact them today and have your voices heard!

Thanks for your support!

City West Condo Association