By Zach Patberg
The legislation was in response to numerous complaints from borough homeowners who received letters in the mail warning them to sell their property before a zoning change crippled the value and potential for later development. “We will not be intimidated, (we) will not be scared, and we will not accept greedy corporations attempting to take advantage of us,” Weprin said. The letter which ignited much of the public outcry was sent a couple of months ago by City Success, a Richmond Hill-based real estate investment company. Arriving at homes in such neighborhoods as Bellerose — which has been approved for zoning changes — the letter urged residents in bold letters to “cash out NOW” before new zoning restrictions prohibited any lucrative development. “If we cannot develop, you cannot make a profit on your land,” the letter said. “Once the changes are in place, it will be too late,” it warned. Pat Dolan, of the Queens Civic Congress, said other communities that have been targeted by “zonebusting” included Fresh Meadows, Kissena Park, Jamaica Hill and Kew Gardens — all of which are considering, in the process of or have already implemented zoning changes. Downzoning has become a popular method in Queens for protecting neighborhoods from out-of-character development. Weprin's bill would make such solicitation a class-A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine. City Success sent an apology to Weprin's office following the surge in complaints, insisting it was interested in buying vacant property, not houses, which many residents feared. A representative at the company said the letter was only sent to the homes of people who also own undeveloped lots and was strictly meant to be informative. “The intention was not to be scary or intimidate anyone,” said the representative on the phone Friday. “We really got burned with this, but there are a lot of others out there who are much worse.” Weprin said the line between what his bill called “fear-based propaganda” and guileless real estate information was subjective and would be defined on a case-by-case basis. “We're not trying to prevent information,” he said. “We're trying to prevent some of these companies just trying to make a few bucks.” Dolan said the only intention of the “blanket mailings” was to evoke confusion and panic among mostly elderly residents. “When people want to sell their home, they'll go out and find their own reputable realtor,” she said. Reach reporter Zach Patberg by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
