By Alex Christodoulides
The Brussels and Marseilles buildings at 98-01 and 98-05 67th Ave., in Rego Park, belong to the LeFrak Corp., which owns about 15,000 units of mostly rent-stabilized housing throughout the city, including the LeFrak City development in Corona.The management company, Mid-State Management Corporation, has been seeking entry to the apartments in the two towers for months. In November some tenants received letters from Mid-State saying that if the tenants did not allow the locks to be installed, their leases would be terminated. Some tenants refused but according to Janet Henne, president of the BruMar Plaza Tenant Association, nobody who did so was evicted.”They knew they couldn't win,” Henne said.Last week, some tenants received another letter-phrased more gently-saying that “it is imperative that we gain access into your apartment to install the terrace chain guard lock” during a one-week period this month.Where before Mid-State tried to scare tenants into complying, now the management company is asking tenants to contact the superintendent and add their names to the list to install the chain locks.Some tenants do not intend to comply, however.Henne said the building super came to her door during the weekend, armed with a camera, asking to put in the chain lock on the terrace door. She refused.Henne said her neighbor, who also has no chain lock on his terrace door, has not been contacted.The last time Mid-State wanted to put in the chain locks, building manager Cheryl Jensen defended the practice, which she said was for everyone's protection.”We have the right to do it to protect them and to protect us,” said Jensen, adding that the leases for rent-stabilized apartments stipulate that the landlord can install safety devices such as carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. The city's housing code requires smoke detectors, but it requires chain locks only for entrance doors.Reach reporter Alex Christodoulides by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
