One New York Tenant Halts A $70 Million Project By Refusing To Move Out

Daniel Mitchell-Benoit
The outside corner of an apartment building.
Unsplash | Artem Zhukov

There's no debating that the rapidly and forever rising costs of homeownership and rent is taking a real toll on the population.

So, it's no wonder that once somebody does find that special place, they wish to keep it. This is the reality of a man in New York City who was asked to leave his apartment to make way for a renovation project, but refused, and who now believes the property company is trying to bully him out.

A 52-Year-Old man is the sole cause for a multi-million dollar project being delayed.

An apartment building.
Unsplash | Anders Holm-Jensen

The man, named Ahmet Nejat Ozsu, lives in an apartment in Manhattan, one that's set for a large-scale renovation project that can only happen if the building is vacated, and he refuses to leave.

Because of this fiasco, he's now being sued for over $25 million.

Ozsu has lived there for over 16 years.

An room full of packed boxes.
Unsplash | Michal Balog

Last year, the building was purchased by the Naftali Group, which is a global real estate development and investment company. They told all the tenants to vacate, but Ozsu wasn't about to just bow out without fighting for his home.

He lawyered up immediately to take on this battle.

A gavel and a book on money.
Unsplash | Sasun Bughdaryan

Naftali tried to get him to agree to move out with a $30,000 buyout offer, one he turned down. His monthly rent is $3350 a month, so that amount wouldn't have even covered a year's worth of his rent charges.

So they kicked it up a notch and are filing a $25 million lawsuit against him instead.

Oszu doesn't seem to be scared of the lawsuit.

A security camera on the wall.
Unsplash | Justus Menke

Instead, he and his lawyer are gathering evidence that Naftali is trying to bully him out of the residence by installing security cameras right outside his front door, alongside an extremely loud industrial air filter.

He's expecting a seven-figure payout from Naftali for the caused inconvenience.

The outside corner of an apartment building.
Unsplash | Artem Zhukov

It's an extremely heated battle between tenant and landlord for the last-standing apartment in the complex. It's highly suspected that, should Naftali succeed in getting Oszu to move out, the entire building will be torn down and rebuilt as luxury apartments instead.

h/t: Bored Panda