The reason why the tenants did not petition for the Article 7A is because the not for profit is against this program. It has nothing to do with the tenants legal status to be in this country.
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I Fought the Landlord, and the Landlord Won
An unlikely person stands up for her rights—and pays the price
"As an organizer, I feel a lot of responsibility because I told her to fight," Muro says. "And she's a fighter. She's a remarkable human being. She's very eloquent and articulate. She was able to organize these meetings, but the landlord was able to out-organize us through intimidation and threats."
Muro, who recently got laid off from the Mirabal Center because of a lack of funding, consistently speaks out on behalf of Montealegre, translates to her the latest developments in the case, and reaches out to those who might be able to help her, including alerting El Diario la Prensa, New York City's Spanish-language daily newspaper, which first reported on Montealegre's ordeal.
Arlene Gottfried
Arlene Gottfried
At a Mirabal Sisters Cultural and Community Center meeting, leaders ask the crowd: Who has ever paid their landlord in cash without a money order? Only Maria Montealegre raises her hand.
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Still, "I feel like I dropped the ball," Muro says.
The Urban Justice Center seems to be out of ideas as well. The Public Advocate and HPD simply note Samovha's violations but have yet to hold him accountable.
Unmoored, Montealegre has been searching for a new room to rent, but no one will take in her entire family. She also notes that she has been turned away because landlords say she is listed as a bad renter. With nowhere to go, she will stay until the end of the month and hope for a miracle. Her options after July 31 will probably lead her and her kids to a shelter. She's afraid her children's schooling will suffer from this.
In the end, Montealegre's efforts resulted in improvements to the apartments of neighbors who didn't vouch for her when she needed them in court. She doesn't seem bitter about it—just disappointed.
Would she do it again?
"Yes," Montealegre says. "I did it for my kids."
19 comments
Disgusting. This story SUCKS on soo many levels. This woman would have been better off in her own country not being victimized in NYC. She clearly was not able to take care of herself and now has 4 children? I mean when does REALITY come into play with Latinos? My heart breaks for her...but this pattern of reproduction is destroying and entire generation. When does it stop, when does it end?
As for this story, that man should be locked up somewhere. He is not the only basely waste of skin doing this to people. I don't care if they are from this country or not they do not deserve to be treated like 3/5ths of a person... which ironically was the policy concerning slaves. Hypocrites will use these people for their labor, but want to kick them out as soon as they have been used up. SHAME really. It's the new slavery.
I expect nothing less from the commentators here, whose souls are just as jacklegged, bitter, heartless and just about as much of a waste of skin as Moshe Samovha. Most of the commentators under me are what is wrong with America, never mind that many of your ancestors immigrated here, and I bet some illegally too, killed off the Native Americans until they were almost non-factors. Also a people who built a country off the backs of imported slave labor etc. Yeah America is filled with saints.... Really.... and the illegal immigrant is sucking the life out of the country? You can't suck life from souls which died a long time ago.... no compassion, no love, no empathy.... all for greed and the love of money. I cannot wait for China to cash in on their debt. It will be well deserved to take this country and many of its inhabitants out of their misery.
when one of us stands up to injustice, we get squashed. when a whole lot of us stand up to injustice, the ruling class goes into a panic, bc that's called a revolution
Is this about a crook landlord or someone legal status? Gee....
Well, i believe, criminals like this landlord, should be in jail, beats me, why he isn't in jail yet....
1 Like
davert: there is no tax on food from grocery stores in NYC, not that it matters when she's paying for everything with food stamps, receiving a minimum of 700 bucks a month in foodstamps for having 4 children and no official income. Explains why she's so fat.
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A woman that entered the country illegally multiple times, has never paid income taxes in her life and has 4 anchor babies collecting welfare benefits is complaining the system doesn't work: No Shit.
2 Like
What happened to all the previous comments? Oh I know...you misjudged your target audience. You thought people would feel sympathy for Maria and hatred for the landlord, but instead you incurred hatred for Maria because she's an ILLEGAL. It's exactly people like her who are here illegally, paying no taxes, with anchor kids, and collecting some type of welfare that's sucking the life out of this country.
@dparasuco Oh yeah, totally... brought to America at AGE 13 by an abusive mother, struggling to get by day to day, and trying to organize vulnerable people for the benefit of all of their living situations... What a horrible person she must be.
@dparasuco Illegal immigrants don't pay taxes? Holy crap! Next time I go to the grocery store I'm just telling them I'm from Mexico so I don't have to pay sales tax.
Wow...the comments on this article reeeeeeally make me feel super proud of my country.
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