Is This Sunset Park Landlord Neglecting Her Building to Push Out Hispanic Tenants?

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Samantha Bravo is scared of her landlord.

Soo Fung Dong, owner of the apartment building at 430 61st St., once came to Bravo's door, the tenant remembered, knocked very loudly, barged in — then yelled at her father when he protested.

"I can't get over that," Bravo said. "It's like a trauma."

Samantha Bravo is 11 years old.

The little girl and her mom joined a group of the building's tenants Friday for a rally outside the property.

The group is accusing Dong, their landlord, of ignoring their needs and abusing them because they're Hispanic.

Some held signs that read "No Más Acoso" — no more harassment.

Pictured: Samantha Bravo, left, and her mother, Nora Huertero

This week, a complaint was filed with the city's Commission on Human Rights on the tenants' behalf.

The attorney who filed it, employed by the Urban Justice Center (UJC), accuses Dong of verbal and physical abuse; "making racist and discriminatory remarks" about tenants; charging illegal fees; and failing to properly maintain the building, among other charges.

A previous lawsuit claimed that 163 health code violations were found in the building's 16 apartments, according to UJC attorney Rini Fonseca-Sabune. On June 21, a judge ordered Dong to fix them.

The lead in Bravo's apartment, for example, must be removed next week, Fonseca-Sabune said — the end of a brief grace period given to the landlord.

Pictured: A peeling floor in Bravo's apartment

City records do not list a phone number for Dong. A phone number provided by tenants was answered on Friday by a woman who said she worked for the building's management company.

The woman, who didn't provide a name, seemed unaware of the human rights complaint (although she didn't appear to be a native English speaker, and may have misunderstood Patch's question).

"I have people working [in the building] all the time," she said when asked about problems in the units. "We have a super. We always take care of it."

Informed of the other accusations made against Dong, the woman said: "They're all liars. Everything they say, let them say it."

When asked for the name of the company she worked for, the woman said, "OK, bye bye," and hung up.

The tenants at 460 61st St. have the support of Sunset Park Councilman Carlos Menchaca, who attended Friday's rally, and local Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, who sent a staffer.

Menchaca said the neighborhood has plenty of good landlords who work with community groups and residents to resolve issues. But "this is a bad one," he said of Dong.

Similarly shoddy landlords "will be called out every single time," the local politician said.

Marcela Mitaynes, an organizer with the community group Neighbors Helping Neighbors who has been working with the tenants, claimed Dong's inaction isn't by accident.

The building is rent stabilized. "Gentrification is causing an incentive for these landlords to try to convert these affordable units into market-value apartments," Mitaynes said — the first step being to harass and neglect tenants until they move out.

"Fear is a result of the harassment, and fear can be very paralyzing," Mitaynes said. "The most important thing is to educate ourselves as tenants and fight. Now is the time to stand up."

Pictured at top: Samantha Bravo speaks outside 430 61st St. on Friday, while Carlos Menchaca listens. Photos by John V. Santore