Rent-Control Clogs Our Courts

Talk about rent-control: Jeannie Kraph, 60, from Williamsburg has the jealousy-inducing pleasure of paying only [$150 a month in rent]. The catch? She says her co-op is trying to evict her from her home of 50 years. She's been in housing court for the past six months fighting an eviction notice that claims her apartment is a health and fire hazard.

Landlord Hal Einhorn and the cooperative that owns her building, 107-109-111 North 9th Street Associates, say it’s not about the money (stifled chuckle). But Kraph and her lawyer maintain that the safety violation allegations are a shameless attempt to raise the rent to $1,500—which is what other tenants in the North 9th Street building pay.

Einhorn and company say her place is cluttered with debris, crawling with roaches and stinks. But a November court inspection confirmed that Kraph’s place was “clean and well-kept,” though an exterminator should pay a visit. Prior to receiving the eviction notice last summer, Kraph was offered$100,000 to relocate, but she refused. How far does $100,000 go when you're paying traditional Brooklyn rents?