Rent Misdirection

To the Editor: After reading about the Harmon family"s â??plight regarding rent-regulated tenants (â??Landlord Supreme Power on Rent, Dec. 15) and Harmon"s legal efforts to challenge rent regulations, I feel that I have to respond. I am the president of the block association where the Harmons reside and know them as I knew Harmon"s parents when they lived here decades ago.ˆ  Harmon and his brother inherited the building in question. Increased property taxes, water taxes, city agencies" frivolous code enforcement, increased fuel costs and additional operating costs are the reason so many small mom and pop owners continue to sell to developers. On our landmark block alone, we have had over seven of 40 brownstones converted by developers in the last nine years, which resulted in the loss of over 80 residents on our block. The fact that operating costs have increased exponentially in recent years should really be the focus. Three rent-regulated tenants are not the primary cause of Harmon"s business crisis. Incidentally, the millionaire families now residing in the converted brownstone contribute nothing to our block or our association; so much for community improvement through social assimilation. If tenant-caused hardship was indeed the cause of Mr. Harmon"s legal drive, he could easily sell the building and rid himself of the burden called rent regulation. Properties like Harmon"s fetch handsome prices on our block. I think that the issue here is a disdain for people who are misportrayed as self-serving parasites when, truth be told, they are hard-working individuals who are residing in Harmon"s walk-up building because it"s the only place they can afford to live. They were the pioneers of our community long before there was a demand to live here. Two of the three rent-regulated tenants in question are over 62 years of age. Anyone who knowingly attempts to profit from creating a financial or emotional burden on a senior citizen is in a category unto him or herself. Harmon would be doing himself, and others, much good by lobbying and focusing his legal prowess on changing the laws in our city to allow for senior residency tax credits and rent regulation tax benefits for small property owners. Those seem like noble efforts worthy of legal judicial consideration that could effect positive change. In the long run, such efforts would be the most equitable for all parties involved.   Joseph Bolanos President, Landmark 76 West 76th Street Park Block Association   Letters have been edited for clarity, style and brevity.