Bianca Jagger's attempt to get her $4,600/month rent-stabilized Upper East Side apartment back failed at the Court of Appeals today. The court upheld her eviction from 530 Park Avenue, citing her status as a tourist with a B-2 visa and the fact that residents of rent-stabilized apartments must use them as their primary residences. Judge Robert S. Smith wrote in the decision (PDF), "We conclude that, absent some unusual circumstance, a primary residence in New......

The House Ethics Committee voted to begin an inquiry on Representative Charles Rangel's actions. Rangel's use of Congressional letterhead to solicit donations for a center being built in his honor, multiple rent-stabilized apartments, unreported income from a second home, and other unreported income from property sales have put the powerful Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee under the microscope (in many of the cases, Rangel has pleaded ignorance). Rangel's lawyer said, "We look......

The Post suggests that Representative Charles Rangel's income may now be above $200,000, which is more than the $175,000-ceiling to qualify for rent-stabilized apartments. Rangel up until very recently occupied four rent-stabilized units at Lenox Terrace, three for living and one as an office (he gave up the office after the disclosure). Previously, Rangel claimed his income was around $175,000, but there are recent revelations about unreported income from a vacation villa, unreported property sales,......

Representative Charles Rangel isn't so happy with the New York Times: The Gray Lady revealed the high-ranking Congressman has four rent-stabilized apartments at Lenox Terrace, the Harlem development where Governor David Paterson also lives (Paterson only has one rent-stabilized apartment, though). The NY Times reports three of the apartments were combined to make one 2,500 square foot apartment on the 16th floor, while a fourth apartment serves as his campaign office "despite state and......

The long-running dispute between the owners of 47 East 3rd Street and their rent-stabilized tenants seems over, as the Court of the Appeals ruled the owners can evict tenants from the 60-room building in order to create a single super-duper residence. Alistair and Catherine Economakis took over the 15 apartment building a few years ago, after buying it for $1 million (and knowing it had rent-stabilized tenants). They told tenants, who pay $600-1200/month, they would......