In the heart of New York’s Upper West Side, the Eagle Court building is taking center stage in a contentious battle between 51-year-old tenant Ahmet Nejat Ozsu and the Naftali Group. Despite selling the property for $70 million in June 2021, Ozsu adamantly refuses to vacate his apartment, which is slated for demolition to make way for a luxury skyscraper. With the new owners planning eleven opulent condos, each valued at $40 million, tensions have escalated. Ozsu, who has lived in the building for sixteen years, is not only behind on rent but is demanding a hefty $1 million fee to leave. The legal battle between Ozsu and the Naftali Group, complete with a $25 million damages claim, sheds light on the complexities surrounding tenant rights and property transformation in the city’s bustling real estate landscape.
Although the Eagle Court building on New York’s Upper West Side was sold to the Naftali Group in June 2021 for $70 million, 51-year-old tenant Ahmet Nejat Ozsu refuses to leave his apartment. The structure will be demolished and replaced by a luxury skyscraper with eleven apartments, each worth 40 million dollars, the new owners.
After sixteen years of living in the building, Ozsu spends more than $3,350 a month on her 700-square-foot apartment with a private patio. He hasn’t made the payments despite being about $13,000 in arrears.
Ozsu is adamant about staying and demanded a $1 million eviction fee, despite the new landlords notifying all residents of the need to move. Adam Leitman Bailey, his attorney, says Ozsu is protecting low-income New Yorkers from expensive legal representation and plans to stay as long as the law allows.
Naftali responded by suing Ozsu for $25 million in damages and offering $30,000 for his departure. The landlord had set up loud fans in front of Ozsu’s door and embarked on nonsensical constructions to force him to leave.
Ozsu said the noise was like a jet and that it was always annoying. The ongoing litigation is a reminder of the difficulties that can arise when current tenants object to evictions after a property is sold.
In the ongoing saga between Ahmet Nejat Ozsu and the Naftali Group over the Eagle Court building in New York, the conflict of interest shows the complexities surrounding the eviction of tenants after the properties are sold. Despite selling the Upper West Side building, Ozsu’s 51-year-old tenant is refusing to vacate and is demanding a $1 million fee. The new owners, the Naftali Group, responded by suing for $25 million in damages and offering $30,000 to leave. The legal battle and the tactics used, including disruptive construction and noise, highlight the problems that can arise when tenants resist eviction in the face of property redevelopment. This case reflects the tension between individual rights and larger transformations of real estate in the urban landscape.