In a case typical of landlords’ exasperation with New York City’s dysfunctional eviction process, Tasheem Jenkins was finally evicted on October 9 from Apartment D at 367 Wadsworth Avenue, where he had lived rent-free for two years.
The Washington Heights case was notable because Jenkins, with some help from the Adams administration but without a lawyer, was able to stave off an eviction for so long.
But at the same time, it was unremarkable: It reflected the experiences of landlords and their lawyers in the post-pandemic era, when the pace of housing court has slowed from that of a sloth to that of an oak.
The past three months have been a microcosm of the entire case against Jenkins and the fashion model Aubrey Hill, with whom Jenkins had shared the rent-stabilized apartment before taking over.
The landlord was not aware of the sublease agreement. But once people in New York City are in a unit, even if they don’t have a lease and aren’t paying rent, it can be extremely difficult to get them out.
In mid-July, Judge Adam Meyers ruled that Jenkins had exhausted his legal arguments, noting that the landlord “was awarded a possession judgment against Jenkins nearly a year ago, and his ability to obtain this relief cannot be indefinitely delayed.”
Nevertheless, the judge suspended the eviction until August 29 to give Jenkins six more rent-free weeks “to leave the building with dignity.”
But Jenkins didn’t leave. Just before he was due to leave, he filed a petition with the court, as he had done repeatedly each time the date of his deportation approached. Despite his earlier decision, the judge postponed the date again to October 7.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Jenkins filed another order to show cause on October 6. This time he did not contest the deportation, but asked the court to delay it again, “possibly for a few more days while I try to move.” He said he was looking for movers and added: “I have an update from HRA/APS.”
Jenkins was referring to the Human Resources Administration and a division thereof called Adult Protective Services. According to his websiteAPS “provides services to physically and/or mentally challenged adults” and “works to help at-risk patients live safely in their homes.”
But Meyers had ruled last summer that Jenkins had not been harmed, based in part on his competent representation of himself in housing court since the fall of 2023. APS had reached a similar conclusion in February.
The judge denied Jenkins’ final request, handwriting that he had been given “ample time to complete his move.”
Jenkins, as he had indicated, then turned again to APS, a card he had played twice before. The unit, like its parent company, is in the process of delaying evictions and thus the city’s obligation to provide shelter.
APS then apparently convinced the Department of Investigation – which oversees city commissioners carrying out evictions – to stop the clock on Jenkins’ removal. How DOI can trump a housing judge is unclear, but this wasn’t the first time.
This spring if The real deal According to reports, the agency barred a marshal from enforcing a co-op’s eviction notice against an elderly woman named Emma Oliver, who was in a building from which she embezzled $122,680 and then stopped paying alimony for six years.
But Jenkins’ third round with APS earned him less time than the first two. After a two-day stay, DOI cleared the eviction with APS and had the Marshal carry it out.
Jenkins will most likely never have to pay the landlord a dime because he never had a lease on the $1,675-a-month apartment. The leaseholder was his family friend Hill, West Virginia’s first high fashion model, so the arrears — which total more than $60,000 — are technically her responsibility.
It’s uncertain whether the landlord will seek a judgment against Hill or, if he gets one, whether he can even collect it: After settling for her back rent in late 2023, Hill failed to pay and instead moved to Europe. Since then, interest and payment arrears have continued to rise.
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