On Oct 4, 2018, the New York Times published an editorial titled “Trump Is Just Another Crooked New York City Landlord” written by tenant attorney John Whitlow and professor at the City University of New York School of Law.
He addresses Fred Trump and then the President as career slumlords – greed, charging every last cent possible for rent – forcing people out. Price-gouging.
HANDSOME PROFIT
Mr. Whitlow goes on “Mr. Trump is at his core a landlord, turning a handsome profit while the rest of us live in increasingly precarious conditions.” My emphasis on “handsome profit”.
How does Mr. Whitlow, a TENANT ATTORNEY who makes a living (a profit, a handsome profit?) off his representation of tenants. You see, lawyers usually don’t like representing residential tenants – because who will pay their “handsome” hourly fee? So by organizing groups of tenants… well then you spread the cost and create enough “noise” (which isn’t a bad thing of living conditions are bad) – to go to court and hopefully WIN – because attorneys, like landlord, like to get paid.
If the tenant attorney wins – they will get paid – usually by the LANDLORD.
When a landlord loses, the expense of losing will be eventually passed on to the tenant – or absorbed into their operating expenses. To absorb the expenses, the landlord needs to make a “handsome profit”.
Tenant lawyers make a living by working against landlords to benefit themselves and their clients.
We now need the someone to define what an acceptable profit should be for landlords, or as Mr Whitlow calls it “handsome profit”. Then we may define what his fees shall be.