ASBURY PARK – Some residents of the 550 Cookman Ave. apartments owned by Sackman Enterprises have complained about mouse infestations and broken air conditioning, but say their landlord seems more interested in collecting their ever-increasing rent than solving the problems .
Residents of the building, which has 26 apartments, allege they have suffered significant negligence and unwillingness to resolve health-related issues from Sackman. Tenants told the press that some residents of 550 Cookman did not have functioning air conditioning as of June, which had been reported for weeks. Other tenants have run out of hot water and claim the water smells of sulphur.
Rich Dalatri, 33, said he has been dealing with black mold. He believes tenants are being deliberately driven out by poor service and “insane” rent increases – more than $500.
“(Sackman) is trying to attract that out-of-state clientele,” Dalatri said. ‘They want to turn it into a mini New York City with all those high-rises and all those luxury apartments they build in it. And why? Which reason? They are trying to drive out the working class.
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“I contacted our property manager (a few weeks ago) and I haven’t heard from her yet. She hasn’t emailed me, she hasn’t reached out. It’s negligent. There’s black mold growing in my freaking shower ,” Dalatri said.
In a statement to the Asbury Park Press, Sackman Enterprises said, “The real estate market, both for sale and in this case, rental, is constantly changing. Sackman Enterprises continuously monitors, evaluates and responds to changing market conditions. Current rental rates and renewals at 550 Cookman are significantly below market. Sackman Enterprises manages and maintains its properties in a first-class manner and responds to its tenants’ needs and concerns as they are communicated.”
During the heat wave last summer, Dalatri’s air conditioning broke down.
“They waited two weeks before they came in and did something about it, in the middle of that heat wave, to the point where I had to run my upstairs window unit 24 hours a day, seven days a week to stay alive. My electric bill normal spoken $50 to $75, but it was a $250 bill for the month of July,” he said. “Last winter my hot water boiler broke. It took two weeks for someone to fix it, two weeks in the middle of winter. No heat, no hot water, no one does anything about it.”
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Residents of 550 Cookman Ave. aren’t the only Sackman tenants complaining about maintenance and rent increases.
Last year, residents of the Sackman-owned Steinbach Building on Emory Street asked the City Council for help after their landlord raised their rent by more than 25% despite complaints about mold in the building.
In late 2023, some tenants complained for three months that the building at 550 Cookman was infested with mice. Sackman only addressed the issue after they received a citation, the tenants said.
Dalatri moved into his apartment in 2019 and until 2022 his rent was $1,775 per month. His rent rose to $1,900 in 2022 and $2,100 in 2023, but now he’s being asked to pay an extra $500 a month for the next year.
“If you’re going to raise my rent, at least provide a service comparable to what I pay,” Dalatri said.
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Karen Moses, 52, who has lived in the building for four years, called the rent increases “unconscionable” and complained that the increases are not limited to rent alone.
“The parking is tied to the lease, but it’s a separate lease. So your lease has to start on January 1, but they can increase your parking at any time,” Moses said. “Parking went from $50 to $200. So if they don’t get you on the lease, they can turn around and get you parking.”
It is doubtful whether the city can do anything about the rent increases. While the city’s rent control ordinance limits annual increases to 3.5%, Sackman Enterprises’ four properties in the city are exempt from those rules.
A state law intended to encourage the construction of new multi-unit apartments allows developers to apply for an exemption from municipal rent control ordinances.
According to city officials, there are four Sackman properties in Asbury Park that have been exempted by the state.
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The four Sackman properties include:
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The Steinbach Building at 300 Emory St., which has 66 apartments, has a waiver that expires Aug. 10, 2042.
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700 Bangs Ave., with 42 apartments, with a waiver expiring August 10, 2048.
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550 Cookman Ave., with 26 apartments, with a waiver expiring August 10, 2042.
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521 Lake Ave., with 60 apartments, with a waiver expiring August 1, 2052.
“What they are essentially trying to do is ultimately push us out of there. It’s like they want us to leave, and they are doing everything they can to push us out,” Dalatri said.
“We pay all this money to live in a place where we like to be,” Dalatri continued. “We have not presented them with any problem, the only problem comes from them. I have never missed a payment, I have never had the police, no law enforcement of any kind, no issue where I would be a problem tenant and I feel that I am treated like a third-class citizen.”
Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com @CharlesDayeAPP
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Asbury Park Cookman Avenue tenants complain about mice, $500 rent increases
