Question 1

Who owns 109 East 9th Street?

Accepted Answer

The building is owned by 109E9 LLC, whose principal is Michael Geylik. He purchased the building on June 28, 2021 for $3.35 million via bargain-and-sale deed.

Question 2

What happened at this building?

Accepted Answer

After purchasing the building, the new owner resolved decades of inherited violations within months. Then a 4.8-magnitude earthquake in April 2024 exposed severe structural damage. The DOB ordered emergency repairs, but tenant advocacy groups and elected officials pressured HPD to revoke the Certificate of No Harassment — blocking the very permits needed to comply with the DOB’s orders. The result is a regulatory deadlock where the owner is simultaneously ordered to repair the building and blocked from doing so.

Question 3

Why does this website exist?

Accepted Answer

This website was created on the advice of legal counsel to document the truth with verifiable evidence. Every statement is backed by publicly available records — court filings, police reports, engineering reports, city records, and lawfully obtained evidence.

Question 4

What is an SRO?

Accepted Answer

A Single Room Occupancy (SRO) is a type of housing where residents rent individual rooms, typically with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities, rather than full apartments. 109 East 9th Street is classified as an SRO with 13 units.

Question 5

What is a Certificate of No Harassment (CONH)?

Accepted Answer

A CONH is an HPD certification required before an SRO owner can obtain DOB permits for certain construction work. HPD investigates whether tenants were harassed in the prior 5 years before granting the certificate. The CONH for 109 East 9th Street was granted in March 2024 after a 6-month investigation, then revoked after political pressure.

Question 6

How many court cases are active?

Accepted Answer

There are currently 5 simultaneous proceedings: an OATH administrative hearing (CONH revocation), two non-primary residence eviction cases, a tenant HP proceeding, and a rent arrears case. Additionally, there is a related criminal case against a former tenant. Details are on the Court Cases page.

Question 7

What is the regulatory deadlock?

Accepted Answer

The DOB has ordered the owner to make emergency structural repairs. HPD has revoked the CONH, which blocks the DOB permits needed to do the work. The owner is simultaneously ordered to fix the building and blocked from fixing it. This paradox is documented on the Regulatory Conflict page.

Question 8

How can I independently verify these records?

Accepted Answer

All records are publicly verifiable. Court filings are available on NYSCEF. DOB violations can be checked on BIS (BIN: 1008963). HPD records are on HPD Online. Property records are available through ACRIS. Links to each database are provided on the Case Summary and relevant evidence pages.

Question 9

Can I use content from this site in reporting?

Accepted Answer

All content on this site consists of publicly available records and can be referenced in reporting. The site owner asks that content be attributed to 109east9street.com and that the original source documents be verified independently.

Question 10

How can I contact the building owner?

Accepted Answer

For legal inquiries, please contact through the attorney of record: Kucker Marino Winiarsky & Bittens, LLP. For media inquiries related to this website, please use legal channels as described on the About page.

Question 11

Has this story been covered by the press?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The case has been covered by The Real Deal, Hell Gate NYC, and amNewYork, among others. All press coverage is documented on the Press page with links to the original articles.

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