A disabled East Village resident is suing his co-op, Village View Housing Corporation, over new parking rules he claims threaten a long-standing parking spot. Steven Andruseaski, 61, who has morbid obesity and osteoarthritis, says the agreement would allow the co-op to remove him from his spot in Parking Lot 7, adjacent to his apartment in a Mitchell-Lama complex.
Weighing approximately 375 pounds, Andruseaski uses a cane and can only walk about 200 feet, making the nearby parking space essential for doctor's appointments and grocery shopping. His suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleges the new parking agreement violates state human rights law and seeks a judge's order to prevent the co-op from denying him access to the space.
Andruseaski's family has reportedly used the parking spot for over 40 years, and he currently pays $200 per month for it. The lawsuit was filed after Village View issued a deadline of August 31 for residents to sign a new parking agreement, which expands the conditions under which parking privileges can be revoked.
The legal challenge coincides with Village View's broader plan to sell the 110-space Lot 7 for residential development. Andruseaski's complaint suggests the co-op intends to sell the lot to a developer, eventually eliminating the parking spaces. Hundreds of shareholders within the 1,236-unit complex have reportedly sought more transparency regarding the proposed redevelopment of Lot 7 and questioned the board's decision to proceed without a shareholder vote. The co-op board, however, maintains that shareholder approval is not required for the sale, only a clearance from the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The board's attorney stated that bids for rental developments have been in the mid-$30 million range and disputed any connection between Andruseaski's lawsuit and the proposed sale of the parking lot, calling them "completely separate."
Andruseaski is not the only resident challenging the new parking agreement. Sebastian Kot has also filed a lawsuit, with a hearing scheduled for October. Kot stated that residents could lose their spaces under various conditions, including moving to a different apartment within the complex or "basically no reason."
Another resident, George Jarema, claims the co-op is using a succession restriction to prevent him from retaining his parking spot. Jarema alleges that management refused to accept his succession paperwork for his apartment after his mother's death in 2022, and he believes this is being used to take away his parking space. Jarema suggested that the parking agreement changes are intended to make it easier for the board to sell the parking lot.