borknagar

You're welcome Pilates. I'm sure he will serve time in jail for the tax evasion, and there is also an ongoing investigation about Double Charges he made on client's credit cards.

FainaAgain

"What tripped Ofer up was not his failure to get the proper licensing or city approval but his admitted failure to turn over to the city and state some $1.3 million collected in sales taxes from his guests, the DA said."

So it's not that people got robbed of their money, or put in unsanitary rooms, it's all about the government not getting their money.

Let's say, that guy will pay up whatever he owes to officials. What about regular travelers? Ripped off, end of story??

dmlove

It's interesting that they didn't stop him due to his bad/illegal business but instead stopped him due to failure to pay state and city taxes.

So it's not that people got robbed of their money, or put in unsanitary rooms, it's all about the government not getting their money.

No, it's just that it's much easier to nail someone for tax evasion than for the other issues. The only thing Al Capone went to prison for was tax evasion. That's what it took to get him off the streets.

Pilates

Bork, I'm glad they're going after him for the double billing, thanks for adding that.

dm: How true. I'm glad that they didn't ignore him and found a way to prosecute him. A way that would stick, so that he should receive some punishment for the nightmares he caused so many travelers.

bellastarr

Even more so for the really terrible nightmares he caused to the actual people who own or legally rented apartments that he sublet and turned around to rent to transient guests, without telling the apartment owners.

I personally know 2 different people (I Julliard teacher and 2 Julliard students who were pushed out of their living spaces by this WOOGO scam.

dmlove

bellastarr, could you elaborate? How could people be pushed out of their apartments? (I understand that they rented out apartments they didn't have the right to rent out, but how could they push out legitimate renters?)

bellastarr

Actually, the minute I responded to this thread I wished I hadn't. I already said too much. This is a forum for travelers and the traveler's point of view, so i'll just retreat back into the shadows. Sorry to interrupt here.

nytraveler

Easy. If you're an elderly tenant living on a limited income and in a rent-controlled apartment - and, all of a sudden instead of the neighbors you know you are meeting all sorts of groups of strangers - some families, but some groups of young people, some well-behaved and some not - that can be very intimidating - not to say frightening.

Elders are often afraid of strangers in groups in their own home (which is what the building is - ever changing, tromping in and out at all hours with luggage.

Think how disconcerting - and scary - if all of a sudden your apartment is in a hotel - but with no hotel services or staff - and no one to tell you who these people are or what they're doing there.

I live in a co-op - and one of the reasons is that you get to choose your neighbors. And make sure they behave in a civilized manor, are financially solvent, don;t have a criminal history, etc. WooGoo was renting to everyone and anyone - and with low prices often got large groups or unruly young people.

And- the entire process is illegal. Because of rent laws, fire laws and all sorts of other regulations. The trouble is it's hard to get evidence and prove cases when tenants are constantly in and out. That's why they eventually got the miscreant for tax fraud- because there was a solid paper trail.

Pilates

" The trouble is it's hard to get evidence and prove cases when tenants are constantly in and out."

But if you read this thread, you'll see how they started a task force and officials were making it a "priority". You have one man/victim starting a website over it, and you have tenants who were/are up in arms over their home being taken over by a guy who's running a hotel....but this was 2 years ago (see above). What I'm asking is that if many people took action to get someone to shut him down, why couldn't they bring him up on charges of running a hotel in a condo complex? Why did it take two years and no charges on running the illegal business? It seems to me that all of these people/victims could have been witnesses in court to his company and their dealings.

nytraveler

These are not necessarily condos - which don;t come in complexes in NYC - but are separate apartment houses. Some may be in condos - but may are in rental buildings. The problem is tracking renters - who may be anywehre inthe world and not interested in coming back to NYC to testify. And sitting tenants are often easily intimidated - and can testify only to what they see (not who paid who for what).

And although this is a priority for some city departments - the police have other things to do than enforce rent laws - unless violent crimes are taking place (they're focussing on terrorism alerts, drug crime etc - never mind other public events and dealing with all the UN issues - from demonstrations to extra security to parking). (All UN duties are - oddly enough - the responsibility of the NYC police department and paid for by the people of the city the federal government contributes nothing.)

borknagar

Raz Ofer's facebook user:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=553634473