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Chris Canty, a former New York Giants defensive lineman and Super Bowl winner, is facing allegations of harassment and tenant abuse stemming from his ownership of a townhouse on West 89th Street—just steps from Central Park. The explosive claims were first reported by the New York Post.
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At the center of the controversy is 59-year-old data analyst Stuart Kalmenson, who says Canty has subjected him to appalling living conditions in an effort to force him out of the building, which according to public records is located at 33 West 89th Street. Kalmenson, who has lived in the building for nearly two decades, is the last remaining tenant in what was once a nine-unit property. Canty, now an ESPN radio host, reportedly intends to convert the entire five-story building into a private luxury residence.
In court filings, Kalmenson alleges he has gone without heat, hot water, and gas for more than two years, relying on a space heater and washing his clothes in the tub. He’s also alleged that mice have chewed through his floorboards, prompting him to block off part of his living room. “He just wants to destroy me,” Kalmenson told The Post.
A hearing is expected to take place on Wednesday, July 30, according to court records.
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Canty purchased the $5.2 million property in March 2020. While the other tenants left as their leases expired, Kalmenson remained—despite losing his job during the pandemic and initially planning to move in with a friend. After that arrangement fell through, he negotiated to become a month-to-month tenant. But by July 2020, Canty initiated eviction proceedings, which are still ongoing.
That November, a construction crew began gutting the building while Kalmenson and his dog, Charles, remained inside. Canty has denied any wrongdoing through his attorney, who dismissed the tenant’s claims as baseless. But city records tell a different story: In 2021, the Department of Buildings fined Canty $20,000 for falsely claiming the property was vacant and failing to implement a tenant protection plan.
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The Department of Housing Preservation and Development has since cited Canty with over 400 violations and has sued him twice, resulting in $8,000 in settlements. Meanwhile, Canty has filed his own lawsuit, accusing Kalmenson of harassment and of making unfounded complaints to city agencies.
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Kalmenson claims the building should have been rent-stabilized, and that prior owners illegally treated it as a co-op. Canty argues otherwise, maintaining that the property is still a co-operative and exempt from rent stabilization laws. At one point in 2021, Canty offered Kalmenson $45,000 to vacate, but the tenant declined after being approved for pandemic-era rental relief.
Canty, who played in the NFL for 11 seasons and now co-hosts ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike, has also been sued by city and state officials for allegedly evading over $1 million in taxes related to the property.
“If I’m entitled to a rent stabilized lease,” said Kalmenson, “I don’t need to get bullied out of my own home by some guy just because he happened to be a football player.”
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It should be illegal to take 8 units of housing off the market for some rich guy to have a mansion. They should have to pay for new construction in the neighborhood to replace the homes they’re destroying.
The man spent his hard earned money to buy that building. He was allowed to buy it for millions. He wants to renovate it as a single home. The tenant should have moved as the others did. He was offered money to leave. Instead he hangs on and inconvenienced the new owner who cannot move forward with his renovation plans because of a lone holdout.
That is so unfair. He should be evicted. The New York laws can be so unfair. When a person owns a building he should be able to do with it as he desires without having these strange laws. The only court decision that should be handed down is an eviction notice for that squatter. How very selfish of him to want to stay there.
There are many empty buildings in New York. His new construction would probably improve the neighborhood. There are many people who buy whole buildings in New York because they can. The ones who usually complain are those who can’t afford to do that and are envious of the ability of the person with money to do so.
Try putting yourself in the position of the new owner and see how you would feel. He worked hard to get where he is and should be able to spend his hard earned money on something he desires. That tenant would rather suffer the inconvenience of living there rather than take the money and find somewhere else to live. There are a ton of places that are available.
Rent Stabilization !!!
I hope that the tenant is able to stay in his apartment. Canty knew before he bought the building that people lived there. If they were bought out well and good. I also hope that the tenant gets compensated because of Canty’s harassment.