Court Rules Aby Rosen Isn't Personally Responsible For Unpaid Rent, But His Companies Could Be
Aby Rosen can’t be held responsible for claims of unpaid rent, but the LLCs he helms could still be taken to court, a judge ruled this week.
Solil Management Co., which owns the land underneath the Gramercy Park Hotel at 2 Lexington Ave., took Rosen to court in April alleging that his company — which ground leases the building — failed to make rent payments for six months, Crain’s New York Business reported.
Solil sued, asking the court to allow it to evict the company from the building and order Rosen, who controls RFR Holding and owns, among other properties, the Chrysler Building, to personally pay $80M to end the lease, which was signed for 72 years in 2006, The Real Deal reported.
But New York State Supreme Court Justice Robert Reed ordered that, while Solil could sue the company for this payment, Rosen personally couldn't be held responsible, Crain’s reported.
Like many hotels throughout the city, The Gramercy Park Hotel temporarily shut down as tourists and business travelers emptied the city amid the early days of the pandemic. As of June, it was still unclear when it would reopen, the New York Post reported. The hotel's website wasn't accepting reservations Thursday afternoon.
Solil’s complaint included details of what allegedly transpired in the hotel during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, claiming that it gave free rooms to RFR employees as well as Rosen's personal friends and family members throughout the pandemic, Crain’s reported.
