Steven Croman

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'''Steven Croman''' is a real estate owner and fraudster in [[New York City]]. In 1990, Croman incorporated the management and brokerage firm Croman Real Estate (later rebranded to 9300 Realty) and quickly grew his business, owning 20 buildings by the end of the decade and 150 buildings by 2016, mostly in Manhattan's [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]].{{Cite web|title=Steve Croman |url=https://therealdeal.com/tag/steve-croman/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831000738/https://therealdeal.com/tag/steve-croman/|archive-date=2022-08-31|access-date=2022-08-25 |website=[[The Real Deal New York]]|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2000-05-09|title=There Goes the Neighborhood|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2000/05/09/there-goes-the-neighborhood-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622165153/https://www.villagevoice.com/2000/05/09/there-goes-the-neighborhood-2/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 22, 2017|access-date=2022-08-25|website=[[The Village Voice]]}}{{Cite news|last1=Barker|first1=Kim|last2=Silver-Greenberg|first2=Jessica|date=May 9, 2016|title=Regular on New York's 'Worst Landlords' Lists Is Charged|work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/10/nyregion/steven-croman-regular-on-new-yorks-worst-landlords-lists-is-charged.html|access-date=2022-08-25|issn=0362-4331}} 9300 Realty was subsequently rebranded as Centennial Properties NY.

'''Steven Croman''' is a real estate owner and fraudster in New York City. In 1990, Croman incorporated the management and brokerage firm Croman Real Estate (later rebranded to 9300 Realty) and quickly grew his business, owning 20 buildings by the end of the decade and 150 buildings by 2016, mostly in Manhattan's East Village.{{Cite web|title=Steve Croman |url=https://therealdeal.com/tag/steve-croman/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831000738/https://therealdeal.com/tag/steve-croman/|archive-date=2022-08-31|access-date=2022-08-25 |website=[[The Real Deal New York]]|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2000-05-09|title=There Goes the Neighborhood|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2000/05/09/there-goes-the-neighborhood-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622165153/https://www.villagevoice.com/2000/05/09/there-goes-the-neighborhood-2/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 22, 2017|access-date=2022-08-25|website=[[The Village Voice]]}}{{Cite news|last1=Barker|first1=Kim|last2=Silver-Greenberg|first2=Jessica|date=May 9, 2016|title=Regular on New York's 'Worst Landlords' Lists Is Charged|work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/10/nyregion/steven-croman-regular-on-new-yorks-worst-landlords-lists-is-charged.html|access-date=2022-08-25|issn=0362-4331}} 9300 Realty was subsequently rebranded as Centennial Properties NY.

Croman is well-known as a result of numerous tenant harassment and fraud allegations throughout his career in real estate.{{Cite news|last=Barker |first=Kim|date=2017-06-06|title='Bernie Madoff of Landlords' Pleads Guilty to Fraud|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/nyregion/steven-croman-landlord-pleads-guilty-to-fraud.html|access-date=2022-08-25 |issn=0362-4331}}

Croman is well-known as a result of numerous tenant harassment and fraud allegations throughout his career in real estate.{{Cite news|last=Barker |first=Kim|date=2017-06-06|title='Bernie Madoff of Landlords' Pleads Guilty to Fraud|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/nyregion/steven-croman-landlord-pleads-guilty-to-fraud.html|access-date=2022-08-25 |issn=0362-4331}}

== Allegations ==

In 1998, Croman was listed as one of ''[[The Village Voice|The Village Voice's]]'' ''10 Worst Landlords'' and became known for tenant harassment.{{Cite news|last=Lobbia|first=J.A.|date=March 24, 1998|title=The City's 10 Worst Landlords |url=https://stopcromancoalition.org/CromanArticleLinks/10Worst.pdf|work=[[The Village Voice]]|access-date=August 24, 2022}} By 2002, tenants had formed the ''Croman Tenants Coalition,'' and others alleging mistreatment have formed since then such as ''Stop Croman Coalition''.{{Cite news|last=Hevesi|first=Dennis|date=2002-07-19 |title=Residential Real Estate; Turning 23 Homes Into a Mansion|work=[[The New York Times]]|language=en-US |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/19/nyregion/residential-real-estate-turning-23-homes-into-a-mansion.html|access-date=2022-08-25 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|last=Wishnia|first=Steven |date=2020-02-06|title=Brown Water And Gas Fumes: Some Of Steve Croman's Tenants Still Living In "A Nightmare" |url=https://gothamist.com/news/brown-water-and-gas-fumes-steve-cromans-tenants-still-living-nightmare|access-date=2022-08-25 |website=[[Gothamist]]|language=en}} In 2014, New York Attorney General [[Eric Schneiderman]] began investigating ''9300 Realty'' following accusations of tenant harassment.{{Cite web |last=Cameron|first=Christopher|date=2014-07-26|title=AG to investigate landlord's alleged campaign of intimidation |url=https://therealdeal.com/2014/07/26/ag-to-investigate-landlords-alleged-campaign-of-intimidation/|access-date=2022-08-25|website=[[The Real Deal New York]]|language=en-US}} In 2015, the tenants' rights group Cooper Square Committee found Croman to have over $1 million in unpaid [[New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings|Environmental Control Board]] (ECB) violations.{{Cite web|last=Anuta|first=Joe|date=2016-03-27|title=City levies fines, but fails to collect over half-billion from landlords |url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160328/REAL_ESTATE/160329884/new-york-city-levies-fines-but-fails-to-collect-over-half-billion-from-landlords|access-date=2022-08-25|website=[[Crain Communications#Crain's New York Business|Crain's New York Business]]|language=en}} In 2016, Croman was charged with 20 felonies, including grand larceny, [[falsifying business records]], scheming to defraud, offering a false instrument for filing, and criminal tax fraud.{{Cite web|title=A.G. Schneiderman Announces 20 Felony Charges And Civil Suit Against Major New York City Landlord Steven Croman {{!}} New York State Attorney General |url=https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2016/ag-schneiderman-announces-20-felony-charges-and-civil-suit-against-major-new-york|access-date=2022-08-25|website=ag.ny.gov|date=9 May 2016|language=en}} In the same year, an independent civil lawsuit in the [[New York Supreme Court]] in Manhattan alleged tenant harassment, intentionally filing baseless lawsuits to pressure tenants out of their apartments, and incentivizing agents and employees to maximize tenant buyouts.

In 2017, Croman pleaded guilty to grand larceny, tax fraud, and filing a false instrument, and was sentenced to 8 months in prison and a $5 million fine.{{Cite web|title=A.G. Schneiderman Announces Jail Sentence For Major NYC Landlord Steven Croman {{!}} New York State Attorney General |url=https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2017/ag-schneiderman-announces-jail-sentence-major-nyc-landlord-steven-croman|access-date=2022-08-25 |website=ag.ny.gov|date=3 October 2017|language=en}} In the same year, the AG and Croman settled the civil lawsuit, forcing Croman to pay $8 million in restitution to tenants and hand over management of many properties to a monitor; at the time, this was the largest-ever monetary settlement with an individual landlord and largest-ever monitorship in a tenant harassment case.{{Cite web |title=A.G. Schneiderman Announces Unprecedented Consent Decree With NYC Landlord Steven Croman {{!}} New York State Attorney General |url=https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2017/ag-schneiderman-announces-unprecedented-consent-decree-nyc-landlord-steven-croman|access-date=2022-08-25|website=ag.ny.gov|date=20 December 2017|language=en}} In coordination with Attorney General [[Letitia James]], an independent management company, New York City Management (NYCM), managed over 100 Croman-owned properties from Feb 2018 to Jan 13, 2023.{{Cite magazine |first=Suzannah |last=Cavanaugh |title=He’s back: Steve Croman resumes management, to tenants’ dismay |magazine=[[The Real Deal (magazine)|The Real Deal]] |date=2023-01-13 |url=https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2023/01/13/hes-back-steve-croman-resumes-management-to-tenants-dismay/ |access-date=2025-10-23}} After suing NYCM, Croman regained management from NYCM a month early (originally the monitorship was to last through Feb 2023).

In 2018, a new lawsuit alleged that Croman illegally deregulated apartments in an [[East Harlem]] building, and in 2019 this lawsuit became a [[class action]] lawsuit involving more than 100 current and former tenants.{{Cite web|date=2019-03-14|title=Steven Croman {{!}} TRD Research|url=https://therealdeal.com/new-research/topics/people/steven-croman/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925051210/https://therealdeal.com/new-research/topics/people/steven-croman/|archive-date=2022-09-25 |access-date=2022-08-25|website=[[The Real Deal (magazine)|The Real Deal]]}} Multiple other tenant-related lawsuits have also been filed since Croman's release from prison.{{Cite web|last=Rebong |first=Kevin|date=2019-09-19|title=Steve Croman Goes Hard With Investments Post-Prison |url=https://therealdeal.com/2019/09/19/inside-steve-cromans-dealings-and-legal-battles-post-prison/|access-date=2022-08-25 |website=[[The Real Deal New York]]}}

In 2021, State Sen. [[Brad Hoylman]] introduced a bill inspired by Croman that would bar landlords convicted of fraud or violating housing laws from receiving financing from state-chartered banks.{{Cite web|last=Rebong|first=Kevin|date=2021-12-21|title=Steve Croman-Inspired Law Would Bar Loans to Bad Landlords |url=https://therealdeal.com/2021/12/21/steve-croman-inspired-bill-would-block-bad-landlords-from-state-bank-loans/|access-date=2022-08-25|website=[[The Real Deal New York]]|language=en-US}}

== References ==

== References ==

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[[Category:American landlords]]

[[Category:American landlords]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Living people]]