Landlord Breaks Down Church's Door On Good Friday Over Rent Dispute
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Good Friday was anything but good for a Bronx church involved in an ongoing rent dispute with its landlord.
The Osborne Association, a nonprofit group that helps men and women coming out of jail to reform their lives, owns the building located at 813 Westchester Ave. in the Morrisania section of the borough.
They lease a portion of the bottom floor to the Word of Life Church, which operates a food pantry that feeds hundreds in the community every week.
Landlord Breaks Down Church's Door On Good Friday Over Rent Dispute
The organization claims the church is behind on its rent and started the eviction process last week.
"We worked for more than a year to resolve ongoing issues of non-payment with our tenant, but ultimately began eviction proceedings," the group said in a statement.
Marshals went to execute the warrant last Wednesday, but the church got an emergency stay order until April 7.
Osobrne said it hadn't received the papers when they noticed the church back in the building on Good Friday, which is when a representative from the group along with the NYPD came to see what was going on.
Rev. John Udo-Okon told 1010 WINS he was conducting Good Friday service when the property manager tried to break down the door with a sledgehammer.
"We were having service and we heard this heavy banging on the door and people began running," Udo-Okon said. "Children were running and my wife and I ran from the pulpit."
Udo-Okon said the two police officers had their guns drawn.
"We began to scream, 'please don't shoot,'" he said. "It was so terrifying. The whole church was sent panicking and running."
According to Osborne Association, "When knocks on the door went unanswered, police on the scene told our representative he was permitted to enter the premises."
Osborne Association representative John Valverde told CBS2's Scott Rapoport the organization was never notified that the church had received an emergency order allowing it to stay, and added that Osborne was within its rights to enter the premises.
"We did not know there was a stay that was granted earlier in the day," Valverde said. "We were not aware. We were not notified by the court."
As for the use of the sledge hammer, Valverde said "I have nothing else to add about that."
Once inside, they found rat infestation, illegal construction and wiring and rotting food, the nonprofit said.
"The tenant hasn't simply been unable to pay the rent, utilities, and insurance premiums, they have created a significant safety hazard in our building and unsafe conditions for members of our community," Osborne said in a statement.
While Osborne admits it wasn't the best timing, they said they're owed tens of thousands of dollars and as a nonprofit they can't continue operating without the money, 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck reported.
"The Osborne Association takes seriously our commitment to the community in which we work," the group said. "We are actively working to ensure that the needs of the community who relied on this food pantry are met."
Udo-Okon insists the church is up-to-date in its rent.
"We are paying them, we are current in our rent, they are lying and telling everybody that we are owing them is not true," he said.
During a hearing Tuesday, both sides agreed to settle the amount of outstanding rent, and the church is being allowed to stay at the location, CBS2 reported.
