The Lichys of Real Housewives of New York City fame are facing major legal drama with their landlord. It’s a mess, but as the details unfold, Erin Lichy seems less concerned about the legal drama and more worried about the court of public opinion.
Erin and Abe Lichy promise that they’re not skipping out on rent. They can pay it; but they chose not to. The RHONY star took to Instagram to share her side of the dispute, and she really wants Bravo fans to know that there’s much more to the story.
Here’s what she had to say about the current situation.
Erin claps back over claims of unpaid rent
According to legal documents, Erin and Abe Lichy owe their landlord a whopping $43,950 in unpaid rent. The landlord said that the couple has been leasing an apartment in New York City since July 2019, but between October 2021 and July 2023, they failed to pay their rent on several occasions. However, Erin claimed she intentionally withheld the rent because the landlord neglected their building.
“Unfortunately, NYC has a serious issue with landlords neglecting their buildings and their basic responsibilities to provide adequate living for their tenants,” Erin wrote.
She proceeded to say that her landlord left their apartment with serious maintenance issues that went unaddressed. She said they spent months in an “unfit apartment with broken promises.”
The lawyer made her do it
They ended up spending their own money to make repairs to the apartment. With no help from the landlord, they hired a “well-known tenant attorney.” The attorney advised them to withhold rent until the landlord remedied the issues.
“We continued to follow up for months to resolve the issue. There was zero response and we have receipts to process that we tried to rectify before moving,” Erin explained.
She continued, “It’s been 6 months with no communication until this week when they filed a lawsuit. This could have been settled amicably if they would have responded to any of our outreach. As someone who works in real estate and has been a landlord, I am appalled at his behavior, yet not surprised.”
Erin tried to relate her struggle to the common people of New York City. She explained how this is a widespread issue that doesn’t discriminate. She’s just one of the few people fortunate enough to have the cash, influence, and real-estate background to fight back. She said she’s hopeful her situation serves as a learning lesson for landlords to take better care of their buildings.
The Real Housewives of New York City is currently available to stream on Peacock and Hayu.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT ERIN FELT COMPELLED TO POST THIS EXPLANATION OF HER LEGAL DRAMA? DO YOU THINK THE LICHYS WILL BE ABLE TO SETTLE THIS DISPUTE OUT OF COURT?
