Would this be considered blackmail?

[fstep2]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY

My question involves criminal law for the state of: NY

My roommates are requesting me to make a significant increase in my rent (one that's not proportionate to each room) after 2 years that go against the agreement we had when we first signed the lease. It's not an increase I can afford, so essentially i'll be forced to move out.

Catch is our apartment has an "illegal" wall unit that was built since we moved in. Without this wall unit they can't rent the apartment to anyone else. Would it be considered blackmail if I threaten to notify the management about the wall unit unless they agree to let me pay my equal share of the rent?

 

[Antigone*]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY

My question involves criminal law for the state of: NY

My roommates are requesting me to make a significant increase in my rent (one that's not proportionate to each room) after 2 years that go against the agreement we had when we first signed the lease. It's not an increase I can afford, so essentially i'll be forced to move out.

Catch is our apartment has an "illegal" wall unit that was built since we moved in. Without this wall unit they can't rent the apartment to anyone else. Would it be considered blackmail if I threaten to notify the management about the wall unit unless they agree to let me pay my equal share of the rent?

You'll have to move anyway... So why make waves, just move.

 

[fstep2]

I won't have to move anyway. Without the wall they all lose the place, so it makes sense for them to drop the price in order to keep the wall. So I want to know if threatening to rat them out about the wall would be classified as blackmail.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

" So I want to know if threatening to rat them out about the wall would be classified as blackmail. "

Yep.

 

[BL]

I won't have to move anyway. Without the wall they all lose the place, so it makes sense for them to drop the price in order to keep the wall. So I want to know if threatening to rat them out about the wall would be classified as blackmail.

You need to explain better.

Who is on the actual lease ?

Who are you renting from?

If it's illegal to have a wall installed and charge you rent for a space ,tell m to shove it.

You can always call code inspections.

As was said though ,you all may have to move.

You do not give enough detail.

No long stories either.

 

[fstep2]

3 people on the lease, we're renting from a large company that has several skyscrapers in nyc.

You can't tell them to shove it, because it says on the lease we can't have this wall here and without it you really can't live here. It's a 2 bedroom that was converted into 3 with the use of the wall, if you take it down or install one they allow the 3rd person has 0 privacy. Simply put if the wall goes everyone goes.

The story is quite simple. The other 2 roommates agreed to a certain gap in price between the 3 of us. 1 of them now has college loans to pay and can't cover his end so he wants me to make up for it, which is obviously bs. the other roommate has been best friends with him long before we knew each other so he's on his side.

So the situation is simple. My only way to bring the rent down now is by threatening to report them unless they bring the price to what it should be. I don't want to put myself in a position of being sued for blackmail, so i'm asking if this qualifies considering i'm not really asking them to give me anything extra, but rather just allow me to pay my fair share.

 

[BL]

3 people on the lease, we're renting from a large company that has several skyscrapers in nyc.

You can't tell them to shove it, because it says on the lease we can't have this wall here and without it you really can't live here. It's a 2 bedroom that was converted into 3 with the use of the wall, if you take it down or install one they allow the 3rd person has 0 privacy. Simply put if the wall goes everyone goes.

The story is quite simple. The other 2 roommates agreed to a certain gap in price between the 3 of us. 1 of them now has college loans to pay and can't cover his end so he wants me to make up for it, which is obviously bs. the other roommate has been best friends with him long before we knew each other so he's on his side.

So the situation is simple. My only way to bring the rent down now is by threatening to report them unless they bring the price to what it should be. I don't want to put myself in a position of being sued for blackmail, so i'm asking if this qualifies considering i'm not really asking them to give me anything extra, but rather just allow me to pay my fair share.

It's not black mail. Tell them to live with it ,or you all go if rent isn't pd. You really want to live like this ?

 

[FarmerJ]

Ive seen them wall systems on the net where there is nothing screwed to the structure ( so this lease really bans them ? ) are all of you on the lease ? You wrote > The other 2 roommates agreed to a certain gap in price between the 3 of us. < I so how much was each persons share in the past ? and what will it be now? and L0L which two are occupying the actual bedrooms ? are all three areas used as bedrooms about the same size ?

 

[fstep2]

Ive seen them wall systems on the net where there is nothing screwed to the structure ( so this lease really bans them ? ) are all of you on the lease ? You wrote > The other 2 roommates agreed to a certain gap in price between the 3 of us. < I so how much was each persons share in the past ? and what will it be now? and L0L which two are occupying the actual bedrooms ? are all three areas used as bedrooms about the same size ?

it's nyc, there're different regulations here. the wall that is allowed is no different than living with a curtain. yes everyone is on the lease. the rents are 1250, 1450, and 1550. The rent is going up 275 and the other people want me (the 1250$ room) to take all of it. The reasoning is that my room is 2nd biggest (it's really like an inch bigger than the 1450 one) but we all agreed that because i have no real wall there should be a $200 difference between.

 

[quincy]

it's nyc, there're different regulations here. the wall that is allowed is no different than living with a curtain. yes everyone is on the lease. the rents are 1250, 1450, and 1550. The rent is going up 275 and the other people want me (the 1250$ room) to take all of it. The reasoning is that my room is 2nd biggest (it's really like an inch bigger than the 1450 one) but we all agreed that because i have no real wall there should be a $200 difference between.

It is not blackmail. I suggest you either pay the increase to stay in the place, or move. If you carry out your threat to report the illegal wall, you will be forced to move anyway - and when you move, you will be moving without roommates to share in the cost of a new place.

New York City rents are ridiculous.

 

[BL]

it's nyc, there're different regulations here. the wall that is allowed is no different than living with a curtain. yes everyone is on the lease. the rents are 1250, 1450, and 1550. The rent is going up 275 and the other people want me (the 1250$ room) to take all of it. The reasoning is that my room is 2nd biggest (it's really like an inch bigger than the 1450 one) but we all agreed that because i have no real wall there should be a $200 difference between.

How can you all be charged separate rent ,but be all on the lease responsible for the full amount ?

Wish FA had a light bulb icon.

 

[Zigner]

How can you all be charged separate rent ,but be all on the lease responsible for the full amount ?

Wish FA had a light bulb icon.

I understood this to mean that there is one main lease with the LL and that each of the tenants listed on the lease came up with an agreement on the amounts each would pay towards that.

 

[fstep2]

How can you all be charged separate rent ,but be all on the lease responsible for the full amount ?

Wish FA had a light bulb icon.

we are all charged one amount but we split it amongst ourselves per an agreement we made 2 years ago, which my roommates now want to change...

 

[BL]

we are all charged one amount but we split it amongst ourselves per an agreement we made 2 years ago, which my roommates now want to change...

It doesn't matter what agreement you 3 came up with, understand ?

The rent has to be pd. in whole per lease .

Tell the other tenants to pound sand. You will NOT make up for their shortfalls.

 

[fstep2]

It doesn't matter what agreement you 3 came up with, understand ?

The rent has to be pd. in whole per lease .

Tell the other tenants to pound sand. You will NOT make up for their shortfalls.

i explained over and over why that's not an option for me. i just need to know if i can threaten the wall thing without getting in legal trouble