Juliya Fulman and Denis Kurlyand, owners of a Queens duplex worth $930,000, are currently embattled with shocking lawsuits from alleged squatters refusing to vacate their Lakeside Avenue investment property.
The Kurlyand couple has been dragged into court, transforming victims into defendants, with legal bills already escalating beyond $4,000. Expressing profound irritation and disbelief, Juliya Fulman questioned the fairness of the city's laws that insufficiently defend homeowners against such odd circumstances.
Duplex Dreams Turned Nightmare
Highlighting the root of their predicament, Denis Kurlyand referred to the settlers as opportunists exploiting flaws in city laws. Their property was initially meant for rent before the distressing encroachment began.
After spending approximately $530,000 on renovations, the married couple secured tenants for both rental units. However, on March 5, their real-estate broker, Ejona Bardhi, discovered a disturbing unauthorized change in the property's locks.
An Uncalled Invasion
Upon returning to the property after discerning the unauthorized lock switch, Bardhi noticed a man's silhouette through the house window. At the sight of the intruder, outfitted in a hooded sweatshirt and wielding a drill, Bardhi retreated to call the police. Once alerted, the squatters tried to scare her away.
Upon the arrival of the police, two alleged squatters, Lance Hunt Sr. and Rondie L. Francis, claimed to have inhabited the property since January but failed to provide convincing evidence. After their exit, the owners expressed their intention to regain control by changing the locks. However, the police officers threatened them with possible arrest if such action was taken.
Only two weeks later, another homeowner in Queens faced a similar predicament and was eventually arrested for changing her house locks. This incident set a frightful precedent for the Kurlyand couple.
Questionable Claims and Court Cases
When the reported squatters returned the next day, they presented a supposed lease agreement signed by Bardhi. The Kurlyands, however, were ready. They promptly provided the officers with ownership documents and timestamped videos to prove that the house was previously vacant.
After the police escorted the men from the property, the couple found their newly renovated home marred by the squatters' disregard for property. Despite the significant unpleasant changes, the homeowners believed they could put this ordeal behind them.
However, a new development surfaced only ten days later when Bardhi and Kurlyands were served with court documents. Notably, the two men were now suing them alongside the real-estate company managing the site, Top Nest Properties.
During the emergency lockout hearing granted to the squatters on March 22 in Queens Civil Court, Rizpah Morrow, the couple's lawyer, sought a trial, arguing the men had perpetrated fraud.
The conflict peaked when the alleged squatters showed up at court with a collection of "forged documents." Kurlyand minced no words in disparaging them for putting together a patchwork of public records and hastily photoshopped images.
Denis Kurlyand cried for an overhaul of the current court system. He lamented the system's unfavorable bias toward landlords who may take years to evict illegal occupants. The couple was slated to attend court again on April 5. Until then, they must tread carefully and wait for the verdict.
