*A New York-based couple have filed a lawsuit against the parents of actress Rosario Dawson, accusing them of conducting a “systematic and malicious” campaign to deny them a cheap apartment in the East Village building where the actress was raised.
According to the New York Post, Jeffrey Underwood and Amanda Davila allege Isabel and Gregory Dawson, “conspired to, by hook and by crook, covertly acquire” their flat.
“The Dawsons have engaged in similar conduct over many years, ultimately manipulating the City of New York … and taking for themselves property and rights that the city and organizations have attempted to and intended to provide for others,” legal papers claim.
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Per the New York Post:
The East 13th Street squatter’s apartment building has become a battleground between the Dawson clan and other residents who accuse the family of bullying their way into taking over more units.
Rosario Dawson moved into the dilapidated and abandoned building with her family in 1986. The family came and went over the years, relocating for a time to Texas. They held onto their fourth-floor apartment and managed to expand their holdings.
Isabel Dawson’s brother, Nicky Scott, moved into one unit and Rex Hughes, a family friend, installed himself in the basement.
Residents said Isabel Dawson, then living in a first-floor unit, jackhammered a hole in the floor in 2013, and installed a spiral staircase to create a duplex.
For some, it was a Dawson reign of terror.
“Isabel Dawson’s threatening and violent behavior have jeopardized the safety of the residents,” Alfa Diallo, then presidents of the Tenants’ Association, wrote in a 2001 letter as part of an effort to stop violence by the Dawsons.
The Underwoods claim they were forced to move out when the building was renovated in 2015.
The Dawsons allegedly promised that they could buy their flat at a discounted rate of $2,500 after the renovations were complete, but didn’t follow through. Now they are accused of trying to maintain control of the building meant for low-income families.
The lawsuit states: ‘The Dawsons have engaged in similar conduct over many years, ultimately manipulating the City of New York … and taking for themselves property and rights that the city and organizations have attempted to and intended to provide for others.’
The suit is seeking at least $250,000 in damages along with an apartment in the now-renovated building.
Read more here.
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