Coin-operated laundry in Brooklyn apartment building at center of dispute
A series of non-working washers and dryers in an Ocean Avenue apartment complex caused a landlord to attempt to terminate a lease contract and demand monies from the washer and dryer leasing company. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Carolyn Demarest found instead that it was the landlord who was in fault.
Oceans 2, LLC, manages a residential building at 2011 Ocean Ave. in Brooklyn. In 2010, Oceans 2 leased washers and dryers from Fowler Route Company with the express written understanding that Fowler was responsible for maintaining the washers and dryers and for making any and all necessary repairs after receiving notice from Oceans 2.
Around Feb. 6, 2013, Oceans 2 sent notice to Fowler that a number of the machines had broken down. Fowler immediately repaired the machines, only to have additional machines break down shortly after the repair visit. Rather than advising Fowler that new repairs were needed, Oceans 2 sent Fowler a formal Notice to Cure. The April 2013 notice stated that Fowler “repeatedly and chronically failed to promptly repair the washing machines and dryers on the premises, leaving the residential tenants … without adequate laundry service for extended periods of time.”