Sharif El-Gamal, developer of Ground Zero mosque, evicted from SoHo office for racking up back rent
UPDATED AT BOTTOM OF POSTRead more:
Sharif el-Gamal, developer of the mosque near Ground Zero, is being evicted from his office in SoHo for racking up $39,000 in back rent.
The developer of the Ground Zero mosque is being bounced from his SoHo office, the Daily News has learned.Sharif El-Gamal, who runs the real estate firm Soho Properties and is heading the project two blocks from Ground Zero, was slapped with eviction proceedings last month after tallying up $39,000 in back rent, a Manhattan Housing Court filing shows.The management company that runs 552 Broadway, where El-Gamal leases space, said in the filing that he was warned in July and given until mid-August to pay up.But when the August deadline passed, management company Royal Crospin Corp. filed the eviction notice.It's not the first time El-Gamal's company has fallen behind in rent.Royal Crospin sued Soho Properties last year for nearly $89,000 in back rent. El-Gamal's firm paid $56,000 to settle.Even before eviction proceedings began, El-Gamal's lease was to expire this Oct. 31.Soho Properties said it has had a number of problems with the leased space, but expects to settle out of court.
UPDATE - dot . . .dot . . .connecting . . .
Notice how el-Gamal, elZanaty, and Rauf are all financial fraudsters? They wheel and deal and reneg on terms, settle and get a much better deal in the process. Some even at taxpayer expense? [Recall this recent galling headline Ground Zero Muslim center may get public financing]
Slumlord Rauf ". . .received $80,000 in city funds, $384,000 from the Union City’s Community Development Agency, $1.3 million in construction loans from the Hudson County’s affordable-housing trust fund, and $630,900 from the state.
Rauf’s one time business partner James Cockinos sued him in 2008, alleging fraud, according to his Attorney Richard Rosa.
According to Rosa, 14 years ago Rauf received a $250,000 mortgage for the building from Cockinos, which he paid dutifully for 11 years. The suit alleged that without telling Cockinos, Rauf transferred ownership to Sage Developments and obtained a $650,000 mortgage on the same building. Then after the building was damaged by a fire, Rauf and Khan stopped making payments and Cockinos tried to foreclose on the property, only to learn the building’s ownership had changed."
Where'd all that money go?
7 comments:
dot . . .dot . . .connecting . . .
Notice how el-Gamal, elZanaty, and Rauf are all financial fraudsters? They wheel and deal and reneg on terms, settle and get a much better deal in the process. Some even at taxpayer expense? [Recall this recent galling headline Ground Zero Muslim center may get public financing]
Slumlord Rauf ". . .received $80,000 in city funds, $384,000 from the Union City’s Community Development Agency, $1.3 million in construction loans from the Hudson County’s affordable-housing trust fund, and $630,900 from the state.
Rauf’s one time business partner James Cockinos sued him in 2008, alleging fraud, according to his Attorney Richard Rosa.
According to Rosa, 14 years ago Rauf received a $250,000 mortgage for the building from Cockinos, which he paid dutifully for 11 years. The suit alleged that without telling Cockinos, Rauf transferred ownership to Sage Developments and obtained a $650,000 mortgage on the same building. Then after the building was damaged by a fire, Rauf and Khan stopped making payments and Cockinos tried to foreclose on the property, only to learn the building’s ownership had changed."
Where'd all that money go?
Another blogger provides the following Bizarre Background: "Who is Sharif El-Gamal then? It seems, according to various New York police records and the research of a Florida private detective on behalf of clients who claim to have been defrauded by the El-Gamal group, that Sharif El-Gamal has a rather dubious background, for someone who is the mogul of a $100 million real estate deal. Sharif is in a partnership with his brother, Sammy El-Gamal, and Nour Mousa, nephew of Amr Moussa, an Egyptian diplomat and the Secretary General of the Arab League.
In November 2009, it was reported that the firm spent $45.7 million to buy 31 West 27th Street in New York City, a 12-story 10,000 m2 office building. El-Gamal said: "We just bought it for the income. It's got great long-term leases, and the financing was really attractive.” In a depressed New York real estate market, the El-Gamal brothers seem not to be such shrewd businessmen. They reportedly bought it from the Witkoff Group, which had bought the building in 2006 for $31.5 million, during the book in New York real estate.
Then in July 2009, Soho bought the 47–51 Park Place building on the site of the planned Cordoba House, now referred to as the "Ground Zero Mosque" and "Park51", to allegedly build a $100 million, 13-story, glass and steel Islamic cultural center and mosque that is in the planning stage. Soho Properties paid the owner $4.85 million in cash for the property.
Waiters into real estate tycoons
The question being asked is where did the large sums of money come from for the two El-Gamal brothers? It seems they are anything but your typical New York millionaire real estate tycoons. Their backgrounds suggest more apprentices in a new Godfather film as petty mobsters-in-training.
According to an article in the New York Post, Hisham Elzanaty, one of the money men behind the developer of the “Ground Zero” mosque was sued for allegedly defrauding an insurance company for nearly $1.8 million, according to court documents. Elzanaty, who reportedly owns medical companies that operate out of a building in the Bronx, allegedly billed State Farm Insurance for unnecessary tests related to automobile accidents that would maximize the insurance payout, the court papers say. Elzanaty, who was reportedly a "significant investor" in mosque developer Sharif el-Gamal's $4.8 million mosque project, was also ordered to repay $331,000 after an audit showed Medicaid had overpaid him.
The El-Gamal brothers seem to be cut of a similar sleazy cloth. According to Florida private investigator Bill Warner and to various New York reports, there is an investigation ongoing into Sammy and Sharif El-Gamal of the SOHO Properties by the New York State Dept of Licensing in Manhattan for non-payment of apartment rental deposits to customers that were supposed to be in escrow.
Court records from Florida to New York State reveal that Sharif and his younger brother, Samir "Sammy" El-Gamal, 35, a partner with him in his company SoHo Properties, both have a history of numerous tax and debt issues, dating from at least 1994 to the present. In one case, a NY Police officer arrested Sharif in 1994 for “promoting prostitution.” He pleaded guilty to a mis-demeanor of disorderly conduct. In another instance, Sharif told a court he didn't hit a tenant from whom his brother and he were trying to collect back rent. He said to police, the tenant's "face could have run into my hand."
The brothers’ background does not suggest billionaire real estate project preparation. Sharif waited tables at the restaurant Serafina, while Sammy waited tables at Tao. Then Sharif worked as a waiter at Michael Jordan’s, named after basketball star. But he, ostensibly a devout muslim, was fired for arriving reeking of alcohol, among other things. This is around when Sharif started acquiring a criminal record, say people familiar with his career."
http://www.billwarnerpi.com/
It's not the first time El-Gamal's company has fallen behind in rent. Royal Crospin sued Soho Properties last year for nearly $89,000 in back rent. El-Gamal's firm paid $56,000 to settle.
EXCLUSIVE New York State Division of Licensing Real Estate is Investigating Ground Zero Mosque Developer Sharif el-Gamal and SOHO Properties, Sharif El-Gamal’s links to NYC Muslim Underworld and Arrest History
The New York State Division of Licensing Real Estate is investigating Ground Zero Mosque Developer Sharif el-Gamal and SOHO Properties for non-payment of deposits on apartments that were supposedly held in escrow. Sharif el-Gamal and Sammy el-Gamal of SOHO Properties were unable to repay a client in NYC (my confidential informant) $6,2000 that was in escrow for an apartment in Manhattan that Sharif el-Gamal could not get ready for occupancy.
Name: SOHO PROPERTIES INC
License Type: Principal Office:Princ Off
License Number: 109906423
License Status: Current
Main Address Address: 552 BROADWAY STE 6N
NEW YORK , NY
Phone Number: 917-957-8020 T-Mobile Cell phone
Related Party Name License Type Address License Expiry Date
ELGAMAL, SAMMY M Associate Broker:Assoc. Broker
552 BROADWAY STE 6N
NEW YORK , NY
Expires 10/13/2011
Related Party Name License Type Address License Expiry Date
EL GAMAL, SHARIF M Corporate Broker:Corp. Broker
552 BROADWAY STE 6N
NEW YORK , NY
Expires 10/22/2011
There appears to be several other clients who could not get back depostis that were held by Sharif el-Gamal and SOHO Properties, and yet Sharif El-Gamal and SOHO Properties could supposedly shell out $4,800,000 for 45-47 Park Place the site of what is to become the Ground Zero Mosque, can anyone say “straw buyers”.
they the THEY know how to work the system-alright!!!
carol-CS
Can all this actually GET ANY MORE RIDICULOUS?
Bloomberg and his ilk are a perfect explanation of what happened in Delaware last night.
The political class is living in a dream world.
They have NOTHING in common with us
ANYMORE
BYE BYE
Can all this actually GET ANY MORE RIDICULOUS?
Bloomberg and his ilk are a perfect explanation of what happened in Delaware last night.
The political class is living in a dream world.
They have NOTHING in common with us
ANYMORE
BYE BYE
The financial shenanigans here constitute the 21st century JIZYA, with the infidel taxpayers footing the bill.
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