PICTURED: ‘Nightmare’ NYC ‘grifter’ roommate being evicted from West Village apartment complex three years after moving in and terrorizing her landlord by running up more than $72,000 in back rent
Three years after moving in, a ‘grifter’ roommate is evicted from a West Village apartment building for owing more than $72,000 in overdue rent and frightening the landlord.
Kate Gladstone became notorious in New York City for being a chronic squatter, but on Thursday she was evicted from the flat she occupied.
Photographers filmed
the moment 46-year-old Gladstone was removed from her residence after she moved into Heidi Russell’s flat without paying rent or leaving.
Russell’s nightmare began in 2019 when Gladstone moved in with her daughter and paid only one month’s rent before taking over a large portion of the apartment. Russell claimed Gladstone would spray her with cleaning chemicals and saturate door handles and doors with the liquid. Russell claimed she was experiencing financial hardship and therefore could not be evicted under global eviction laws.
A judge ordered the removal of a squatter who remained in a West Village apartment for two years despite being ordered to leave.
Kate Gladstone, 46, had lived in Heidi Russell’s West Village flat for more than three years prior to the arrival of New York City US Marshals who physically evicted her.
As Russell let the police into her Barrow Street residence while Gladstone appeared to be absent, photographers were on waiting to record the moment.
Several hours later, she was compelled to leave when a locksmith arrived to change the locks and a Marshall assisted in transporting a cart with Gladstone’s things.
Kate Gladstone peered out the window and saw the City Marshall preparing to evict her.
The New York City Marshall was then observed removing Gladstone’s belongings.
As she was forced to leave, Gladstone sought to conceal her face from a waiting photographer.
Outside the pad, a small crowd gathered to witness the antics for themselves.
Gladstone is accused of accumulating $72,000 in rent arrears and intimidating the woman who rented the property to her.
During the commotion, she peered out a side window to assess the situation.
Russell stated that the thief had rendered her landlady’s life intolerable.
She moved in with her daughter and dog in June of 2019. Russell’s mother became ill shortly thereafter, and Russell’s sister urged Gladstone to leave so she could live with her ailing mother, but Gladstone refused.
Gladstone was subsequently spotted walking her dog after being evicted from their West Village apartment.
A city marshal and locksmith were able to enter Gladstone’s flat while he was away.
Landlady Heidi Russell is observed following Gladstone’s expulsion, a burden lifted from her shoulders.
The despicable squatter paid only one month’s rent of $2,000 before citing financial hardship to prevent her eviction.
In March 2020, the COVID outbreak prompted a state moratorium on evictions, rendering it impossible to dismiss tenants.
This prohibition was repealed early this month, putting an end to Russell’s suffering, which required her to pace the streets to avoid running into Gladstone in her rented apartment.
Gladstone has pledged to challenge the verdict, but it appears unlikely that she will be able to return to Russell’s flat.
She hid her face and refused to reply when confronted; she was photographed as she was ejected.
A judge has ruled that Kate Gladstone can be evicted from the flat she illegally occupied, moving her kid there and refusing to leave despite not paying rent.
Russell has been forced to live with Kate Gladstone for more than three years, and according to Russell, Gladstone “made me homeless throughout the epidemic.”
Gladstone exploded, saying, “No, no, impossible, you’re going to destroy my life!” Russell stated to the New York Post, “I will not be leaving.”
Russell asserted in court documents that Gladstone supported her claim by relocating her daughter into the room she was renting while she slept in the living room.
According to the documents, Gladstone also threatened to sue Russell and placed boxes of her belongings into the living room.
Despite Russell’s request, Gladstone refused to leave, ceased paying rent, and attempted to claim the apartment as her own.
But on August 5, Housing Court Judge Evon M. Asforis ordered that Gladstone must be removed from the flat because she had made Russell’s life “intolerable.”
According to court filings from 2019, when Russell initially sued Gladstone, the new roommate took over the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, uninstalled the smoke detectors, and scribbled bizarre messages on the walls.
Russell stated last year, “We’re well over $50,000 in debt and expanding every month due to all of this things.” We cannot leave the decision to a single judge. This is my existence and our house. It’s as though they don’t care.’
According to the lawsuit Russell filed, Gladstone would shower Russell with cleaning chemicals and soak door handles and doors with the liquid.
According to the lawsuit, Russell also claimed that self-described documentary filmmaker Gladstone would spray her with cleaning chemicals and saturate door handles and doors with the liquid.
Russell stated that she resorted to using the restroom at friends’ homes or local laundromats, and wore headphones when she returned home to avoid interacting with Gladstone and her kid.
Russell claimed that one of Gladstone’s tendencies was to sit in the dark and videotape her when he returned home.
Russell claimed the newspaper that Gladstone stole her food, harassed her when she used the restroom or kitchen, and allowed her dog to defecate in the apartment. Russell stated that Gladstone also accused her of frightening her daughter.
Russell stated that Gladstone was scheduled to be evicted from her home in March, but the coronavirus prevented it, as courts prohibited evictions during the pandemic.
Russell stated that she would be need to leave her residence throughout the day in order to avoid Gladstone.
“During the pandemic, she has rendered me homeless,” Russell told the newspaper. “I’m on the street with my mask and my elderly dog in a carriage.” It has completely consumed our life.’
Even Gladstone’s face was splashed on neighborhood-wide posters with the hashtag ‘#WestVillageGrifter’ and a warning to other homeowners to ‘please tell your neighbors’
129 Barrow Street was intended to be a temporary residence for Gladstone, but she utilized the eviction moratorium to continue making Russell’s life “unbearable.”
Russell stated that in order to avoid Gladstone, she would have to leave her flat during the day.
Russell stated that she was stuck with Gladstone until the woman abruptly disappeared for 17 days in July.
Russell stated that she changed the locks at that time out of concern that Gladstone may have shared the keys with someone else. When Gladstone returned and was unable to re-enter the apartment she was allegedly squatting in, she filed a petition with the housing court alleging she had been unlawfully shut out.
A judge ruled that Russell must allow Gladstone back into her home, and that only city marshals have the authority to remove her.
Gladstone misused the eviction moratorium that was put in place during the epidemic by saying she was experiencing financial hardship, which halted the case for several months.
According to court documents obtained by the newspaper, she has been accused of squatting, harassing landlords, and refusing to pay rent. She has also been arrested twice, once for alleged stalking and again for forgery and grand larceny after allegedly stealing an ex’s credit card and using it to pay for hotel rooms.
Matt Titus, an author and matchmaker who rented Gladstone his West Village apartment in 2017, stated to the newspaper that she is “one of the most cruel, horrible people I’ve ever met.”
He alleged that she and her kid camped in his flat for months, damaging his credit and putting him $20,000 in debt.
Prospective landlords have been told to be on the lookout for Gladstone out of concern that she will strike again and make the lives of others miserable.