New York City Landlord Embroiled in Controversy Over Stolen Cat

Rockrose Development Protects Tenant With Stolen Cat: Landlord Refuses Requests to Help Retrieve Stolen Cat-Desperate Owners Turn to Retired NYPD Detective for Help

New York (PRWEB) March 20, 2005 -- What began as just another missing cat story has turned into a well-known New York City landlords refusal to investigate stolen property in one of its Hells Kitchen properties.

Rockrose Development Corp. (Rockrose") has gone out of its way to thwart a communitys efforts to bring a stolen cat back to its owners-Rockroses tenants-after the owners received a note from another tenant in the building acknowledging the theft. The cat, Penelope," was stolen at Rockroses apartment building at 410 West 53rd Street in Hells Kitchen.

Penelope disappeared last month, prompting the couple who adopted her from the city shelter last year, Katherine DePasquale and Alex Martinez, to launch a neighborhood search. After a week of handing out flyers noting a $1,000 reward, they began knocking door-to-door within their building-and received the surprise of their life the next day in the form of a note from another neighbor in the building who acknowledged taking the cat. The note read, in part:

Blackie is safe and warm with me and my family....The reward is of no consequence compared to the amount of love and joy she brings....I know this will not assuage your grief, but know she is well looked after, loved and always will be."

Rockrose confirmed that no outside individuals gained access to the 24-hour doorman building during the hours in which the note was slipped under the door.

Alex Martinez says, Penelope is a friendly cat, but she is an indoor-only cat-while it is possible that she somehow got past the doorman and left the building, my belief from the beginning has been that another tenant took her in."

Police were called to the scene but were not able to identify the author of the note-or the apartment with the stolen cat. Ms. DePasquale and Mr. Martinez have since hired Retired NYPD Detective Greg Walsh to determine which of the 222 apartments in their building may be illegally holding Penelope.

Since the ransom note," Rockrose has demanded that Ms. DePasquale and Mr. Martinez remove all flyers from the building, citing a clause in the lease which prohibits solicitation. They have refused requests to simply ask the doormen on duty to keep an eye out for someone sneaking the cat in or out of the building. They have even gone so far as to ask Ms. DePasquale and Mr. Martinez not to knock on other tenants doors, despite the fact that law enforcement believes it is the only way to keep the pressure on the cat thief.

Katherine DePasquale says, We were led to believe we were moving into a luxury building last year with caring, attentive staff. Instead, what we got was a property manager who has screamed at me in front of both other tenants and building staff for things as minor as posting flyers, politely knocking on our neighbors doors and walking through the public areas of the building. We have been shocked and baffled by Rockroses outright refusal to allow us to search for our cat-especially their refusal to address what is considered a crime in New York State, happening right on their property."

Retired Det. Greg Walsh said, I spent 26 years as a detective in New York, and I can tell you from experience that these situations typically escalate. Stolen property, notes slipped under doors-these things can quickly turn into threatening behavior or damage to other property. And we all know that for people who may be cruel or abusive to animals, such behavior is often only the beginning of things to come."

Despite Rockroses refusal to help find their stolen cat, Ms. DePasquale and Mr. Martinez refuse to give up. Penelope has a sister at home, who cries for her daily. We adopted them together so they would have each other as companions," says Mr. Martinez. It is hard for us to understand why Rockrose would go out of its way to thwart our efforts to reunite them."

For further information, contact Katherine DePasquale at 917-576-2753 or Alex Martinez at 917-674-7192. They can also be reached at saveourcat@gmail.com.

# # #

Notes for Editors:
1. Penelope has been missing since February 21st.
2. A reward of $1,000 has been offered for Penelopes return.
3. Midwest Court presents itself as a "luxury" 222-apartment building with 24-hour doorman service, and is located at 410 West 53rd Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues) in New York City.
4. Rockrose Development Corp. is located at 290 Park Avenue South and can be reached at 212-984-1744. Please feel free to contact Mike Brady to ask how they are progressing this matter on behalf of their tenants.