Apartment at Senior Housing Facility Taken Over by Ragers and ‘Lewd’ Behavior, Lawsuit Claims

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A man who reportedly leased an apartment at a senior housing facility on the Upper East Side, even though he was too young to qualify, is being sued (along with his mother) for at least $2 million by the nonprofit that runs the building.

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According to the lawsuit, which Curbed was first to report, the James Lenox House Association is suing John Carley Jr. and his mother, Catherine Carley, for allegedly lying on an apartment application so that Carley Jr. could live in a unit meant for moderate-income seniors.

The apartment is located at 49 East 73rd Street (between Park and Madison avenues), a 12-story, 99-unit building designed for people 55 and older. The senior housing nonprofit offers rents well below market rate—just $1,494 a month, in this case.

Court documents filed in New York State Supreme Court on May 14 claim Catherine and her now-deceased husband John Sr. applied for a lease in 2018, citing a combined income of just under $90,000. But rather than moving in, they allegedly allowed their adult son—who does not meet the age requirements—to occupy the apartment.

Neighbors quickly took notice. “She came once, I think, and joined the tenants’ association,” longtime resident Rosemarie Aldin, 86, told Curbed. “Or pretended to.” Aldin described John Jr. as “very tall, very noisy, full of beer and pot.”

The lawsuit further alleges that Carley Jr. hosted disruptive parties, behaved inappropriately in common areas, and ultimately stopped paying rent in May 2021. The nonprofit began eviction proceedings that summer, but Carley reportedly remained in the unit for nearly three more years.

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The James Lenox House Association is now seeking more than $77,000 in unpaid rent, plus legal fees and damages. In a previous eviction case, Carley Jr. denied all accusations of lewd conduct, substance use, and noise complaints.

“Not only was J. Carley an unauthorized occupant pursuant to Sections 3 and 7 of the Lease, but he also constituted a nuisance in the Apartment,” the lawsuit claims. “J. Carley and his unauthorized guests were regularly smoking cigarettes and marijuana in and around the Apartment causing smoke to emanate into common areas and other (1a1,611) tenants’ apartments, contrary to the rules of the Building. Moreover, J. Carley held loud and boisterous parties in the Apartment and frequently engaged in lewd and offensive behavior in communal areas.”

The James Lenox House is typically known for its quiet atmosphere and extensive waitlist. Residents enjoy a rare blend of affordability and amenities, including a library, on-site hairdresser, and cultural excursions. “In the middle of Madison Avenue, it’s not bad,” Aldin said.

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