In a surprising event, a man who had been living rent-free in a New York hotel for five years has recently been arrested.
Mickey Barreto, a man who exploited an obscure housing law, is now facing charges for his attempt to assert ownership over an entire hotel.
Mickey Barreto, aged 48, had been taking advantage of a local housing law to exploit the system.
Barreto's actions eventually caught up when he was apprehended on charges of filing false property records.
According to reports, he tried to claim complete ownership of the hotel, even going so far as to collect rent from another tenant.
Barreto and his boyfriend initially started living in the hotel room five years ago after paying $200 in rent.
Barreto claims that he learned about a law from his boyfriend that allowed individuals occupying single rooms in buildings constructed before 1969 to obtain a six-month lease.
However, when Barreto approached the hotel to request a lease based on this law, he was promptly evicted. Therefore, he decided to take the matter to court.
After going to court the next day, Barreto faced an initial denial from the judge.
However, he didn't give up and decided to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
Then, his appeal finally was successful. As a result, the hotel was compelled to provide Barreto with a key, granting him the right to reside in the building without any financial obligations.
Since then, he has been living in the hotel rent-free, enjoying the benefits of his legal triumph.
However, the situation took a strange twist when Barreto claimed ownership of the hotel in 2019.
Barreto made an attempt to falsify property records, seeking to transfer ownership of the hotel from its current owners, the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, to himself.
The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, strongly denounced Barreto's actions, accusing him of repeatedly and deceitfully asserting ownership of the famous New Yorker Hotel.
Bragg emphasized that such manipulation of the city's property records would not be tolerated, as it exploits the system for personal benefit.
The Unification Church has filed a lawsuit against Barreto in response to his claims, and the case is still ongoing.
However, Barreto affirmed that he never intended to commit fraud and argues that when he was given possession of the hotel room, he indirectly acquired the entire hotel due to the lack of subdivision.
When the police showed up at the hotel to apprehend Barreto, he mistaken it was a Valentine's Day prank arranged by his boyfriend.
He jokingly remarked that he initially thought his partner was trying to add excitement to their relationship until he noticed the presence of female officers.
