Take action for Santos Cruz, former tenant owed thousands in move-out payment
Former Tenant, Santos Cruz, Anxiously Awaits Move-Out Payment from Matthew Uriciuoli of Boston’s Best Development
Five working class families from El Salvador and Haiti have called Tremont Street their home for years. Matthew Urcioli of BBD Holdings LLC purchased their building in summer 2022, then swiftly hiked the rents by upwards of 74% and filed no-fault evictions. The tenants organized a union and fought back together, and with the community’s support, they were able to stay in their homes with a rent freeze for more than a year! But now, Urcioli is trying to deny the final family the move out payment that she is owed. Santos Cruz left her apartment in June 2023 and is still owed $7,000 — and we won’t stop organizing until she wins.
Support Santos, take action:
Join us virtually Tuesday, November 21 to flood Urciuoli’s office with calls, demanding that he pay Santos what she is owed. Register here to receive the Zoom link: www.bit.ly/PhoneBankForSantos
Sign our campaign petition (you will also receive future updates): www.bit.ly/TremontSt-Petition
More background information on Santos’ story:
While four of the five families successfully settled out of court, the case of Santos Cruz and her late husband, Carlos Salazar, was dismissed as the lawyers were drafting an agreement for her household. The agreement draft stipulated that Santos would be compensated $3,000 for moving out before November 1st, with an additional $1,000 per month if they moved out earlier than that. She vacated the building in June with the understanding that she would be paid the entire $7,000.
On August 9th we held a rally for Santos in Davis Square. That same day Santos, her lawyer and the landlord’s lawyer, Samuel Grossack, were called into court and the judge insisted that Grossack settle with Santos. Grossack claimed he would reach out to Santos’s counsel the week after to negotiate, but it’s been over 3 months and Grossack still has not put forth a reasonable offer to Santos. Matthew Urciuoli of BBD Holdings LLC and his lawyer Samuel Grossack are dragging their feet while Santos anxiously awaits the payment she expected to receive MONTHS ago.