Manhattan barber shop owners in eviction fight say landlord went back on agreement

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, Manhattan (PIX11) -- Longtime barber Sammy Jimenez kept his tools and his skills sharp Monday inside the otherwise sleeping All-Star Barber Shop in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan.

"It's just been very difficult to have some consistency in the barber shop," said Sammy.

Sammy and his brother Victor blame their building’s management company, SDG Management Corporation.

"They doubled my rent -- $11,000 for the rent -- and I've been paying $5,100," said Victor.

So the Jimenez brothers reluctantly agreed to a painful compromise.

"We had an agreement that we were going to take half the space," said Victor.

The brothers said that after they agreed to partition their business, the landlords then reneged on their agreement, temporarily shut off their electricity, and filed eviction.

"From the beginning, I thought we had good faith and good terms," said Sammy.

The partition forced a major downsizing – from 16 to eights chairs; a business effectively cut in half, not just the size of the shop but also its energy and profits, according to Victor.

"Actually our income is down. We are unable to pay our bills," said Victor.

PIX11 News spoke on the phone with the brothers' contact at SDG Management.

"There's nothing else to talk to you about. I'll have somebody reach out to you. Thank you," said the representative.

When PIX11 News visited SDG's offices at the Washington Heights address listed on Google, there was no SDG signage, and yet another address -- in Midtown -- was printed on a small notice taped to the wall.

The ordeal is taking its toll.

"It's been a ride since September. It's just been emotional and I go up and down, and I hold on to the Lord," said Victor.

PIX11 News has yet to hear from the management company. Both SDG and the brothers are now suing each other in court. The brothers are due back in court next month as they continue trying to fight for their business and against their eviction.

The Jimenez brothers have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover their rising legal costs as they fight to keep their shop. You can find the GoFundMe link here.