I think it's important to realize that some people can be intellectually very smart, and also intellectually very deluded and challenged at the same time. These people often end up being charged,...
I think it's important to realize that some people can be intellectually very smart, and also intellectually very deluded and challenged at the same time.
These people often end up being charged, convicted, and jailed. It is very sad that there is no better answer for these people in America, other than jail them.
The article narrates the bizarre and prolonged saga of Mickey Barreto, who checked into the New Yorker Hotel in 2018 and managed to stay for five years without paying more than his initial night's fee of $200.57, a situation that now risks his freedom. Barreto, a California transplant with a penchant for conspiracy theories, exploited an obscure New York City rent law to claim residency in the hotel, leading to a complex legal battle. Born in Brazil and having moved to the U.S. in the 1990s, Barreto's actions ranged from demanding a lease from the hotel under the Rent Stabilization Act to eventually filing paperwork that falsely declared him the owner of the hotel, causing significant legal and financial ramifications for the establishment.
Despite being ordered by a judge to vacate and the hotel's efforts to counter his claims, Barreto continued to assert ownership, involving various city departments and even the property's lender and diner within the hotel premises in his scheme. His justification for these actions included a convoluted belief in his patriotic duty to prevent the hotel's alleged financial contributions to North Korea, alongside a deep dive into his own genealogy linking him to historical figures.
The legal battles culminated in Barreto being arrested and charged with multiple counts of fraud, facing years in prison. Throughout this ordeal, Barreto utilized the legal system and bureaucratic processes to his advantage, leaving a trail of bewildered legal professionals, city officials, and hotel staff. This case highlights not only the individual's audacious use of law and public records but also the vulnerabilities within these systems that allowed such an unprecedented claim to temporarily succeed.
It was sounding like the lease had a pretty gnarly rate. I mean like 6 years of no-rent should have more than made up for that, but once you've been spoiled like that, have fun with the $2000 a month
It was sounding like the lease had a pretty gnarly rate.
I mean like 6 years of no-rent should have more than made up for that, but once you've been spoiled like that, have fun with the $2000 a month
The wording isn't super clear, but it sounds like later offers were in fact pretty cheap (and it's not totally clear if the first offer wasn't cheap either -- he seems slightly unreliable in his...
The hotel’s first offer of a lease, according to him, exceeded the legal rent for a rent-stabilized room. He also declined additional offers over the years, claiming he was concerned about the church’s finances.
The wording isn't super clear, but it sounds like later offers were in fact pretty cheap (and it's not totally clear if the first offer wasn't cheap either -- he seems slightly unreliable in his recounting of events) and he was refusing them in favour of squatting.
I think it's important to realize that some people can be intellectually very smart, and also intellectually very deluded and challenged at the same time.
These people often end up being charged, convicted, and jailed. It is very sad that there is no better answer for these people in America, other than jail them.
What really gets me is he had it made — they offered him the lease, and he turned it down to go full crazy instead.
It was sounding like the lease had a pretty gnarly rate.
I mean like 6 years of no-rent should have more than made up for that, but once you've been spoiled like that, have fun with the $2000 a month
The wording isn't super clear, but it sounds like later offers were in fact pretty cheap (and it's not totally clear if the first offer wasn't cheap either -- he seems slightly unreliable in his recounting of events) and he was refusing them in favour of squatting.
Mirror, for those hit by the paywall:
https://archive.is/EpRV4
This guy is my kind of crazy.