A Manhattan resident who contracted Covid-19 returned home from isolation only to find his apartment emptied of all valuables.
The building where the man’s apartment is situated is partly owned by “Shark Tank” investor Barbara Corcoran and former Yankee star Alex Rodriguez
RYO Nagaoka, 60, was hospitalized for COVID-19 on January 27 after neighbors found him crying for help on the floor of his 5th floor unit in Manhattan, New York, NBC News reported.
After his hospitalization, he was transferred to a rehabilitation center as he needed to regain his legs’ strength.
Nagaoka returned home after two months last Wednesday only to discover his “nightmare” with the locks of his front door changed. He had to contact the building’s superintendent to open it.
The building where the man’s apartment is situated is partly owned by “Shark Tank” investor Barbara Corcoran and former Yankee star Alex Rodriguez.
"Given how badly Nagaoka's health had deteriorated, the state of his apartment had become a clear health hazard to the rest of the residents in the building," Corcoran said in a statement.
A neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said he witnessed how the workers handled Nagaoka's things when they went through the apartment.
"It looked like stuff going to the dump. It was not things being handled with care," the man was quoted as saying. "I don't think it merits throwing out someone's entire life, with documents and everything.
"Nagaoka's pet tortoise, named "Mr. Turtle" in Japanese, was spared from being mishandled as the supervisor took care of it. It was the only other possession that was returned to Nagaoka. He is unclear about where his other belongings ended up.
According to a spokesperson for Corcoran, Nagaoka gave the permission to break down the door the day he was taken to the hospital, CBS reported.
According to Corcoran, the management company fully renovated the apartment with newly painted walls, a fixed ceiling, a new stove and a refrigerator.
Nagaoka had to wait a few days to get running water back to his bathroom. With no assurance that his missing items will be returned, his neighbors stepped up and have been donating an assortment of goods to his home.
One neighbor also set up a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe, where, as of this writing, over $73,000 have been raised out of the $100,000 goal to help him rebuild his life.
“He has no shoes, no toothbrush, no documents or ID, no passport, no fridge or stove,” the post noted.
“He needs assistance to get his life back and move forward. What the management has done is so inhumane and I’m pretty sure very illegal.”
Corcoran is among Nagaoka’s top donors, donating $12,000 to the page. (RdlC)
Tags: #foreign, #NewYork, #robbery, #Covid19