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Home Owners Call For Renewal Of Cease & Desist Zone Homeowners and community leaders concerned about the upcoming expiration of a state-issued Cease and Desist order gathered at Canarsie High School last week for a hearing hosted by the New York Department of State. The Secretary of State gave those in attendance an opportunity to provide comments, testimonials, and evidence as to whether or not the order, which expires May 31, 2008, should be renewed. A cease-and-desist zone can be established in order to keep real estate brokers and sales persons from soliciting homeowners within that defined area. It also permits the Department of State to have an available published list of names and addresses of these homeowners to keep brokers from sending mailings or calling. This lease lasts for a period of five years and Canarsie residents who already feel harassed by pressuring brokers wanted to be sure that the Department of State extends the cease-and-desist zone. Although it was Super Tuesday and it was assumed that a lack of attendance could be attributed to the focus on the presidential primaries and the leftover buzz from the Giants' Super Bowl victory, a handful of homeowners commented on the scare tactics and harassment they received from various real estate agencies. What these homeowners all had in common was their desire to "protect Canarsie" at a time where they do not feel protected. On a regular basis, mailboxes are flooded with advertisements urging them to sell their homes or refinance their mortgages before the"big market crash" hits. Gerry Weiner, who has lived in Canarsie for 52 years and raised her family here, carried pages of proof as she made a teary-eyed plea to convince representatives from the Department of State how the overwhelming number of solicitations from real estate brokers and sales persons were affecting her and her husband's quality of life. "We would like to spend the rest of our lives in Canarsie in a safe and peaceful environment," Weiner explained. Community Board 18 member Mercedes Narcisse asked whether or not she had to beg to have the order sustained. She mentioned how these agencies bombard her mailbox with greeting cards and constantly call her and her neighbors' homes. She added that the elderly are unfairly targeted. "These realtors are striving to destroy our neighborhood," Narcisse said. Anyone with questions, wanting to comment and share their testimonies of unscrupulous practices by local realtors and request that Canarsie's cease-and-desist zone be renewed are encouraged to call Mr. Aqil Quereshi at the Department of State at 1-212-417-5752.
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