Occupants report being intimidated by the new owners.

By Elias DaSilva | September 10, 2024.

Barry and Barbara Pollack, both 72, lost their home in an auction as a result of a foreclosure process after years of failing to pay their mortgage. They have refused to vacate the property, alleging that the new owners, the Chawla family, have intimidated them by camping in their yard with painting supplies and threatening to paint messages on the house.

The new occupants claimed in court that the Chawlas violated the signed agreement by sitting on the property with buckets of paint. According to the agreement, the new owners were not allowed to enter the property during a specified period. The Pollacks made these claims in response to a lawsuit filed by the Chawlas in Nassau Supreme Court, seeking to recover their property or collect more than $200,000, which they claim to have spent on the purchase of the house and the damages suffered during the year-long attempt to evict the Pollacks.

Although the auction took place in 2022, the Pollacks claim that the Chawlas have continued to harass them and, despite offering to pay monthly rent to stay on the property, the new owners have rejected their offer.

However, the situation is becoming increasingly complex. The Pollacks’ lawyer argues that they are not illegal occupants but former owners who lost their home through foreclosure.

The Chawlas, in turn, claim to have video evidence in which Mr. Barry Pollack is heard making racist remarks, telling Bobby Chawla to “go back to Pakistan,” as Bobby is of Indian descent. They deny all accusations against them, stating that they have simply adhered to the agreement and only entered the property after the Pollacks were supposed to vacate it.

Bobby Chawla also emphasized that, even after the agreed time for vacating had passed, he waited many months before entering the property, hoping the occupants would leave appropriately, to avoid further problems or the need for a costly and lengthy legal battle.

According to reports, the current occupants bought their home in 1990 in New York City for $255,000. However, over the past 16 years, they have faced multiple financial difficulties, leading to constant legal issues and preventing them from keeping the home.