Mother, Son Burned Twice in Manhattan

July 5, 2005 -- A man says he and his sick mother were booted from their Manhattan apartment by their landlord, who refused them access to their belongings after a fire.

Philip Berman and his mother, Theresa, who had a hip replacement last year, have been living near-penniless in a Days Inn in Brooklyn for the past two months while they fight with their landlord for access to their apartment of 28 years.

The apartment, in Henry Phipps Plaza West at 480 Second Ave., was removed from the Mitchell-Lama affordable-housing program in October 2003 and the landlords, Phipps Houses, began jacking up the rents soon after.

Berman said he was then forced to pay double for his rent while he and his mom looked for a new place to live