A Manhattan co-op board is trying to force out a resident after a lobby confrontation with a doorman spiraled into arrests, alleged antisemitic abuse and a viral video. The resident’s parents have now gone to court to stop the building from terminating their lease and auctioning off their shares.
Irving and Carol Karten filed an emergency lawsuit Wednesday against 339 East 58th Street Owners Corp., seeking to block the action against their 57-year-old son, Kevin. According to New York Post, the lawsuit argues that the co-op’s notice was defective and seeks damages for alleged breach of the proprietary lease, fiduciary duty and violations of New York State and New York City human rights laws.
The board had scheduled an emergency Zoom meeting Tuesday to vote on terminating the Karten family’s lease, selling the shares at auction and evicting Kevin from the building. A Manhattan judge issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday, pausing that vote until an Aug. 12 hearing.
The dispute traces back to a Sept. 18, 2025 confrontation outside the building, after tensions had reportedly been building between Kevin and doorman Lawrence Montgomery. Kevin later complained to building management, alleging that Montgomery withheld his mail, touched his girlfriend without permission and made antisemitic remarks.
A video of the clash shows the two men arguing near the entrance before the confrontation turns physical, with the resident accused of striking Montgomery and damaging his phone. East Side Feed reported that Montgomery was charged with multiple counts of assault and harassment, while Kevin was charged with criminal mischief and harassment.
The competing accounts have made the case unusually messy. Montgomery said the resident had harassed and provoked him for several days, while Kevin’s side alleged that the doorman used racist and antisemitic language during the confrontation; a board member’s wife is also accused in the lawsuit of telling Kevin that the building did not want him there and that he should go back.
A listing from the New York State Unified Court System identifies a criminal case for Kevin Karten in New York Criminal Court. The public case page shows no appearances recorded, and the available reporting does not indicate that either man has been convicted.
The Sutton Place Co-Op Fight Now Moves To Court
The building is a 102-unit elevator cooperative in Manhattan, according to New York City Finance records. The Kartens bought their penthouse unit for $392,500 in October 2024, and Kevin is described in the lawsuit as a general contractor affiliated with a Florida-based firm.
The board warned Kevin on Oct. 31, 2025, that any further altercations would be treated as continuing objectionable conduct. The court filing details how that warning eventually became the basis for the emergency effort to end the family’s proprietary lease.
For now, the co-op cannot carry out the vote while the temporary restraining order remains in place. The Aug. 12 hearing will determine whether the board’s eviction effort stays frozen as the lawsuit over the building’s handling of the feud proceeds.
