John and Gail Bechtold say they have yet to receive the more than $10,000 the state ordered Opus Management Group to repay after overcharging them by $221.74 a month for 39 months under Kingston’s 15% rent rollback. Opus has appealed.
A 2022 vote cut rents by 15% in Kingston’s rent-stabilized apartments. After landlords challenged the measure, New York’s Court of Appeals upheld it in June 2025. The state Division of Homes and Community Renewal ordered Opus in July 2025 to repay the Bechtolds and pay treble damages on the overcharge.
The overcharges may affect nearly all of Kingston’s more than 1,000 rent-stabilized apartments. Legal Services of the Hudson Valley represents nearly 100 tenants seeking repayment, and its litigation director has filed separate lawsuits alleging renters are collectively owed nearly $1.5 million. State Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha warned that limited state resources and weak enforcement could make recovery difficult.
