{"id":217049,"date":"2026-05-01T20:35:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/217049\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T20:35:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:35:14","slug":"hells-kitchen-tenant-sued-for-taking-over-shared-backyard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/217049\/","title":{"rendered":"Hell\u2019s Kitchen tenant sued for taking over shared backyard"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent Fordham<\/a> grad named Bryson Kennan Clark had a dream of fostering a sense of community in his pocket of Hell\u2019s Kitchen \u2014 and making a buck out of his backyard at the same time.<\/p>\n

The one big problem? The land didn\u2019t actually belong to him. And now he\u2019s being sued by his landlord for hosting events, blocking residents from using their own garden \u2014 and even allegedly hosting a summer camp for kids there.<\/p>\n

For years, Clark has allegedly used his building\u2019s shared outdoor space as a gathering place for pumpkin painting, plant exchanges, dinner parties and more \u2014 all attended by area locals who don\u2019t reside in the 13-unit building itself.<\/p>\n

Clark moved into unit 1D at 419 W. 56th St., a home that opens to a communal residents\u2019 rear yard, in 2021 and sought to create \u201cHome in Hell\u2019s Kitchen.\u201d <\/p>\n

Its sliding-scale membership charged visitors $25 to $50 monthly for access to, as Clark described on his website, events \u201cdesigned to bring people together and foster a sense of community\u201d and to \u201ctransform a space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bryson Kernan Clark allegedly opened his apartment, and the outdoor space it opens up to, to a community beyond the reach of his own building. Dashiell Allen\/W42ST<\/p>\n

The gatherings allegedly took place at this modest 13-unit rental building. Robert Miller for NY Post<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t his space to transform. Clark did all of it, the landlord alleges, \u201cwithout \u2026 prior knowledge or consent\u201d \u2014 and without any legal right to do so, since his lease covers only Apartment 1D, and explicitly excludes the outdoor area.<\/p>\n

Tockwotten Associates, Inc., the corporate owner of the property, filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court<\/a> on April 28 seeking a preliminary injunction, enforcement of Clark\u2019s lease and no less than $25,000 in damages, The Post has learned. Tockwotten did not respond to The Post\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n

The defendants are Clark and his father, Bradley L. Clark of Fort Worth, Texas, who co-signed as guarantor when Bryson first signed his lease for $2,000 a month. Clark, too, did not respond to a message seeking comment.<\/p>\n

The verified complaint describes a pattern of escalating disruption stretching back to 2024. Clark allegedly hosted gatherings \u201con a near-daily basis from the afternoon through the late night and early morning hours,\u201d with guests playing \u201cexcessively loud music\u201d and engaging in \u201cconversations at unreasonably high volume.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Oct. 12, 2024 at 12:15 a.m., a neighbor submitted a 311 noise complaint \u2014 categorized as \u201cBanging\/Pounding\u201d \u2014 for the building\u2019s address, according to the documents. Police responded but found no ongoing violation by the time they arrived.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A neighbor\u2019s forwarding email to the building and management, however, tells a different story, the records also show.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease find attached an after hours 311 noise complaint<\/a> for apartment 1D\u2026 And to all my neighbors in this building, I am sure you have experienced the beautiful inconsiderate neighbor below, so please: This is the time to speak up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark\u2019s website, which remains active, shows images of previous events allegedly hosted in the amenity space.<\/p>\n

His website additionally shows other hangouts that allegedly happened in the backyard, which \u2014 especially at nighttime \u2014 drew complaints from neighbors.<\/p>\n

On May 23, 2025, another resident wrote directly to landlord Anthony Kissling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the last few hours apt 1D is running some kind of camp for kids as they are using microphones all singing n just being kids. But I believe Bryson Clark is running a business and this really unfair that as a tenant I can\u2019t even open my back windows,\u201d the resident said in an email.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That July, guests appeared in the backyard past 11:30 p.m. while Clark allegedly wasn\u2019t even home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A neighbor and the building superintendent emailed management: \u201c11:30 pm last night suddenly 3 people, who do not live in the apt were partying in the backyard \u2026 after 11pm n they decide to sit outside slamming the damn door with lights on as if they own the place,\u201d as seen in the court documents.<\/p>\n

The landlord\u2019s attorneys, Sperber Kahan Law Group \u2014 who also didn\u2019t respond to a message seeking comment \u2014 confirmed the usefulness of that email in a one-word reply to building management: \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

By April 5, 2026, the situation had allegedly spread beyond the building\u2019s own backyard. Clark had encroached into an adjacent neighbor\u2019s outdoor area as well, leaving excessive trash throughout shared spaces after hosting roughly 20 guests, the suit adds.<\/p>\n

Court documents show other instances of \u201ccommunity\u201d events. Court documents<\/p>\n

Complaints made their way to the court records. Court documents<\/p>\n

In the court documents, the landlord leans heavily on the lease itself, signed by Clark and renewed as recently as Oct. 31, 2024 at $2,400 per month. Paragraph 29 of the lease, the complaint notes, required Clark to refrain from interfering with other tenants\u2019 comfort, safety, or rights \u2014 and spelled out that \u201cinterference\u201d includes \u201cannoying sounds, smells and lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

The backyard, the landlord also argues, is a common area Clark had no right to occupy or furnish. When building staff told him to stop, he allegedly refused. When the landlord sent formal notices and warnings, he allegedly ignored them. The complaint concludes that \u201cany further attempts to put Defendant Bryson Clark on notice is futile.\u201d<\/p>\n

None of this is secret. Clark publicized his venture extensively, maintaining a website at\u00a0HomeInHellsKitchen.com<\/a>, running Instagram and Facebook pages, and speaking to local outlet W42ST.nyc<\/a> in a November 2024 profile headlined \u201cNeighbors Find Connection and Fun at \u2018Home in Hell\u2019s Kitchen\u2019 Meet-Ups.\u201d<\/p>\n

In that article, Clark described hosting dozens of events \u201cmainly held in Bryson\u2019s plant-filled apartment and backyard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He spoke warmly about wanting to create a neighborhood third place \u2014 somewhere between home and a bar \u2014 and noted that he hoped to eventually open a permanent brick-and-mortar hangout.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI imagine it to be kind of like a showroom with furniture, art and plants that will fund free community events,\u201d he told the publication.<\/p>\n

His website offered two membership tiers: a $25-per-month \u201cCommunity Member\u201d plan with access to three events per month and early RSVP privileges, and a $50-per-month \u201cCommunity Champion\u201d tier with unlimited event access and merchandise discounts. The landlord alleges Clark was financially benefiting from events hosted in a space he never paid to use.<\/p>\n

Clark has called this address his home since 2021. Robert Miller for NY Post<\/p>\n

Tockwotten is seeking an injunction barring Clark and anyone acting with him from entering the building\u2019s backyard \u2014 or the neighboring tenant\u2019s backyard \u2014 during the litigation, as well as an order compelling removal of all personal belongings Clark installed there, including a tent, a table and chairs. The suit also demands Clark be forced to comply with his lease terms and seeks attorneys\u2019 fees of at least $25,000.<\/p>\n

Multiple neighbors have allegedly already given notice of intent to vacate over the disruptions.<\/p>\n

The landlord\u2019s memorandum of law warns that with summer near, it makes the situation more urgent. <\/p>\n

\u201cWith warmer weather approaching, there is an imminent risk that Defendant Bryson Clark will resume this conduct, including the playing of excessively loud music, late-night disturbances and the use of intrusive lighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

The filing further argues that the harm is \u201cnot merely economic; it strikes at Plaintiff\u2019s fundamental right to control and maintain its property and ensure a safe, livable environment for its tenants.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A recent Fordham grad named Bryson Kennan Clark had a dream of fostering a sense of community in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":217050,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[1882,2803,419,53965,24225,2954,3100,2850,75,84,83,4327,3003,14492,9,24,63,1491,564,4753,3006],"class_list":["post-217049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-community","tag-court","tag-courts","tag-landlord-tenant-dispute","tag-landlord-tenant-disputes","tag-landlords","tag-lawsuit","tag-lawsuits","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-manhattan-supreme-court","tag-midtown-west","tag-neighbors","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-real-estate","tag-rent","tag-rentals","tag-residential-real-estate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=217049"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217049\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/217050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=217049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=217049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=217049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}