New York Judge Awards Graffiti Artists $6.7M After Works Destroyed

By and | February 14, 2018

  • February 14, 2018 at 1:41 pm
    E - Just E says:
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    So the rightful owner of the property is supposed to pay millions to those that vandalized his property? Makes sense!

    • February 14, 2018 at 2:57 pm
      Frank S. says:
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      Of course it makes perfect sense – to a liberal Judge, in a Liberal state! These are the same people who voted for Chuck Schumer and SECOND TERM Mayor DeBlasio! What did you expect? Common sense?

      • February 15, 2018 at 11:06 am
        Cut the Bias says:
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        • February 22, 2018 at 3:30 pm
          Realist says:
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          Are you serious?

    • February 14, 2018 at 4:56 pm
      helpingout says:
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      In the post it says that they did not vandalize his property, he allowed them to do the graffiti.

  • February 14, 2018 at 1:53 pm
    Chip says:
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    The People’s Republic of New York City – What else would you expect?

    • February 28, 2018 at 4:24 pm
      Dave says:
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      People’s Republic? The award was based on a FEDERAL law, after a trial in FEDERAL court. But don’t let facts get in the way of your ignorance and bias.

  • February 14, 2018 at 2:26 pm
    Jack Kanauph says:
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    So then how do the NY subways get away with wiping the graffiti off the train cars?
    Further, the graffiti trespassers should have known their work would be destroyed by the property owner at some point. BS verdict.

    • February 14, 2018 at 4:01 pm
      Confused says:
      Hot debate. What do you think?
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      A couple of commentators apparently didn’t bother to read the article before posting. It wasn’t vandalizm as the building owner let them to it. It’s not the same as a subway because that’s not privately owned. Here, let me post a few sentences you both apparently missed before you posted.

      Jerry Wolkoff, who owned the buildings, had conceded he allowed the spray-paint artists to use the buildings as a canvas for decades but said they always knew they would be torn down someday. Block said he hoped the award would give teeth to a federal law that should have kept Wolkoff from demolishing them for at least 10 months, when he had all his permits. Artists then could have easily rescued some paintings from siding, plywood or sheet-rock before the rollers, spray machines and buckets of white paint arrived.

      • February 27, 2018 at 1:39 pm
        TRUTH says:
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        Mr. Wolkoff owned the property. It is his. He paid for it. As long as there is no violation of the law, he has the right to do with as he pleases. This is one of the major problems with our country now………. Bleeding heart liberals are ruining our country.

        • February 28, 2018 at 4:33 pm
          Dave says:
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          “As long as there was no violation of the law…” BINGO! In this case, there was a blatant violation of a federal law that has been on the books since 1990, and the developer has to pay the price for his violation. Don’t you conservative types respect the law? Don’t you believe in personal responsibility and accountability? I wish this reporter had more time and space to explain the circumstances, or at least to post a picture of the 5 Pointz buildings. This was an outdoor museum of legitimate art.

  • February 14, 2018 at 8:55 pm
    Cut the Bias says:
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    • February 22, 2018 at 3:32 pm
      Realist says:
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      Genuine art, huh?
      Get a grip.

      • February 28, 2018 at 4:34 pm
        Dave says:
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        Look up 5 Pointz and look at the photos. This was an outdoor art museum. Learn the facts, then get your own grip.

  • February 15, 2018 at 2:22 pm
    Wayne2 says:
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    I am truly trying to understand this one. To me the owner being a jerk or not has no bearing. He owned the buildings. He allowed them to paint the buildings because they were his buildings. He then decided to remove the buildings. Also his right to do so. It would have been nice of him to allow time for the paintings to be saved but I also think he has a right to do whatever he wants with property he owns. I am torn on this one but it shouldn’t be against the law to do what you want with your property and there are no laws he has to be nice about it. He doesn’t have to care. Ideally he would but this seems wrong in many ways to me. Just my two cents.

    • February 15, 2018 at 2:57 pm
      Confused says:
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      “there are no laws he has to be nice about” agreed. but there are laws saying what permits you need to get before you can tear down a building, which he didn’t get — if he did apply for them, the artists would have known about the building demolition before it happened and been given an opportunity to remove their work

      • February 22, 2018 at 3:34 pm
        Realist says:
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        Why is he obligated to graffiti “artists”?

      • February 27, 2018 at 1:46 pm
        TRUTH says:
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        The “ARTISTS” are already trespassers. To allow them into the buildings or even on the premises opens the owner (s) to liability when these artists return to claim their “art”!
        Fence it off, post the property, get the permits and tear down your buildings!

    • February 15, 2018 at 2:58 pm
      Confused says:
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      From the article:

      Block said he hoped the award would give teeth to a federal law that should have kept Wolkoff from demolishing them for at least 10 months, when he had all his permits.

      Artists then could have easily rescued some paintings from siding, plywood or sheet-rock before the rollers, spray machines and buckets of white paint arrived.

      • February 19, 2018 at 3:40 pm
        Agent says:
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        So when do “starving artists” get $6.7 Million for losing their art plastered on a dilapidated building? Insane!

      • February 19, 2018 at 4:35 pm
        Wayne2 says:
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        I see. I misunderstood that statement. It sounded like he had the permits but they wanted him to wait 10 months and he didn’t. Now I see he didn’t have the proper permits. Thanks for the reply.

  • February 20, 2018 at 1:49 pm
    Benjamin Dover says:
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    It’s his building, paint and all. Permits or no permits. That’s the problem with this country these days, property rights are being destroyed. We just rent our property from the government now.

  • February 28, 2018 at 4:30 pm
    Dave says:
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    5 Pointz was essentially a graffiti museum, a tourist attraction. It featured a multitude of works by true artists, not just some dirty words spray-painted by juvenile delinquents. The Visual Artitsts Rights Act has been on the books since 1990. I recommend that my fellow commenters conduct some research (because the reporter did not do very much, or was limited in the amount of space for this article), and see how extensive the art displays were. Get the facts and context, even if that may damage your prejudices.



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