“An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes.” — Sun Tzu

Kingston civic pressure

Hey.Neil Bender.

Kingston, NY

Kingston deserves better than legal harassment from a billionaire developer. This campaign exposes Neil Bender and makes the cost of his ongoing siege lawfare visible.

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Effort 01

The Postcard

A postcard you can snail mail to Bender's Manhattan office. Find them at some of your favorite businesses, and coming soon to the Kingston Farmer’s Market.

You can also print it yourself!

Postcard front — historic Kingston street scene

Front

Hard to misread

Postcard back — addressed to Neil Bender

Back

With a side of dry snark

Why this exists

The case against siege lawfare

Since 2020, billionaire developer Neil Bender and his firm William Gottlieb Real Estate have filed (and failed to win) dozens of lawsuits against the City of Kingston. Not because they've been wronged. Not because the law is on their side.

Why?

Covetous petulance?

Who could say.

The strategy

Whatever the reason, Neil's strategy is obvious: siege lawfare. He'll sit on historic properties and leave them abandoned or neglected until they fall into disrepair. Meanwhile, his lawyers attempt to overwhelm the city's legal team with floods of frivolous lawsuits and FOIA requests. Once the city's legal resources are drained and the property values have tanked, it'll be game over.

The corporate structure tells the story. Bender and his firm operate through at least eight separate LLCs for what are essentially contiguous properties in Uptown Kingston. That's not normal. These LLCs are essentially litigation architecture designed for more complexity, more legal surface area, and more burden on the city to respond.

The Pike Plan, right now

Neil Bender and his firm have filed seven lawsuits to halt or disrupt the city's Pike Plan. They claim to be invested in "the preservation and restoration of historic properties." But the crumbling Pike Plan canopies they're so passionately defending were installed in the 1970s.

In fact, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation called the Pike Plan a "non-contributing or non-historic" feature of the National Register-listed Stockade Historic District and recommended demolishing the Pike Plan in order to restore the historic storefronts.

Preservation of history is a noble pursuit.

Neil Bender just wants to own it.

Latest updates

Campaign notes, as they happen

A running public log of campaign news, organizing notes, and major developments.

March 14, 2026

The site is live

We launched the first public version of Stop Suing Our City so people can follow the campaign and sign up for updates.

March 12, 2026

What to expect here

We'll use this space for short campaign notes, organizing reminders, and major developments worth sharing publicly.

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Who we are

Neighbors and friends, not an institution

We are locals who believe Kingston deserves better than legal harassment from a billionaire developer. Kingston has held strong for centuries, and this campaign is about making the cost of Neil Bender’s siege lawfare visible.

Stop Suing Our City is a grassroots civic campaign. We're not an organization with a budget. We're neighbors who care about what kind of city we are.

We believe sunlight is the best disinfectant.

FAQ

Answers to Questions you may have

Is this legal?
Yes. Organizing, collecting signatures, and mailing postcards to a public figure is fully protected speech. We are not defaming anyone — we are stating facts and asking Neil Bender to stop suing our city.
Who is Neil Bender?
Neil Bender is a billionaire real estate developer who, through his firm William Gottlieb Real Estate (WGRE), has purchased properties in Uptown Kingston and filed dozens of frivolous lawsuits against the City. His strategy has been described as siege lawfare: overwhelming the city with litigation while letting properties fall into disrepair.
What does sending a postcard do?
Sending a physical postcard to Neil Bender reminds him that the community is paying attention and that his legal harassment has a cost. Each postcard is a statement of support — not a legal commitment.
What does signing up for email updates do?
Signing up means you'll receive campaign updates and event reminders — including when we'll be at the Kingston Farmer's Market for the mass mailing. You can unsubscribe at any time. We only collect your email; we don't sell or share it.
Where and when is the mass mailing event?
We'll be at the Kingston Farmer's Market on July XX, 2026. Sign up for email updates to get the exact date, time, and location once confirmed.

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