7 On Your Side: Owners of historic synagogue owes thousands after botched Bat Mitzvah

NEW YORK, NY (WABC) -- After the oldest synagogue in New York was deemed unsafe and shut down by the city, another family is out money for what they call a botched Bat Mitzvah.

It's a follow up to a story Eyewitness News brought you last spring.

The co-owner of the historic synagogue at 170 Norfolk Street in the East Village showed us the door, but not before we got a look at the state of repairs inside.

"There were no floors," an exasperated Hayley Baraker said.

With weeks to go before their daughters Sophie's and Phoebe's Bat Mitzvah, the Barakers say they were assured that the Angel Orensanz Foundation, an historic synagogue-turned dazzling-event-venue, would be ready for their October reception.

"They promised me the construction was going to be done first by August 1, then by September 1," Lance Baraker said.

That promise collapsed like the balcony columns did back on March 31. The New York City Department of Buildings ordered the 165-year-old structure to close when it began crumbling during a party. The next month, 7 On Your Side went to bat for two brides who were forced to scramble for other venues.

We got both couples their deposits back, totaling nearly $35,000.

"They refused to cancel our event to this day," Hayley said. "They would've said we are on for the party."

Fast forward six months and deja vu, another family was in a lurch. They invited guests from all over, but since the synagogue's repairs were incomplete, they're now fighting to get their $5,000 deposit returned.

"When you put that deposit down, that money's supposed to go into escrow," Hayley said.

So where did the money go? Hayley got the answer in a text from the venue's manager. The text read, "We don't have the funds now because of construction costs."

But when 7 On Your Side asked one of the foundation's representatives why are they were using people's down payments to pay for your construction costs, we never got an answer.

The answer we got is that the deposit will be returned in mid December, after they plan to re-open. The important thing the client did in this case was not cancel their event. They were smart enough to have the reception hall cancel on them, which is a subtle but KEY difference. If it's the other way around, you may give up the right to any down payment or deposit refund.