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New Yorkers rally to help reopen Gujarati immigrant’s news kiosk
Sadik Topia is forced to sell newspapers hand-to-hand after his kiosk was shuttered on November 7, 2024
Topia forced to sell newspapers by hand after DCWP shutters kiosk / GoFundMe
Sadik Topia, a newspaper vendor and resident of the Bronx in New York, has been slapped with fines amounting to US $92,000 by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) for operating a business on an expired license.
However, Topia argued that he had been wrongfully fined. After his shop on West 79th Street and Broadway was closed down on November 7, 2023, he continued to deliver papers to his customers from the steps of a nearby church.
New York experiences single-digit to minus temperatures in winter, however, the cold did not deter Topia from doing his business. Seeing his dedication, his neighbors, along with Mayor Eric Adams, rallied to help reopen his newsstand, as per reports.
Topia owes US $92,000 for two violations
Topia, an immigrant from Gujarat, had been operating the newsstand for 23 years. He subcontracted the kiosk from a woman to whom the fines are attributed to, however, as per an arrangement, Topia is in charge of penalties.
Topia owes a $58,400 fine for selling e-cigarette products from his kiosk after his license expired, according to a report. He was spotted selling the products in September 2022, while his license had expired in December 2021.
Starting December 1, 2021, Topia was fined US $100 per day until July 12, 2023, the day of the court hearing regarding the violation. During the proceeding, Topia argued he was wrongfully fined and that he sold the products without a license only for 13 days.
He was fined another US $34,000 for having improper shelves at the news kiosk, as well as for selling a phone charger for US $30 when newsstands are licensed to sell items worth less than US $10, according to West Side Spirit.
GoFundMe campaign for Topia's newsstand garners attention
Topia’s relative has created a GoFundMe campaign to help gather funds for the newsstand to reopen. So far, 49 donors have come forward to raise US $2,680 against the US $67,450 goal.
“I want to be independent and make money on my own. I don’t want to depend on nobody,” however, “the city … they're killing me,” Topia told the New York Post. He agreed to pay the fine if the DCWP brings it down to a reasonable amount. While his
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