“Unfortunately when knocking on somebody’s door, that’s always a dangerous proposition,” he said. “But I’ve had several instances where I’ve been threatened with a gun, threatened with a pipe, with knives, with machetes. Sometimes people do desperate things to keep what they believe to be their home, and it is their home, but a lot of times, unfortunately, they take it to the next level.”
No one answers the door this time though, so with the help of the building manager, Varnai makes quick work of the door lock with a power drill, within a few minutes breaking through to the empty apartment. After a brief sweep of the apartment to take inventory of tenant possessions, Varnai finishes his work and moves on to the next eviction site, having effectively turned the apartment back over to the landlord.
As a city marshal, Varnai carries out evictions within the five boroughs. He is one of 47marshals who do the same, providing the final piece in a process that often takes several months to complete, doing his job after the court has reviewed the situation and issued a Warrant of Eviction. Varnai says he conducts about 500 of the approximately 30,000 evictions that occur annually in New York City. The city's marshals are also authorized to seize cars and money.
Varnai says that during eviction assignments, the chances are about “50/50” that the tenant or homeowner will be present when he arrives. Varnai always prepares himself for the worst, as there is always the possibility, albeit small, that the person behind the door will be ready to violently defend what they still believe to be their rightful property.
But, Varnai says, most of his encounters during evictions aren't dangerous; they're simply, “uncomfortable.” At the same time, he takes this part of the job in stride, using a cool demeanor and empathy as he enforces the evictions.
“You’re dealing with people [in this job],” he said. “And you have to know how to communicate with them, you have to know how to be pleasant, but at the same time [you have to] be firm.”
Varnai has had to exhibit this form of interaction with people in some shape or form throughout his professional career, having worked in an ambulance as an EMT and for Legal Aid as a criminal defense lawyer before becoming a city marshal. As an EMT, he learned to rely on himself in any number of taxing situations.
“Working as a medic definitely helped because I had to learn to fend for myself,” he said.
He says his work at Legal Aid also applies to his current work, since it requires him to empathize with all involved parties.
“You have to [be able to] put yourself in somebody else’s shoes,” he said. “If you’re a tenant, put yourself in the landlord’s shoes, if you’re a landlord, put yourself in the tenant’s shoes.”
Varnai says what most attracted him to the job was his desire to combine law enforcement with being outdoors, after realizing that a career behind a desk was simply not for him. He also enjoys being his own boss.
