Tenants rally against landlord over Williamsburg apartment building left in disrepair
WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Tenants of a dilapidated apartment in Brooklyn are taking their landlord to court, claiming his negligence has left the building in disrepair.
If you didn't know better, you would think 156 S. 9th Ave. was some dark and abandoned building just a few blocks from some of the most expensive real estate in Williamsburg, but the building is in fact a place where people live.
"I could never imagine living in this condition," said tenant Gladys Roman.
The 74-year-old tenant has lived in the building for more than half a century, but her fourth-floor apartment is infested with mold. With her mobility issues she can't leave, because the elevator has been out for months.
"Our landlord, he doesn't want to fix a thing," Roman said. "He tells you he's going to fix it, he doesn't do a thing."
On Tuesday night, members of the Tenants Association rallied in their frigid lobby, practically begging the city to seize their building from a landlord they say has ignored their plight.
Attorney Daisy Fernandez represents the tenants, and is taking the landlord to housing court.
"The city can come in, fill up the vacant units, take the rent from the tenants and use it to make all the repairs that are outstanding in the building," Fernandez said.
The city's Housing Preservation and Development website lists a staggering 396 open violations against South Nine Realty of Monsey, which owes thousands in fines for everything from no gas, to mold, to raw sewage.
To make matters worse, the violations in this building are actually too numerous to count.
Tenants say the lock on the front door is broken, so they have a problem with neighborhood vagrants coming in and making trouble in the dark staircases. So, they have taken matters into their own hands. On a particular landing is a ton of broken glass that was intentionally left there by tenants as a makeshift security measure to keep people from going up a staircase.
When Eyewitness News reached the landlord on the phone Tuesday night, he claimed his tenants are happy.
"This guy doesn't want to spend money on this building. He got us to live like dogs and cats here," one tenant said. "First of all, he doesn't send an exterminator. He doesn't fix anything in the building. If you want to fix something, you have to put your hands in your pocket, buy the part and put it on yourself. That's not fair to us."
A spokesperson with the HPD released the following statement:
"Every person deserves to have a safe and comfortable place to call home, and it is the property manager's responsibility to follow the City's Housing Code by promptly addressing violations. We will continue addressing tenant complaints, conducting inspections, and issuing violations to ensure that all New Yorkers feel safe and secure in their own homes."
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
