The New York City Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) has put out a list of 250 buildings that have earned the “most distressed” title by racking up nearly 40,000 open housing code violations of which 9,442 were deemed “immediately hazardous.” According to Patch.com, which broke down the buildings and violations by boroughs, the violations ranged from mold and rodents to lead-based paint, faulty wiring, defective window guards and self-closing doors that don’t work properly.
Landlords Will Face Hefty Fines
A tally from the HPD shows that there are 5,104 New York City homes in the
buildings where officials say emergency action is required. HPD’s commissioner said landlords (building owners) across the city will face administrative action if they don’t do what’s right and make these repairs that are endangering residents. Building owners and homeowners will have four months to make the repairs or face hefty fines, officials said.
Should the property owners/managers fail to make the emergency upgrades, the city will take over and make those repairs and present the bill to the building owners, officials said. According to HPD’s tally, Brooklyn has the most distressed buildings with 119, followed by 72 in the Bronx, 43 in Manhattan and 16 in Queens. Fifty of the distressed buildings are connected to the Worst Landlord Watchlist released by the Public Advocate, who puts out that list each year.
Dangerous Violations
For example, an 81-apartment complex on 39th Avenue in Woodside, Queens, had 386 open violations as of March 4. The violations in that building include 81 deemed immediately hazardous including mice and roach infestations, defective window guards and problems with self-closing doors, according to city records.
Self-closing doors were identified as one of the responsible factors at the Bronx building where 17 people died in one of the deadliest blazes in recent history. Fire officials said the doors that would not close properly played a role in sending smoke swirling through the building. Almost all of the people who died suffered from smoke inhalation injuries, officials said.
Property Owners’ Responsibilities
New York City laws require property owners and/or property managers to maintain spaces that are safe for tenants, visitors and guests. For example, landlords are required to provide, install and maintain smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in each unit. The devices should also be maintained and remain in good working order. A number of falls from windows also occur because landlords don’t install window guards as required or fail to maintain the guards. Lead paint is also another major issue in a number of buildings posing the danger of lead poisoning, seriously affecting young children who can potentially suffer from serious health effects.
When a fire or accident at a building is caused by negligence (carelessness) or a lack of property maintenance, the property owners and/or property managers may be held liable for the injuries and loss of life that occurs. Injured victims or families of deceased victims can file a premises liability claim against the responsible parties including, but not limited to, the property owner, property manager, maintenance/repair company, etc.
Injured victims in such cases can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones can file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation as well.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (NYCHA) (the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of dangerous conditions, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. For over 50 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of assisting injured victims. One of our clients — a hot water burn victim — secured $750,000 in damages from the property owner and manager.
Our firm also obtained a $985,000 settlement out of a $1 million policy for two people who suffered smoke inhalation injuries because the homeowner did not have smoke detectors installed and the $15,000 that was left on the insurance policy was for a person that we did not represent. Another of our clients recovered $2,500,000 due to a faulty space heater. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/250-new-buildings-named-most-distressed-new-york-city-hpd