For the third consecutive year, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has 
the dubious distinction of being named one of the city’s worst landlords. According to a report in the New York Post, the annual Worst Landlords Watchlist is prepared by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’ office and sharply criticizes the Bill de Blasio administration for mismanagement and the terrible conditions at NYCHA’s apartment complexes (the Projects), which serve more than 400,000 working-class and low-income residents.
Mayor de Blasio was also criticized for failing to aggressively act against unscrupulous and uncaring landlords of private apartment complexes citywide who routinely fail in their responsibilities to protect their tenants from a range of hazards including malfunctioning elevators and lead poisoning.
Toxic Lead Paint and Other Dangers
Williams said the coronavirus pandemic has made these substandard living conditions even more dangerous because tenants, including young children who are the most affected by toxic lead paint, are more confined to their homes. Williams specifically cited “devastating levels” of toxic lead exposure for children living in NYCHA apartments (the Projects) across the city.
Just last week, the city’s Department of Investigation issued a withering report faulting NYCHA for failing to properly supervise thousands of lead repairs in public housing apartments, and to properly protect tenants from toxic lead as they performed these repairs. The “worst landlords” list is based on building violations filed with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD).
The top five worst individual landlords in New York City in 2020 include Jason Korn whose 10 buildings have 1,822 open HPD violations. Korn also topped the list of worst private landlords last year. Poor conditions on his properties include rodent infestation, defective locks, mold and peeling lead paint, according to tenant complaints featured recently in Curbed.com.
Number two on the list is Lewis Barbanel/Barberry Rose properties, largely located in Washington Heights and Inwood in Manhattan. Others on the top five list of worst landlords include Robert Raphael, Abdul Khan and David Blau. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, tenant complaints and violations filed with HPD dropped dramatically. This may have very well been because tenants are reluctant to file complaints during the pandemic. The report also stated that more violations including lead paint, mold and infestation reported to HPD went unaddressed during the pandemic.
One mom who lives at NYCHA’s Murphy Consolidated housing project in the Bronx said her two children are struggling with school and are suffering because of lead poisoning. She said her doctor diagnosed her daughter with high levels of lead in her blood. Another woman who lives in NYCHA’s Isaac Houses on the Upper East Side said she was living in “deplorable and unhealthy conditions” including excessive heat, leaks in her kitchen and bathroom and malfunctioning elevators. Tenants living in the private developments named on the list are also reporting horrific conditions. One woman who lives at 2250 Grand Concourse said she has been living with rodent and bedbug infestations as well as leaks all over her apartment.
NYC Lead Poisoning Lawyer
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. If your child has been diagnosed with high blood lead levels, regardless of whether you live in public or private housing, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the NYCHA (the Projects) or private landlords (building owners and building managers) for damages. Those who have been affected can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, cost of diagnostic tests, permanent injuries, lost income and benefits, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If your child has been affected by lead poisoning, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at 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.
Our firm recovered $1,162,500 for a child who suffered lead poisoning from paint in her apartment. The child’s injuries were subtle and difficult to recognize. We recovered $162,500 above the $1 million dollar total insurance policy in this case. Despite the judge’s efforts to settle the case for $950,000, we fought hard and recovered $162,500 more than the insurance policy of one million dollars. 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 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.
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Source: https://nypost.com/2020/12/15/nycha-again-named-one-of-citys-worst-landlords/