Tenants in 2 Concourse Bldgs. Seek Real Repairs By ANNAMARIA ANDRIOTIS
The tenants were expected to attend court on June 30 to press for more serious action against the landlord. Ideally, the tenants, led by Judith Freeman, would like the judge - in a procedure known as a 7A action - to temporarily transfer control of the building from landlord Moshe Piller to an outside administrator. But there are obstacles. According to Carol Abrams, a spokeswoman for the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development, conditions in the building have improved. When the 7A cases commenced in December 2003, there were 341 housing code violations at 2874 Grand Concourse, whereas there are now 178 violations. And while there were 369 violations at 2860 Grand Concourse, there are now 233 violations. "There is active construction going on in the two buildings," Abrams said. "Therefore, the owner is not considered to be in default of court orders." But tenants say the repairs are shoddy. "What he has done is a patch-up job," said Freeman, who leads the tenants association. "Even though he slaps on some paint to cover the mold, the problem is still there. Also, he has not done anything to fix the plumbing, and that is an infrastructure problem that cannot simply be covered." On a recent visit to the buildings, many of the apartments the Norwood News observed contained problems including leaking ceilings, exposed electrical wiring, and numerous holes. There was also a heaviness in the air that tenants say is the result of mold in the buildings. Residents expressed frustration with the slow pace of repairs. "For the past eight months, water has been leaking through the light fixture in my bathroom," said Joseph Hendry, 78, who has lived in the building for 38 years. Randolph Saunders has also seen little improvement in his living conditions. "In the past six years that I've lived here, the conditions have worsened greatly," he said. "There is a lack of a real effort to fix the problems. I have not been able to use my living room light in three months. The landlord is always present at the court, but when there is a problem here, it is always prolonged." The buildings currently have 101 "C" violations - the most serious kind - according to recent HPD reports. Violations include electrical and plumbing defects, asbestos, lead- based paint, growing mold and mildew, recurring leaks, and rats. The buildings house approximately 60 families, many of whom have young children, according to Freeman. "There's something about these buildings that's toxic," she said. "I have lived here for less than two years, and I already have trouble breathing. This cannot be good for children." Tenants have gone to housing court several times over the last 18 months. Most recently, the court gave Piller until the end of June to complete necessary repairs; they include extermination and repairs to the electrical and plumbing systems, as well as repairs to the roof, bathrooms and kitchens, windows, and the boiler. The majority of the repairs, however, appear to have not yet been completed. Piller did not respond to two calls seeking comment. The tenants have received support from Councilman Joel Rivera and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum in their organizing. "The landlord's inaction suggests that he may be unwilling to make repairs. Without [a 7A administrator], there is much doubt that conditions in the building will improve, and that it will become suitable for human habitation," said Anat Jacobson, a spokeswoman for Gotbaum. Freeman and other residents organized a tenants association in January 2003 after a week without heat or hot water in both buildings. Freeman later contacted Met Council on Housing, a nonprofit housing group, which helped the association in housing court. According to Freeman, after 20 tenants sued for repairs in March 2003, the judge issued a stipulation for immediate repairs. However, just three months after some repairs were completed, residents said, the same problems resurfaced. A year later, tenants have similar concerns. Tenant meetings now average 25 to 30 people, and 10 of those are committed to the court appearances that Freeman regularly attends. "I don't think we're going to win the 7A now," Freeman said. "I'm going to wait another four or so months until the repairs once again start to fall apart, and I'm going to return to the judge. This will only strengthen our case."
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Tenants at 2874 and 2860 Grand Concourse have been fighting their landlord in court for
over a year and, while some repairs have been made, the residents say conditions in their
apartments are still awful.