70 Lefferts Hostel Gets Partial Vacate Order
Earlier this year a tipster told us the big yellow house at 70 Lefferts was operating as a hostel; they’ve followed up to tell us it has been since vacated. DOB shows a partial vacate order and full stop work order for “illegally converted rooms into transient hostel without providing required means of egress, fire…
Earlier this year a tipster told us the big yellow house at 70 Lefferts was operating as a hostel; they’ve followed up to tell us it has been since vacated. DOB shows a partial vacate order and full stop work order for “illegally converted rooms into transient hostel without providing required means of egress, fire alarm.” The hostel’s website is still up but you can’t book a date. If you recall, this home was landmarked after the threat of demolition and just hung out on the market after that. Who knows what’s next….
70 Lefferts Place Operating as a Hostel [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
just beware all the activities you do that are about public safety (without reasonable recourse for review) such as jay walking and bike riding. First they came for…..
Yeah, I don’t see why there’s any reason why anyone has to follow firecode. I mean, they’re completely arbitrary rules that are invented by pulling things out of a hat.
(cough)
Codes are stricter on places where there are a lot of people because the risks are higher.
A home with a family of fifteen(?!) is different for any number of reasons, including the lack of familiarity with the joint, but also _because you’re paying to be there_.
The idea that this is somehow harmless rulebreaking that doesn’t hurt anybody is shameful. Calling this out isn’t snitching, it’s public bloody safety.
(Although the incoherent rambling posts are sort of amusing.)
this same battle ran its course regarding bed and breakfasts years ago.
there were at least a dozen of them(stayed in half). None of them were legal. none of them were evil. this, if they dont follow all the rules they must be stopped stuff is enough to make me puke.
The thought that visitors are oblivious and dont know the secret passages out is foolish.
And aren’t most home businesses illegal if they draw any visitors?
Took psychology 101 in college. got one thing out of it.. those who cant control the major aspects of their lives go batshit controlling the tiny things.
in this case, since we cant stop the evil hotel at the end of the block we must stop anything else.
it is a house, not a warehouse with 100 foot hallways.
stupid rule. stupid society.
am also pretty sure this is a cast the first stone issue.
i have read enough violations back in the day to know that almost every building/business is in violation of some statute or law.
i, for one, would like to see them back and operating. shame on the local who doesnt want others in his neighborhood.
The difference between family of 15 and 15 transients is that family more familiar with layout and each other (who’s home or not, who needs help, where are they in the building) than a group of transients, hence more able to exit safely in emergency. Reason for fire safety code is that when people experience an emergency like a fire in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar place, they get hurt.
Also, expectations of family and paying guests are different – family expects to be making their own decisions and be responsible for their own safety, whereas paying guests expect that safety is included if they’re, well, paying guests.
Would it change your opinion if an operator had multiple facilities of this type in a given borough that are not licensed? The operator would likely not be declaring the income from their illegal businesses, so lost tax revenue, plus no license = lower operating costs = able to out-compete licensed facilities = not so fair + lost jobs.
I wouldn’t out them myself (bad karma) but I’m OK that their neighbors did.
Totally agree with Mr B on this one.
egress not chess
sad… really wish the fans weren’t flamed here.
not sure the fear of calamity is a reasonable reason to justify appropriateness of initial post… or whatever the rationale is.
someone made a point about something in the original thread….
how is it legal if there is a family of 15 there but not ok if it is transients….?
and those rooms looked a lot safer than most of the apartments I have lived in in Brooklyn.
The tenant of an illegal cellar apartment died during a fire 3 weeks ago due to lack of egress in East New York. The fact that some of the rooms in this hostel lack proper chess is a real danger.
Why does Lis Pendens filed mean no money paid or no deal being worked out with bank?