Desperate in Stuy Heights: No One To Clean Up
On the heels of last week’s post about unwanted circulars and menus that end up on stoops and in doorways, we got an email from a Stuyvesant Heights resident who wondering about what to do about mess in front of an unoccupied building. Everyone has heard of homeowners who get a ticket for the potato…
On the heels of last week’s post about unwanted circulars and menus that end up on stoops and in doorways, we got an email from a Stuyvesant Heights resident who wondering about what to do about mess in front of an unoccupied building.
Everyone has heard of homeowners who get a ticket for the potato chip bag that has drifted in front of their house while they are at work, so why won’t the Department of Sanitation do anything about the eyesore that is 375 Stuyvesant Avenue? The building has been empty and “available” for many months now, and the maintenance is basically nonexistent. The two surrounding sidewalks (it’s a corner building) are strewn with plastic bags, junk food wrappers, month-old circulars, beer and liquor bottles, Chinese takeout containers, etc. People have abandoned tires there, obviously thinking it’s a mini dump. For the past week and a half there has been broken beer and vodka bottle strewn across a good portion of the sidewalk. I have called 311 repeatedly for months now, and kept track of every complaint number. When I call to follow up, they tell me that an inspector has gone out but no violation issued. They even told me an inspector went out the day the pictures below were taken. I also called one of the brokers listed so prominently on the Massey Knakal sign, and he basically told me it’s not his problem (which I find amazing, because you’d think he has a stake in making the building look presentable at the very least).
What to do?
umm “quit bitchin’ and pitch-in”? Seriously, this person should just spend 30 minutes and clean it up themselves. If it’s your neighborhood and it bothers you, then it’s as much your job as anyone’s to do something about it.
Maybe the owner is in capcipated…. elderly person etc….
WOW. This is some story. I was issued 3 tickets within a couple of weeks right after I closed on a building and before I even visited it with my contractor. THREE violations. For what? I plastic cup cover. A piece of styrofoam about the size of a candy bar. And a candy bar wrapper.
I actually tried to fight the violations, and went before one of their little “judge” people (very fair, they all work for the same agency). Nope, had to pay. $150 EACH.
Okay, now I find out that there are buildings where inspectors refuse to ticket?
GRRRR.
Is the owner keeping up the building itself or is it also showing signs of neglect? If this is really a landmarked neighborhood and the building is showing signs of neglect, you could call the Landmarks Commission to come and issue a summons. That might also be a wake up call to the owner.
Complaints should be made directly to the Sanitation Dept. If you wait for 311, you will wait forever. Sanitation will send an inspector out and issue a ticket.
sometimes you can’t really blame the owners. when i brought my building it was a messup. even i clean it every day folks stilled use it as as dumping ground till i got camera installed. i caught a few neighbors doing the dumping.
I’ve always found calls to 311 to be more fruitful if I innocently mention having seen rats amidst the garbage. Honest? No, but highly effective at getting a sanitation crew to respond.
A couple observations:
1. Litter is not a DOB violation, so it shouldn’t be any surprise the complaints are not showing up on the agency’s website.
2. If complainant has saved all the 311 tracking numbers, I suggest calling Community Board 3 (718.622.6601) and asking them to follow up.
OP,
I pointed out the trash spilling off the sidewalk as a way to get a ticket issued more quickly. 311 distinguishes b/w what they tell the DOB and what they tell sanitation.. If it’s spilling out of the building onto the sidewalk, Sanitation will issue the ticket… and they are speadier than the DOB… (at least this has been my experience with a derelict building on my block) so it may get your problem addressed more quickly once the tickets pile up and the owner has to pay… Good luck