No Water for Two Months in Bed-Stuy Building
The residents at 274 Malcolm X Boulevard in Bed-Stuy have gone nearly two months without running water, ever since a pipe sprung a leak in July and the city shut it off. The Daily News reports that the city would not turn the water back on until the landlord repairs the pipe, but the landlord,…
The residents at 274 Malcolm X Boulevard in Bed-Stuy have gone nearly two months without running water, ever since a pipe sprung a leak in July and the city shut it off. The Daily News reports that the city would not turn the water back on until the landlord repairs the pipe, but the landlord, Carl Plata, died last year. Tenants of the eight units now get their water from a hydrant across the street. Connie Peters, 57, told the News: “I’m pulling my hair out. We need water.” The Department of Environmental Protection insisted that the water had to be shut off, but the Department of Housing Preservation and Development said it would repair the pipe. According to spokesman Eric Bederman, the agency has hired a contractor and work will begin once it receives a permit. The News also points out that other problems have plagued this particular building: last winter, the electricity was shut off due to illegal wiring. Additionally, a partial vacate order exists for the building due to an illegal conversion of the second and third floors. GMAP P*Shark DOB
No Water for Two Months! [NY Daily News]
Photo by Gregg Snodgrass/PropertyShark
what is the process when an owner dies? obviously the city, nor any other group, would want to take on the burden of repairs. but with the owner dead, and assuming there’s no mortgage and no next of kin, who gets the house? should we institute those ‘squatter’s rights’ laws like they have in europe? 🙂
The building seemed disgusting before the LL died, how cheap could it have been to even want to live there.
This really is a no brainer, move out and let the building be torn down. Im sure they could find somewhere else to live.
I agree Brooklynative, but it seems the landlord died and even if he was alive, clearly he ain’t shelling out bucks to fix anything, so it would be the city to at least front the money to put these folks in shelters etc….
As they say where I’m from, that’s not the building to be living in. Tenants may not have money/means to move out, but they’d better figure something out. Staying there is literally life-threatening. They’re fooling themselves if they think the city will act quickly. My advice to the tenants: move, whatever the cost.
Gemini,
I think the cost should the burden of the landlord, not the city.
They should have access to the same services offered any other poor residents in the city, including emergency shelters and consultations with social workers. I don’t think they should get more than others. As it stands, they probably haven’t paid any rent for months, which is why they have put up with the lack of safety and basic amenities.
agreed!
but then what happens to the tenants? does the city find them housing at the same rent and pay for them to move etc?
Illegal wiring, walls and no water? Why doesn’t the DOB vacate the building?
Owners of such buildings should be mandated to fix their buildings or lose them to the city. Then they could be sold to developers and fixed by others.
How are the city agencies involved in all of this OK with not supplying water to the tenants of that building who obviously don’t have the money or means to move out?
UGH!