Abandoned Building with Squatters/Drug Dealers
What can I do about a vacant problem house in my neighborhood? (354 Stuyvesant Avenue – http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/12/29/2007-12-29_brooklyn_fire_echoes_past_tragedy.html) I’ve seen people going in and out and the building is obviously not fit for occupancy. They have loud parties and I’m pretty sure there is drug dealing (and consumption) going on there. I’ve called the police to…
What can I do about a vacant problem house in my neighborhood? (354 Stuyvesant Avenue – http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/12/29/2007-12-29_brooklyn_fire_echoes_past_tragedy.html)
I’ve seen people going in and out and the building is obviously not fit for occupancy. They have loud parties and I’m pretty sure there is drug dealing (and consumption) going on there.
I’ve called the police to report the illegal occupancy and breaking and entering but they don’t ever seem to do anything about it. Last time, they said that because nobody was available to verify ownership of the house, they weren’t able to do anything about it (doncha just love the 81st Precinct?).
I’ve called the DoB at 311 to report the vacant house, but is there anything else I can do? I’m pretty sure it’s a foreclosed property – can I contact the bank (apparently PNC Bank) since they are the current owners, and are responsible for the property?
What can I do?
Lots of video with close ups of faces and youtube. List each video with the precinct number that the building falls in. While the police are busy and they are doing their best or they are lazy and a pain in the ass it doesn’t matter. It will bring up enough interest and buzz and someone will press the right button.
Check ACRIS. If a bank owns the property, it will say so. It will also say if there has been a lis pendens filed against the owner.
I once wrote a letter to a bank complaining about the condition of a property (it had been broken into and vandalized) and also saying I might be interested in buying it. I didn’t receive a reply but sometime later the house had been secured and was being managed and marketed by a firm that specialized in foreclosures. The bank had received several tickets from the city for garbage strewn about. By the time I got in to view the inside of the property, the plumbing had been ripped out of the walls and human feces everywhere. It was quite an experience. Small two family in Bushwick. Eventually it sold for $250,000.
Ibis: the violation was one I called in. I’ve called the cops on the place a few times in the past couple weeks. The last time, they removed something like 10-12 people from the property who were having quite a party in the building. The police told me they “probably wouldn’t be able to do anything because [they] can’t verify the occupants are not the owner” – this seems like a BS excuse for the 81st not to lift a finger about it.
Property Shark lists an owner, but I find it hard to believe anyone has been paying a mortgage on the place since the fire – so it’s my understanding that PNC bank now owns that property. If so wouldn’t it be their responsibility (and liability) to make sure the place is secured and not a danger to the community?
Does anyone know how to find out this information?
I have the same question about fire damaged buildings in the area (where I also live). I understand that families who’ve owned a building for a long time may not have homeowner’s insurance, but if they’ve owned the building for a long time, it seems they could sell to a flipper type outfit for about $300,000 and not lose money. Maybe there are liens or HELOCs on the building and they can’t afford to sell so they’re effectively abandoned. Just speculating here.
I just saw that a complaint has been filed with DOB yesterday:
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/OverviewForComplaintServlet?requestid=2&vlcompdetlkey=0001316990
I called the police last week about it and nothing happened… I’m going to call 311 and I believe they will send DOB who will reseal the house. I don’t live on Stuyvesant, I just pass in front of that house everyday as I walk to the subway, but these are very nice blocks with well maintained houses, so I’m sure many neighbors are concerned, and hopefully we can get this resolved.
And why do so many house don’t get repaired after fires?? This one had a fire in 2007 and has been boarded up since… Same thing for a house on Halsey between Lewis and Stuyvesant, it was a minor fire about a year ago, but the house is still vacant and boarded up. And Butternut Market’s building had a fire a couple of months ago and there is still a large hole in the roof which is not getting fixed… What’s with these property owners???
Talk to Al Vann, he lives just around the corner. I’m sure he can do something about it.