Living next to a slumlord

If you really think there’s a seriously dangerous situation going on you can file a “fire hazard complaint” form and the FDNY will come and inspect .

JohnHancock

in General Discussion 4 years and 11 months ago

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Guest User | 4 years and 11 months ago

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We have been living for several years next to landlord who rents out to mostly illegal immigrants with no or very little English. The house is a legal two family, but he rents out at least three units, including a below grade basement to a large family with children. The house is very crowded and the landlord keeps the maintenance to a minimum. He shows up to take care of the garbage or to collect the rent. Quite delicately, he is also a high ranking member of the NYPD, moonlighting as slumlord. He owns more than one such properties in Brooklyn. We have had several nuisance problems over the years with his tenants. Now, one of his tenants have become aggressively racist towards us. The landlord’s reaction is he can’t control what his tenants think or say. We are considering our options and I would appreciate any input or lawyerly advice.

Arkady | 4 years and 11 months ago

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First off, document your interactions w/the tenants. Then find a lawyer.

Guest User | 4 years and 11 months ago

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Thank you. To be more specific, the tenant (he had just moved in a few weeks earlier and this was the very first encounter we had) referred to my wife, who is a US citizen as well as Taiwanese, as “yellow people”. She was standing outside alone, and it was unprovoked and calmly menacing, as the recording on our security camera shows.

Putnamdenizen | 4 years and 11 months ago

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Your own post is full of its own racist statements – speculations on the immigration status of the tenants, irrelevant comments on their language ability. While the basement apartment may be illegal (are you sure?), the fact that the landlord rents to families with children is not a violation of any law. At the bare minimum you need to clean up your own presentation of the situation if you expect to be met sympathetically. You might also consider whether you yourself have had a role in escalating problems with your neighbors, given the attitudes you evidence here. I’m judging your words, not your soul. But that’s all we have to go on here…

Guest User | 4 years and 11 months ago

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@Putnamdenizen: It seems to me that my post elicited some assumptions that I can perhaps clarify. Yes, I am sure the basement apartment is illegal (this information is on public record and can be found on the city’s property tax site). Of course I know it is not illegal to rent to families with children, but it is particularly irresponsible to have children live in an illegal basement — there are very real safety reasons why cellars are unsuited for living. My comments about language skills and immigration status are also of some relevance. There are landlords who prefer such configuration because it renders the tenants vulnerable. During the five years we have lived at our house we have had many families come and go in this house. With some we have been (and are) very friendly; with others we had some neighborly nuisance problems (parties with blaring music till 6 am, flooded basement due to emptying water basins into our backyard). Some of the ones we are or have been friendly with shared their life stories. Lastly, I don’t think we or I had a role in the current es calation: The above mentioned man had moved in only two weeks prior and this was our very first encounter with him. It was a menacing verbal assault that was unprovoked.

yudashasom | 4 years and 11 months ago

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You mentioned a lot of stuff.. but what exactly do you have a problem with?