Ongoing garbage problem in Jamaica

Several apartment buildings in Jamaica leave their garbage cans all the time in front of their buildings, sometimes right on the sidewalk, usually the cans are overflowing and have no lids on them. This of course attracts rodents, insects, is a health issue and of course is a blight on the community. Such two places are right by me, one right across from my building and the other is a few blocks away from me. This is not an isolated incident, but an everyday occurrence regardless of when garbage collection is. The buildings are (photos attached):

1. Apartment building located at 170th Street between 89th Ave & 90th Ave (89-19, 89-17, 89-15 170th St) and owned by several different people (Pitram Singh of either Albertson or Hollis, Helmy Tadros of Howard Beach & Muhammad Gazi of Jamaica according to HPD). Not only does this building have a garbage issue, but is also a nuisance building. There is always loud noise late at night (music, etc), there have been several fights at this building which I had to call the police, and it has had over 20 past violations (which you can easily look up using the DOB site and the HPD site) such as illegal conversions, ceilings in apartments falling down, mice and rodent infestations, garbage in hallways, etc. Why these garbage containers are not in the back of the building or in the basement is beyond me. Oh wait, the basement has been turned into apartments and I guess this was okay with the DOB.

2. Apartment building located at 168-07 89th Ave (this building actually has 44 violations just from the HPD website including mice, rat, roaches infestation, no smoke detectors, no lock on front door, etc) and is owned by John Kruck of Hollis, NY. This building even has an enclosed lot where the garbage containers can go, but they are never placed there, instead being tossed right out on the sidewalk. But why would they go there considering that this nuisance building has racked up 44 violations.

These are just two buildings right near me and I am sure all over Jamaica are many more such apartment buildings which affect the quality of life in our community. I have complained about these buildings before but obviously from the most recent photos nothing seems to be happening since they continue to do this over and over again. Why such slumlords/absentee property owners are allowed this is beyond me, especially considering that Jamaica has such a major garbage/trash/litter problem to begin with. As I stated in my previous email, Jamaica and other parts of Queens sure are the wild wild west where anything goes and it is allowed to continue.

Below is the NY law concerning garbage receptacles, which I have highlighted part of (c), which after reading it, the above apartments are in violation with the location of the receptacles and no lids.

NY Code-Section 16-120 (c): Receptacles for the removal of waste material

c. Incinerator, residue, ashes, refuse and liquid waste shall be stored in the building or dwelling or at the rear of the building or dwelling as may be required by the department of health and mental hygiene or the department of housing preservation and development until time for removal and kept in tightly covered metal receptacles or containers made of other materials of a type and grade acceptable to the department, department of health and mental hygiene, and the department of housing preservation and development. After the contents have been removed by the department or other collection agency any receptacles remaining shall be removed from the front of the building or dwelling before 9:00 p.m. on the day of collection, or if such collection occurs after 4:00 p.m., then before 9:00 a.m. on the day following collection. The receptacles shall at all times be kept covered or closed and kept in a manner satisfactory to the department, the department of health and mental hygiene, and in the case of residential premises, the department of housing preservation and development. No receptacles, refuse, incinerator residue or ashes, or liquid waste shall be kept so as to create a nuisance. Yard sweepings, hedge cuttings, grass, leaves, earth, stone or bricks shall not be mixed with household wastes.

Joe Moretti