Squatters have returned to New York City.
One, Peter Zephyrin, considers himself a modern-day Robin Hood for taking over an unfinished and boarded-up complex on Jamaica Avenue in Queens.
Zephyrin, 36, installed electricity and a water heater at the 10 adjoined three-story buildings and is collecting rent from two sets of tenants, who moved into the three-bedroom, two-bath pads in December. He charges $250 a week per resident.
“Imagine you woke up one day and found out the US government gave you license to use your brain and do something unorthodox,” Zephyrin told The Post. “I’m taking what the lazy wealthy person left behind . . . I’m trying to help families out.”
Zephyrin is trying to seize the buildings through “adverse possession” statutes, which permit an enterprising homesteader to acquire abandoned property after occupying it for 10 years, so long as the ownership is not contested.
They heat the apartment by boiling water on a hot plate. There is no gas, refrigerator or working stove.
Tenants don’t pay for electricity or other utilities — and don’t know who does. A Zara manager, who visited the site Wednesday, told The Post that Zephyrin “jumped wires” to get electricity.
Zephyrin was living at the Jamaica Avenue development himself until Jan. 23, when police arrested him and charged him with trespassing and scheming to defraud, court records show.
19 comments:
"statutes, which permit an enterprising homesteader to acquire abandoned property after occupying it for 10 years"
10 years...ha
3 story tenements....that's what this crap looks like.
How is it that when this guy moved into foreclosed (presumably bank-owned)property, the police could come in and arrest him for trespassing, but when squatters move into homes owns by private individuals, the owners have to go to court and spend months to oust the squatters?
Damn, I should not have ended my blog, so much SHIT to report on, but then being Jamaica, there will always be an abundance of non-stop crap.
I would go by these place a few years ago and think first, what SHIT and 2nd, who the fuck would want to live there. Now I got my answer.
The city has a homeless problem. I'm not a legal eagle but why can't the city take over these abandoned homes, do some fixing and rent them out to QUALIFIED homeless families?
The mayor is always yakking about the need for homes, well Bill here are a couple that could help your problem.
He's no Robin Hood (that's just idiotic spin)...he charges people $250 bucks per person per week to live in sub standard conditions; he's more like a pseudo-slumlord.
I'm not a legal eagle but why can't the city take over these abandoned homes, do some fixing and rent them out to QUALIFIED homeless families?
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There are 2 sets of rules on NYC:
Because anything owned by a bank or a developer-slumlord is exempt from regulations that are used to force the landlord of an owner-occupied building to sell to speculators.
heating homes with hot plates,surely nothing treacherous about that and nothing tragic will ensue.
and these row houses look as structurally sound as a wedding cake.There are a lot of these popping up in other sections of our leper colony that is south queens,in places around the q/b border on linden blvd(i think it's ozone park)and south ozone park near the south conduit.
more power to that enterprising squatter manager,because these houses ain't worth shit.If anything these should be used as shelters,there are more of these than hotels.
which is why the city is developing more hotels.
Love looking at all the meters on the front of the homes. Real classy "Queens Crap" !
"Because anything owned by a bank or a developer-slumlord is exempt from regulations..."
Can you provide a cite to that?
These 'houses' look a bit like the ones on the NJ waterfront that burned to the ground recently - due to 'lightweight construction materials". (aka - subpar crap).
For $1000 / month they could rent a basement with heat included! Which leads me to believe that most of the people living here would be the kind of people that one would not let live their illegal basement apartment. Squatter man may be lucky that he is jail because the first time one of his "tenants" does not have the rent money, he may end up hurt.
Aren't those meters infringing on the air space of the houses next door to them?
Imagine having to move furniture into one of those houses and hitting one of those meters.
But isn't the city great? What beautiful new trees they have planted outside the houses!
In another day or two they will have relocated to the inside of the houses to be burned for heat.
Oh, I forgot, fireplaces are now verboten thanks to out new progressive mayor.
My mom has the same thing on her block guy moved into a 2 family house and fixed it up a little and rents it out. He as been doing this for 5 years.
How about an updated photo? Where is the snow?
I bet it looks pretty 'crappy' now.
Where is the electric company? They are going to raise my bill for their unaccounted for losses!
What a bunch of pickpockets, ripping off the taxpayer.
Why doesn't someone report this and have the police clean it out? It would have to be the property owner.
"home owners have to go to court and spend months to oust the squatters"
Haaa, a home owner would wish is were months !
Its more like 2 years if a pregnant female, with child or child in school is involved.
--In the latter, the judges will only allow a sheriff to do a "physical" extraction and re-location during July August school recess. .
Groups like La-Raza (now called NCLR or National Council of La Raza), hold "how to get over" "how to get free stuff" " how to get free health coverage and all sorts of other classes in churches and even public library's . Whats going on is INSANE !!!
They might have been able to get him out so fast because he didn't have any permits for the electrical work and didn't hire a licensed electrician. Wow, what an aggressive person.
There ha go....shit boxes.fit for squatters. Section eight coming soon.
There are 30 definitions of "abandoned". Ask 30 lawyers. If you want 40, ask 40. Good luck to everyone.
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