From the NY Post:
A 30-year-old woman was killed in a Brooklyn blaze Sunday morning, police said.
The flames broke out in an apartment building at 2227 Homecrest Ave. in Sheepshead Bay about 6:30 a.m.
Sixty firefighters from 12 units battled the fire for about an hour before it was extinguished.
The woman, whose identity wasn’t released, was taken to Coney Island Hospital, where she died, cops said.
The fire started in the basement, and the Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating, fire officials said.
24 comments:
I'm learning about this issue from Queens Crap -- if I understand this case correctly, the DOB made two attempts to investigate, then issued an LS4 (mailed the owner a letter asking him to schedule an appointment), then presumably the owner didn't respond, and they closed the case. So if you don't answer the door or respond to their letter, they let you keep your illegal conversion?
this and the blaze in greenpoint. Record frigid temps makes me think the mishandling of space heaters were involved.
Basement and cellar dwellings have been an open secret for years, barely enforced unless it eventually becomes a nuisance for district electeds or for people to die tragically. But keep building towers under the affordable housing false rubric that are absolutely not attainable for people like this casualty here.
And keep raising property taxes and over speculation on the market rates in these towns so owners resort to renting out rooms and basements to the desperate and needy.
"So if you don't answer the door or respond to their letter, they let you keep your illegal conversion?"
Pretty much.
...and the inspector never goes past the front door to look and knock on other doors...
"So if you don't answer the door or respond to their letter, they let you keep your illegal conversion?"
Pretty much.
Yep, what a system. It's not just a quality of life issue (e.g., more cars on the street, more toilets and showers straining the sewer systems) - it's a life and death issue.
I thought they were going to close down Coney Island hospital. No wonder she died. It's equal to a third world hospital.
So if you don't answer the door or respond to their letter, they let you keep your illegal conversion?
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Yes, and thats good and bad.
Its bad in cases like this, where you have scumbag landlords packing illegal tenants into dangerous spaces.
However, giving powers to DOB, Fire Marshals, etc, the right to break your door in runs afoul to constitutionally protected property rights. One of the key principles this country was founded on, and is not something i and others are so willing to surrender.
Yes, and thats good and bad.
Agreed, but in this case there were reports of violations.
Inspectors don't just show up at one's doorstep, heck sometimes multiple calls can't get them to move and check out the complaints.
>However, giving powers to DOB, Fire Marshals, etc, the right to break your door in runs afoul to constitutionally protected property rights. One of the key principles this country was founded on, and is not something i and others are so willing to surrender.
Well put.
All you need is one unhappy tenant who lets the DOB in to get back at the landlord and all hell will break lose for the owner.
Next time if there's no action, call 311 & make an AGENCY complaint. You are making a complaint about the Agency, in this case, the DOB. It gets pushed up the food chain.
And this is why in MDL- Multiple Dwelling Law- cellars and attics are not to be used as dwelling places. What about the others living in that basement? Are they still there?
I'm sorry she died. My sympathies to her family. Will the property owner be arrested for murder? All for Tax Free Dollars. Will they pay for her funeral?
I am certain this is again an immigrant landlord. Who else crams so many people into a small space? In Sheepshead Bay it's Russians or Satmayers.
My friend was living in a basement apartment over run with mice. He had a terminal illness. The Russian owners would do nothing about the mice and refused to give him rent receipts so he could apply for food stamps. He was living on candy. This was not good for his medical condition. The owners had a Mercedes Benz in the garage and a summer home in the Poconos. They would not give him any rent receipts because they were not declaring this cash income. I told him to stop paying rent . But he would not listen to me.
Badge #2263 is a Russian guy.
Face it people, the City does not care about illegal apartments. This has been going on for years. Even when the City gets access and issues violations they do nothing about it. My neighbor got caught 7 years ago and still has the illegal apartment rented to the same people. The City looks the other way until someone gets cooked and then they wash their hands of responsibility. Numerous visits to my Council persons office (Dizzy Lizzy) have resulted in nothing. Gee, I wonder if they got counted in the census, NOT.
BRING IN THE FEDS!!!
Face it people, the City does not care about illegal apartments.
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So we should roll over and play dead? The only reason the city doesn't care is you don't care and when you will it will change.
Stop acting like an over anxious dog every time a politician walks into a room is a first step.
Next time if there's no action, call 311 & make an AGENCY complaint. You are making a complaint about the Agency, in this case, the DOB. It gets pushed up the food chain.
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then if that does not work go down to the nearest intersection and push the 'walk' button.
not.
the only thing that will change things is to get personal with your rep - meetings, letters to the editor, every chance you get be in their face - and get everyone else off their butts while you are at it. bitching in your jammies does squat.
This is Duhblazio's houing plan. Of course they're not going to raid homes.
Tenant can report complaints such as mice to 311 and HPD. Property owners are supposed to register with HPD when they do not live at the property.
https://a806-pros.nyc.gov/PROS/mdRInternet.html
Do developers call 311 to check on a suitable building site, then get in touch with a city agency to get their papers in order?
Hell no!
They get cozy and personal with that person you put in office.
Now if it works for a BIG project as a 40 story building where there is no transportation, where you have to wait 24 hours to get out of your hospital's ER, well hell nothing, except a smattering of transient hipster watering holes ...
just think of how it will help your LITTLE problem like your neighbor's basement apartment whose music keeps you awake to 4 AM or your landlord's AIRBNB brainstorm that generates so much untaxed cash that they are starting to look with covetous eyes on your apartment.
Naw, when it comes to city government, you don't talk to a MACHINE.
You follow the trail of the successful ones and talk to a PERSON.
This has been going on in sunnyside for years due to the idiots who think high home prices are a good thing.....new owners NEED to rent out illegal apartments just to pay the mortgage.
this causes situations like this and now with the new rezoning we will be infested with luxury only buildings.
of course no one hires people like me who thinks backwards.....80/20 is a scam instead we should eliminate all real estate taxes on new buildings who provide basic no frills housing,no $3000 viking rages but a $300 one from sears...and very few amenities, with today's digital economy you need far less square foot space then even 5 years ago no huge cd dvd book cases no tube tv's etc. just ad a few more closets and its very doable.
I've been living in Maspeth for 15 years and many of my neighbors have been doing the same thing. Calls are made, nothing done. How many people need to be injured or die before something is done?
Question: I've been living in Maspeth for 15 years and many of my neighbors have been doing the same thing. Calls are made, nothing done. How many people need to be injured or die before something is done?
Answer:When the public wises up as to what actually works.
You can track down illegal tenants by reverse phone directory, voter rolls, cable bills, how many phone and tv cables go into the house. It's not rocket science.
the only thing that will change things is to get personal with your rep - meetings, letters to the editor, every chance you get be in their face - and get everyone else off their butts while you are at it. bitching in your jammies does squat.
When did you do that and what happened? you're the one bitching in their jammies. doing squat.
Can you please post all the letters to the editors that you've written?
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