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| (Photo by Carly Miller/BKLYNER) |
Today, City Council unanimously passed a bill to enforce fines on landlords that illegally subdivide homes to create “modern tenement housing”, an issue that has led to severe overcrowding and deaths in southern Brooklyn.
The bill, Intro 1218 proposed by City Councilmember Vincent Gentile, targets landlords of homes classified as “aggravated illegal conversions,” slapping a $15,000 violation per unit beyond the certificate of occupancy. If unpaid, the fine would be subject to a lien sale on the property.
The legislation also expands the authority of the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and the New York City Environmental Control Board (ECB) to inspect properties and impose penalties.
Gentile, representing Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, and Bensonhurst, was joined today by Council Members Barry S. Grodenchik and Jumaane Williams, representatives from Boro President Eric Adams' office, and dozens of civic groups and housing advocates who spent years rallying around this issue. The bill was supported by 23 City Council members, said Gentile on a sunny Wednesday at the steps of City Hall. A few hours later, the bill passed with a 49-0 vote.
“These strong restrictions and penalties will force egregious property owners to comply with New York City’s building code,” said Gentile. “Substandard housing is not affordable housing.”
17 comments:
Wait, I'm CONFUSED.....Isn't the MAYOR pushing for something that allows renting basement apartments in Queens?
We are spending enormous amounts of moneys on the many "homeless" vermin that have been invited here by the policies of these communists, masquerading as democrats.
Someone needs to pay the campaign donors that have made an industry of maintaining and growing these parasites, and it is YOU!
This is just another huge budget balancing money grab thrust upon the few hardworking middle class homeowners still remaining.
Margaret Thatcher — 'The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.' ...
No they don't. Who will enforce any of this?
A rare moment of collective sanity from the City Council? Something must be in the water. Let's get some more good legislation in while it lasts.
PLEASE PASS THIS LEGISLATION IMMEDIATELY!!
I hope this whacks the absentee LLs who subdivide property into rooming houses - the homes that make headlines when 40 people die in a fire...
Let's hope this gets enforced. The illegals are going to use every trick they have to stonewall this including claiming racial profiling. Maybe if the law gets enforced it won't be worth it for the thrives to come here and continue to turn our neighborhoods into the crap they came from in their country. I can dream can't I?
> “Substandard housing is not affordable housing.”
That's blatantly wrong on it's face.
..............and who will enforce this, since enforcement is always the crux of our quality of life issues.
How do we report violators?
Why are local representatives in Middle Village, Queens unable to stop the sub-division of small, single-family, attached homes? Response from Elizabeth Crowley's office - nothing we can do - report it to 311. Head-in-sand - Elizabeth Crowley?
Yea like they will actually follow this law. The dob does nothing about these things. Do you know how many "two family houses" have four mail boxes and four water meters on the side of their houses here in bayside? Most of the people who live in these homes dont speak a word of English. Even the conedison guy told me that he has a hard time getting into peoples houses around here because they dont know how to speak english so they dont know what he wants to do when he knocks at the door. So what makes these people think that anyone will actually allow people come in to check out their homes to make sure it isnt illegally converted?
This will never work. Everyone knows that after 2 LS4 documents are posted( because they never answer the door when the agents from the building department come and they learn quick how to make them go away by simply not answering the door) the case gets closed and nothing ever happens. I've been watching people on my block do crap like this for years and despite our repeated calls to the department buildings as the amount of people per home and do your company and trash that they create grow exponentially , nothing gets done. They need to come back to these people and keep coming back there until they can get entry. Even when the second LS4 tell them they need to call and make an appointment to come to court about the problem they just ignore it, so you may as well not have any laws pertaining to this for all the good it does
Constitution of United States of America 1789
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Get a warrant...
To Anonymous who asked how to report violators: try making a complaint to the city via311 or the info in this link:
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/renter/file-a-complaint.page
Not sure if the city will actually do anything except issue a ticket, but it's worth a try.
My block only has one-family houses-- small, 1940's-era matching structures, no apt buildings, not even LARGE houses....yet there are only two that are actually occupied by single families. I don't even know the ppl, or how many ppl, reside in each of these sub-divided houses. When my address receives marketing material (thanks Time Warner), it comes in a batch of letters addressed to: First Floor Resident One, Two, Basement Resident, Second Floor Resident, etc etc. Everything is crappy here:(
DOB Inspectors don't even knock when they tack those LS4's to your door. And basement apartments will only be allowed in communities zoned for more than one-family homes.
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