Silly question, I know

We've got word from Matches Malone again. Click on above building report.

See here for history of this baby.

So...when is this place going to get shut down for good?

Forest Hills crap just won't stop

Dear Crapper,

Matches again. I really can't believe this. The city is really slacking. Not only has work been completed at 110-46 63rd Road, illegally, but there is a full family living there with no respect for the entire block.

They keep their bright, energy wasting lights on ALL NIGHT and park their HUMMER taking up all the space. As you can see in the DOB site, they still have outstanding violations and more complaints have been logged in. Aren't criminal charges supposed to be issued after 5 ECB violations?

What I don't get is the stop work order. Two months ago I saw it still posted on the mcmansion however the site does not have it and the sign on the gate has been removed. Looking at the DOB page for the neighboring house, 110-44, which is not done any construction, the SWO seems to be in place there. This smells like corruption and I'm sure Mr. VADIM FEZAMAYEV has a lot to answer for.

In other news, the construction owner who built this monstrosity, ALEKSEY SHIMONOV is also in hot water it seems. His address, 63-36 110th Street, which I see you have written about in the past, has been illegally modified too and renting out an apartment.

They have not adhered to the city's fines or requirements. I don't care what excuse these guys give, too big families, lot of money, whatever, bottom line when they make illegal structures, don't follow the law AND bother other people for their own selfish pursuits, they need to be reprimanded and reported.

Thanks again for your help.

Matches Malone

Photo from the Times Ledger

Arrested engineer involved in Forest Hills craphouse

From the Times Ledger:

An individual involved in the construction of a Forest Hills home that has been fined nearly $200,000 for disregarding a number of stop-work orders has been accused of falsely certifying that he inspected a Brooklyn building where a city firefighter was injured after balconies collapsed, city officials said.

Vasilios Kourkoumelis, 34, of Astoria, was charged last week in a Brooklyn court with two felony counts of offering a false instrument for filing, according to city Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn.

“A professional who falsely certifies that a construction project follows the building code without even inspecting the job potentially puts the public at risk,” Gill Hearn said.

Kourkoumelis applied last year to enlarge the one-family attached town house at 110-46 63rd Road, which the city has slapped with $198,500 for, among other things, ignoring stop-work orders. Kourkoumelis himself has not been fined. But the home’s owner, Vadim Sezaynayev, and the owner of the construction company doing the renovations, Aleksey Shimonov, have been fined, according to city Department of Buildings documents.

Most recently, the DOB issued a stop-work order Nov. 19 that neighbors said has repeatedly been ignored.

Kourkoumelis did not return phone calls for comment. He faces up to four years in prison if found guilty on the felony counts, Gill Hearn said.

There are currently nine open DOB violations and 11 open city Environmental Control Board violations for the Forest Hills home.

The construction caused the DOB to issue a vacate order for the next-door neighbor’s backyard. DOB officials said no one could enter the backyard because conditions could be “perilous to life.”

Hey, I know that house! That's the thorn in Matches Malone's side.

Forest Hills illegal construction saga drags on

"Dear Crapper,

This guy really should be in jail at this point right?

One other thing, as I was passing 108th street I noticed that there was a "for rent" sign for Albert Cohen's law office. Wasn't he under investigation by the department of elections for fraud?"

Matches Malone

6-time loser in Forest Hills

Matches Malone checks in again. It's become a running joke.

Here's another from just yesterday.

Forest Hills Stop Work Order violated yet again

From the NYC Dept of Buildings:

The Stop Work Order Patrol was initially launched in Queens as an enforcement pilot program in November 2006, and was expanded to Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island during the past year. Now operating citywide, the Stop Work Order Patrol is an integral component of Phase One of the Buildings Department's Special Enforcement Plan, which utilizes Stop Work Orders to crack down on violators disregarding building and zoning regulations.

To catch offenders in the act, the Stop Work Order Patrol tracks sites with active Stop Work Orders and conducts unannounced inspections of these sites. When builders are caught working against the Stop Work Order, the Buildings Department issues violations carrying immediate civil penalties that must be paid before the Stop Work Order may be lifted. Ranging from $2,000 for a first offense to $10,000 for a third or subsequent offense, these civil penalties and the costs caused by delays from the Stop Work Order are strong financial disincentives for builders considering violating a Stop Work Order. In addition, for those builders who continuously disobey a Stop Work Order, the Buildings Department may pursue criminal prosecutions.

And from Matches Malone:

"The hits just keep on coming!"


Looks like the SWOP needs to visit 63rd Road in Forest Hills.

Forest Hills McMansion mess continues

Dear Crapper,

Unfortunately, the illegal constructions at 110-46 63rd Road, still continue despite the numerous violations issued by the city and the stop work order that's still in effect. (see here for all the info)

Despite the said SWO and a fine against both the owner VADIM FEZAMAYEV, and the construction company, ALEKSEY SHIMONOV, (you can see this in the ECB violations on the web site) there are still men constructing at the McMansion this morning. There were several secretly laying bricks on the front underneath a tarp that covered the site. When they came out and saw someone was looking at them, they quickly ran inside the tarp like horny teens who were caught hooking up by their mama. According to the buildings dept, there already have been complaints but as you can see this isn't stopping these greedy thieves from violating the law. Something has to be done to stop them.

-Matches Malone

Followup:

Click here.

-Matches Malone

Problems continue in Forest Hills

Crapper,

There's another illegal construction going on in Forest Hills. At 110-40 63rd Road, there is a expansion project going on right now. There are several workers, without protective helmets and equipment, working on the roof and rear of the house, expanding it into the next McMansion here.

When I called 311, the operator told me that there were already complaints logged in and sure enough, the operator was right.

Looks like the "publicity" to this issue is finally galvanizing the community.

-Matches Malone

Discreet work in Forest Hills

Hello Crapper,

It's been a while. Despite the SWO and partial vacate order at 110-46 63rd Road there are two men not so discreetly doing work on the third floor. 311 has been called in but let's see where it goes. I have a bad feeling some innocent going to get hurt if these homeowners keep breaking the law and continue their selfish construction.

-Matches Malone

P.S. The rezoning plan, unfortunately, does not affect this part of FH.

UPDATE: The DOB has issued another SWO.

Scary situation with no accountability

Another fine example of DOB incompetence submitted by Matches Malone.

Forest Hills house horrors continue

Crapper,

This morning I was trying to enjoy some sleep when a massive crane came driving into the rear. The crane, operated by two stooges with no safety equipment, was placing bricks into our favorite house, 110-15 63rd Drive. In addition to the said danger of the crane, these idiots made it go nearly 360 degrees above four houses with the bricks in tow, the truck is blocking the entrance to a couple of people's houses.

311 has already been called on this twice, according to the house's complaints, and I am accompanying some photos to show you the severity of the problem.

-Matches

Update on Forest Hills McMansion mess

Hello Crapper,

Matches again. Hope you're having a good new year. Huge, and I mean HUGE updates in the FH McMansion mess.

Check out the ECB violations, for our favorite house, 110-46 63rd Road, the one that has $15000 in fines for several stop work order violations.

ECB Violations

This guy now owes the city an additional $42,500 and more are on the way.

Goodbye recession!

-Matches Malone

Yeah? I don't see them trying too hard to collect.

More mayhem at Forest Hills McMansion

Crapper,

These people, 110-46 63rd Road, are just plain evil. They still continue to tear up Forest Hills for their selfish pursuits.

Can someone please do something? Someone's going to get killed because of these people!

-Matches

McMansion mess in Forest Hills

Dear Queens Crapper, Splitting Hairs and Forest Hills 72,

My name is Matches Malone. I have written to both the crapper and splitting hairs before about a serious and now dangerous issue that has been affecting homeowners in northern Forest Hills, Crapper see your post entitled Walls of Jericho.

The situation is gotten out of hand, however there is a major development. For months I've been complaining about the mcmansion that is constantly being added onto like a Lego playset. The "house" at 110-15 63rd Drive was being modded again however the DOB finally took someone's complaint and issued both a stop work order and ECB violation. It seems almost everything these homeowners, who are Bukarian Jewish immigrants, are illegal and off the books. More details can be found here...

The buck doesn't stop there. At a house located directly behind it, 110-14 63rd Road, is another mcmansion and guess what? It was also complained about during the summer. The DOB guys have also issued violations for that monstrosity however the damage is already done and neighbors have to put up with that eyesore. What's worse is that house causes flooding on 63rd Road and 110th street anytime, like today, it rains. They too are Bukarian Jewish immigrants and I believe related to the homeowners at 110-15 63rd Drive. More on that house's violations here...

Walk a couple of yards and you'll find another house of pain, 110-26 63rd Road. This place has been expanded so much that it doesn't have a front or back yard anymore. Apparently no one complained till this summer and, you guessed it, it finally got hit with a DOB violation for illegal conversion.

They are also Bukarian Jewish immigrants (I'm not racist at all but all of you I know read that NY Times piece in July and know that they have been making these homes without care for the neighborhood)

But wait there's more, and this one is the tipping point. A house located at 110-46 63rd Road is being complete demolished, and I mean the crane and gut kind. The poor homeowners have had to deal with the trucks etc. Well it seems last week someone complained and the whole thing was illegal. DOB violations galore and now the community has to deal with a half-demolished house.

As you can read, this is really a problem and something needs to be done. Four illegal conversions on one block and you'd think DOB would catch on. This needs to be known to the whole city and these homeowners should be investigated and possibly jailed for their illegal activities. It's bad enough that the neighbors have to put up with these ugly homes, and selfish people but to have these illegal things go on without stop is horrible.

I hope all of you can post something on this and stir action, because neighbors here, except those mysterious complainers, are afraid to speak up. The way these shady homeowners act, it's like they're an organized crime family, which may not be far from the truth.

I have enclosed pictures of 3 of the 4 houses mentioned. You can mention me, matches, in the blog and this message but do not mention my e-mail address.

Thank you for your help, and if you need anything more please feel free to e-mail me. Thanks again.

-Matches Malone