Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Jamaica Estates house needs some TLC


From the Queens Chronicle:

A boarded-up, derelict house at 84-38 Charlecote Ridge in Jamaica Estates is concerning some in the neighborhood.

“I am so furious about this whole thing,” Community Board 8 Chairwoman Martha Taylor told the Chronicle. “It’s just crazy.”

Windows at the house are fragmented and trash can be found on the ground surrounding it. A vacate order was issued at the site earlier this year due to a lack of hot water, water supply and heat, missing windows and the building being in total disrepair, CB 8 said.

According to Taylor, the vacate order has likely been lifted — a hypothesis drawn from a Dec. 14 email sent from HPD to the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, and then to CB 8 — although it should not have been.

The email, which was provided to the Chronicle, says, “HPD was able to gain access to the above referenced property today. The building has essential services. For this reason we will not be vacating the building.”

Taylor is doubtful.

“The violations can’t be cured without them going to Buildings, getting a permit and then having master plumbers certify that they’re fixed,” she said. “As far as I know, all they have is electricity ... . They cannot cure those violations without a master plumber.”

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

>They cannot cure those violations without a master plumber

They certainly can, but the law won't allow it unless they pay through the nose to have a master plumber put his seal of approval on it.

Anonymous said...

The Master plumber will make sure everything is up to code.
NYC has some of the most stringent building codes in the world for our safety.
The DOB is a mess but that's a whole other story.

Anonymous said...

>NYC has some of the most stringent building codes in the world for our safety.

The current building code is 95% the IBC (which is the International Building Code) after the city abandoned its own custom code with the new 2008 code book. There are some 'amendments' for specific issues but for the most part, the city now uses a more universal code (and its a pretty good one).

Anonymous said...

It's time to make property tax proportional to how many live there.

Anonymous said...

>The Master plumber will make sure everything is up to code.

That's the city inspector's job. Why should homeowners pay extra for a master plumber when they're just as likely to cut corners, and anyone who knows what they're doing can make sure it's repaired properly?