BK Tenants Homeless 8 Months After Fire Take Landlord To Court

FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN — More than a dozen Brooklyn families rendered homeless by a massive blaze in their apartment building took their landlord to court on Friday for what they say have been months of next-to-no progress on fixing the building and botched repairs.

The 18 families from 180 East 18th St., who have been homeless since the February fire, held a rally at Brooklyn Housing Court before heading into a hearing to demand their landlords start fixing the building that was destroyed eight months ago.

The destroyed six-story building has left tenants living out of garage bags at friend's houses with little hope for when they will get to go back home, tenants said.

“My whole life is turned upside down right now,” said Gail Nurse, who has lived in the building for 20 years. “You can’t imagine how frustrating it is to live like this...All I want is to move back into my apartment."

Nurse said it seems that the landlords, Juda Rosenfeld and JBM Estates, are intentionally taking their time fixing the water-logged, burnt building.

This is at least the second time the tenants have brought the landlords to court over the state of the building, which has racked up hundreds more violations since they first filed suit over the summer.

As of Friday, the building had 420 outstanding violations in the building, 151 of which are considered extremely hazardous by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. That count is more than double the 192 violations the building when tenants first filed suit.

Many of the violations, including a stop work order on the property, have stemmed from botched repairs in the little the landlords did do to fix the building, advocates said.

The landlords demolished the units and removed fire safety walls, but flouted city health and safety codes, didn't mitigate lead dust created by the construction and failed to get the proper work permits, according to advocates and city records.

“It has been almost a year that residents of 180 E. 18th experienced the tragedy of losing their homes and possessions in a fire and still little or nothing has been done for those who remain displaced,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who accompanied the tenants to court, said. “I went to court with these families because what I saw was egregious. It's time for JBM Estates to commit to helping their tenants who are still struggling as they protect profits."

Advocates said the landlords finally got the necessary work permits to continue repairing the budding last week.

At the hearing, tenants asked the court to order the landlords to commit to a schedule for repairs or face penalties. They also demanded that the landlord pay relocation costs for the tenants, many of whom can't afford to live anywhere else in the meantime, while the repairs are being made.

“These tenants are tired waiting and are now asking the court to intervene,” said Veronica Corsaro, a staff attorney at Brooklyn Legal Service who is representing the tenants. “Now that the landlord has secured the necessary permits, tenants expect the landlord to work as quickly and safely as possible to make repairs so they can finally move back into their homes and get their lives back.”

JPM Estates did not immediately return a request for comment.