Reportedly, he couldn’t be reached for comment.
Candidly, who could blame him for ducking out of the public eye in relation to a tale involving bathroom mold, busted security systems, tenant evictions, major water leaks and harassing building managers in which he is the central character?
“He” is a New York City landlord of renown, with that word being used in a most couched sense.
In fact, one New York publication terms him “infamous” in a recent story chronicling what is essentially a tenant uprising against multiple deplorable — and continuously unfixed — conditions featuring in many apartment complexes he owns across the Bronx.
The landlord topped the NYC “worst landlords” list in 2015, and ranked ultra-high again last year, with a reported 1,000-plus building violations being noted in nearly 260 dwelling units he owns.
Seemingly, the tenants have had enough, with members of their coalition organizing in an effort to publicize the many unsafe and dangerous conditions that mark their apartments. They gathered last month at the Bronx Housing Court to protest.
Their efforts to better their living conditions have been ongoing, but not notably successful. The landlord met with tenants last summer, agreeing to make better efforts in cleaning and maintaining public areas and to pull back a bit on his customary speed in initiating eviction proceedings.
The result of that interaction, says one housing advocate, has been “cosmetic improvements.”
And that is not good enough, critics contend, with many materially concerning issues continuing to plague multiple units in the Bronx.
It has been noted that, while the protests continue, the landlord continues to buy new residential properties in the city.
