In a lawsuit filed on Monday, more than twenty-four residents of the Bronx building that suffered partial collapse in December asserted allegations of harassment by their landlord subsequent to the incident and depicted the dire living conditions they have endured.
The tenants of 1915 Billingsley Terrace are advocating for prompt repairs, reconstruction of the damaged section of the property, and the opportunity to return to their residences.
Diana Vargas, aged 36, whose fifth-floor apartment was among those destroyed, has been residing in a shelter with her family since the incident.
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Allegations of Landlord Harassment Detailed in Lawsuit
The lawsuit outlines a variety of perilous circumstances, encompassing the presence of hazardous construction dust, accumulation of garbage, infestation by vermin, and the absence of cooking gas.
Furthermore, it details numerous allegations of harassment against the landlord, including coercing some tenants to sign forms asserting that the conditions in their apartments had been fully rectified in exchange for the return of their keys.
The lawsuit also asserts that the owners neglected to secure the building adequately, leading to widespread looting of unoccupied apartments.
The collapse of a corner of the seven-story apartment building in Morris Heights occurred on December 11, resulting in minor injuries but displacing more than 100 individuals, many of whom are still residing in shelters.
Legal Aid Lawsuit Targets Bronx Landlords & City
According to city records, the property had amassed over 100 building violations at the time of its collapse, covering a range of issues from elevator malfunctions to structural deficiencies.
The lawsuit, initiated by the Legal Aid Society in Bronx Housing Court, represents 28 residents and targets landlords David Kleiner, Yonah Roth, Moishe “Mo” Doe, and 1915 Realty LLC, along with the city’s Department of Buildings and Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
Following the collapse, the Bronx district attorney’s office announced an investigation into “any potential criminal activity” shortly afterward. Councilwoman Pierina Sanchez confirmed ongoing official inquiries into the collapse’s causes as of Monday.
However, in December, the city suspended the license of an engineer who allegedly misidentified a load-bearing support beam as a decorative column during an inspection.