BRONX TENANTS SUE LANDLADY OVER HAZARDOUS LIVING CONDITIONS WHICH LED TO RECENT FIRE

Bronx, NY – Bronx, N.Y. 10456 – Today, more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, tenants on rent strike at 1210 Clay Avenue rallied in front of their building to demand the repair of hazardous building conditions, an end to tenant harassment, and appropriate relocation assistance for tenants displaced by an April 11th fire — the product of faulty electrical wiring that tenants previously asked the landlord to fix.

The tenants are suing their landlord, Hee Yang, over decades of disrepairs and building violations and appeared in Housing Court for their first appearance today to demand action. They are being organized by Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA) and represented by Bronx Legal Services’ Tenant Rights Coalition.

See photos of the building here
Read a copy of the tenants’ complaints here

“We say enough is enough. We have been left exposed to unlivable and dangerous living conditions. Some of these conditions have worsened while we have also been trying to cope with lost jobs or income because of the pandemic,” said tenant William Heidbreder.

The 11-unit building has 132 open building code violations due to decades of neglect. For years, tenants have been facing terrible conditions, including rodent infestations, lack of heat and hot water, faulty plumbing, broken windows, and frequent electricity outages. Despite each apartment being covered under rent-stabilization law, tenants allege Yang is improperly renting out rooms and some tenants have been denied leases for decades. Tenants also allege harassment by Yang, including entering apartments without notice or permission and publicly belittling tenants.

This neglect tragically resulted in an electrical fire Sunday, April 11, which began in a second-floor apartment. Tenants had previously alerted Yang to problems with the electrical system but their complaints were ignored. Several tenants who suffered smoke inhalation or bodily injuries while exiting through the fire escape went to the hospital for treatment. Some lost all of their personal belongings and were relocated to hotel rooms through the Red Cross. Tenants are still waiting for Yang or the city to offer proper relocation and fear ending up in a shelter.

One tenant in limbo is Kevin Brown, who has resided in the building for 21 years and lived in the apartment where the fire originated. While speaking at the rally, he pointed up to the burned-out window which was left completely uncovered. “If you can see that window right there, that was my apartment. Last week Sunday there was an electrical fire which started in the wall while I was laying down watching TV. It destroyed all of my clothes, and all my personal ID,” Brown said. Despite the apartment being visibly uninhabitable, HPD failed to issue an Order to Vacate in a timely manner, creating barriers for Brown in receiving proper accommodation.

Lassana Sissoko is another tenant displaced by the fire whose temporary accommodation will end on Thursday morning. Due to a heart condition worsened by the effects of smoke, Sissoko does not feel safe returning to the building. “We are here asking the authorities and elected officials to come and see the building,” Sissoko said. “It is not safe to live here—they can see that themselves. Please help our cause. As a contractor, if this was a white neighborhood, they would close this building down in a minute. Where is the Bronx Borough President? Where is the Mayor’s office?”

The Tenants’ Association has been organizing to improve building conditions for almost a year and has reached out to Yang twice demanding rent relief, repairs, better security, an end to harassment, and compliance with State Rent Regulations. Yang has refused to comply or negotiate. This negligence forced tenants to open a Housing Part Action Case against Yang with the support of Bronx Legal Services’ Tenant Rights Coalition.

“Imagine if your home, which is supposed to be a refuge for calm and rest, is a danger to you and your family,” said Ezinwanyi Ukegbu, an attorney at Bronx Legal Services’ Tenant Rights Coalition involved in the case. “The tenants of 1210 Clay Avenue are living under constant threat because their landlord refuses to make repairs or treat them with dignity or respect. But enough is enough. Tenants are tired of living in these dangerous conditions and tired of the harassment, which is why they’re taking their landlord to court to once and for all, hold her accountable. These tenants and their families deserve a safe place to live and we won’t rest until they get justice.”

Tenants will continue demanding better living conditions and justice for those displaced by the fire and will call upon the court to impose penalties for missed deadlines on repairs.
 
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ABOUT NEW SETTLEMENT’S COMMUNITY ACTION FOR SAFE APARTMENTS (CASA)
Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), a project of New Settlement, is made up of community residents who work together to improve the living conditions in our neighborhood and maintain affordable housing through collective action. Our ultimate goal is to build a unified and empowered local community. CASA began in 2005, out of the need in the community to improve the poor housing conditions that persist for many families in our area of the Southwest Bronx.

ABOUT BRONX LEGAL SERVICES’ TENANT RIGHTS COALITION
Bronx Legal Service’s Tenant Rights Coalition, a program of Legal Services NYC, provides legal and advocacy services to tenants in the Bronx, assisting thousands of tenants to fight evictions, address bad housing conditions, and force scofflaw landlords to comply with the law. Bronx Legal Services’ Tenant Rights Coalition’s work is funded by NYC Human Resources Administration’s Anti-Harassment and Tenant Protection program.