Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.

 

Eight Bronx building owners, including two in Norwood, one in Bedford Park, one in Kingsbridge, and one in Fordham Manor, are among ten owners who were collectively fined over $150,000 by NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD) for failing to comply with lead-based paint regulations, HPD officials said on Jan. 16.

 

City officials said ten properties owned by Ezriel Weinberger and affiliates incurred penalties on 790 housing units, 99 of which had open, lead-based, paint violations. HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. said, “Today’s announcement will resonate with all New Yorkers. We all know that lead exposure is toxic and can especially affect young children and set back or permanently damage their development.” He added, “We also know that responsible property owners make sure their buildings are lead safe and lead free.  That’s why I’m glad we’re holding this irresponsible owner to account.”

The ten properties, located in The Bronx and Manhattan, each incurred fines of $15,000 per building, HPD officials said. They contextualized the announcement by saying that, despite these recent fines, childhood lead exposure has seen a “remarkable 93 percent decline” since the “Taking the Lead on Lead” initiative was launched by the City in 2005.

 

Meanwhile, City healthy officials said lead is a metal that is toxic to people and there is no safe level of lead in your body. They said in the past, it was used in gasoline, paint, ceramics, caulking, pipes and solder, and in 1960, NYC banned the use of lead-based paint in homes. Additional measures were taken in the 1970s. However, they said lead can still be found in some products and in our environment, and layers of lead paint may still be present in older buildings and can become dangerous when the paint chips or peels, is abraded, or when renovations or repairs are conducted without properly controlling dust.

Health officials said the main source of childhood lead poisoning is lead-based paint in older, deteriorated housing. They said children with lead poisoning may develop health, learning and behavioral problems, and these effects can persist long after the exposure has stopped, and a child’s blood-lead level has declined. They said fetal exposure to lead may also result in cognitive and developmental problems.

 

HPD officials said Ezriel Weinberger and affiliates have been ordered to comply with lead-based paint regulations, and rectify all violations across the ten buildings, two of which are in Manhattan and eight in The Bronx. Several entities are referenced in documents filed with NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) and NYC Department of Finance in respect of the properties.

When Norwood News asked HPD to clarify the relationship between the affiliates and Ezriel Weinberger, we were informed we had to send a freedom of information request. We were unable to reach Weinberger for comment. The following entities were referenced in various mortgage agreements filed with City agencies.

 

Regarding 2675 Grand Concourse, located in Fordham Manor, City documents show that in 2022, Aqua 2675 GC LLC, with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn entered into a mortgage agreement with TBG Funding LLC with an address at 3839 Flatlands Avenue in Brooklyn. According to our research, Aqua 2675 GC LLC is represented by Residential Management, with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. We spoke to a resident of the building who told us he was unaware of any violations in terms of lead paint regulations.

Regarding 3595 Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood, in 2018, Ivory Bainbridge LLC, with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn contracted a mortgage with New York Community Bank of Hicksville, NY. A visit to the property on Jan. 18 revealed that Residential Management (NY) Inc., with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230, is listed as the property manager and that according to a sign posted in the building, it is owned by 3591 Bainbridge Corp.

 

We spoke to a 73-year-old female, longtime resident of the building, and asked if she knew if there was an issue with lead paint in the building. “I didn’t know until two months ago,” she said, adding that her neighbor’s apartment, where there were kids living, was found to have had some lead paint.” She added, “Also, my apartment was inspected by three managers here. They said we don’t have no lead paint here, but they had it mostly over there.” The woman gestured to her neighbor’s apartment.

The resident continued, “This building is very old, and this building has a lot of things happen to it. We have insects, bugs. We have rats, everything inside this building here. I don’t see them doing anything about this building here. It’s like they’ve just given up.” The woman showed us pictures of her windows which she said needed replacing and of her kitchen sink, which required repair. “We have to get a new carpet on the floor. We had to get a new faucet in the bathroom,” she said.

 

Asked if the management company was generally responsive, the resident said, “When I ask him to come fix something, like the landlord, he’s very, very lazy. You have to go up to him four or five times to call him on the phone or text him sometimes. He has his voicemails. He doesn’t answer your voicemail. The voicemail is filled up.”

Asked if she was referring to the management company or the super, she said the super. “The super answers it when he feels like it. The landlord doesn’t answer it at all.” The resident also complained about noisy neighbors who she said often played very loud music. She said it was an ongoing problem for 5 years, and that she was told to email her complaints.

 

“I don’t know how to email,” she said. “I need a phone number.” Asked who asked her to email, she said, “the cops.” Adding that she was also informed she had to go to court about the issues, she said, “I don’t want to go to court by myself.”

 

The woman also alleged the landlord was turning a blind eye to some residents who she alleged didn’t have a lease and were still living in the building. We asked if perhaps they were asylum seekers placed in the building by the City, and she said they were not, adding that they were “regular people.”

 

We spoke to the Super of the building and asked about the lead paint issue. Speaking in Spanish, he said, “I didn’t know about the fines, but they’re doing the tests in all the apartments. It’s ongoing.” We mentioned the allegations cited by the resident regarding cold entering through her windows, rodents etc. He replied, “Every month, an exterminator comes. If there’s an issue with windows, we try to fix it.”

 

Regarding 2995 Botanical Square in Bedford Park, City documents show that in 2020, GL Botanical LLC, with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, entered into a mortgage agreement with New York Community Bank with an address in Hicksville, NY. A visit to the property revealed that again Residential Management (NY) Inc., with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, was listed as the property manager. We spoke to a few residents of the building, none of whom were aware of violations incurred by the property owner related to lead paint regulations.

 

Regarding 115 East Mosholu Parkway North in Norwood, in 2020, Aqua 2939 GC LLC, with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, contracted a mortgage with Capital One National Association of Melville, NY. A visit to the property revealed that again Residential Management (NY) Inc., with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, was listed as the property manager.

 

A female resident of the building who said it was built in 1924 said it had been inspected for lead, she believes, last September but alleges that the test results were never provided to her. “You could tell they…he just came to check for that but they didn’t make the tenant aware like we potentially found lead or not,” she said. She added, “I’m not sure if there was lead or not so I just took it upon myself and repainted the apartment. I have my [inaudible] paint. I have my receipts, which they don’t reimburse me for nothing.”

 

We asked the resident if she knew if by painting over the walls, that eliminated the lead problem, if there was one, and she said, she didn’t know. “I don’t think so. I think they do have to remove it but because this building is so old, they’re not gonna pay for the whole building to be renovated and then, you know, move out the tenants, then move them back in, right? They’re not gonna go through that process.”

 

Asked how much it cost her to repaint the apartment, she said about $300. “I’m not finished. I still got to do the kitchen,” she said. Asked if she had children in the apartment, she said, “No, not at this time.” The resident also said she had had a negative experience with the Super of the building over the delivery of a package in the past, and felt she was unable to ask him for assistance. As a result, she said she dealt with the management company instead.

 

“After that, he doesn’t really speak to me or anything,” she said, referring to the super. “So I cannot request or repaint this house. So I have to call the office.” Later, referring to the management company, she said the lady who answered the phone was  “unprofessional” and needed “people training,” and therefore she said she now just deals with 311.

 

We contacted the Super for comment who said he had to speak with the management company about the lead paint issue. He didn’t comment on the other allegations. We reached out to Residential Management for comment and were unable to reach anyone, after being transferred internally a few times. We left a message.

 

Referring to 311, the resident later said, “That’s the best people to answer the phone. They do send people here to investigate.. but they close out the case right away…  and I don’t understand why, without with the work being done.” We asked for some example 311 reference numbers in order to follow up with 311, but have not received them so far. We will share any updates we receive.

 

Regarding 3140 Kingsbridge Avenue in Kingsbridge, which is located diagonally across the street from the Office of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), in 2019, 3140 Kingsbridge LLC, with an address at 1285 52nd Street in Brooklyn, contracted a mortgage with Santander Bank of Manhattan.

 

A visit to the property revealed that Diamond Management is listed as “the owner” of the property. No address was listed. We contacted Diamond Management for comment. They had none. We also spoke to the Super for the building, who said he was aware tests were being carried out for lead paint but didn’t know the outcome of them, and referred us to the property manager for comment.

 

A 30-year-old male resident of the building who said he is a father to one son, said he wasn’t aware that there was any potential issue with lead paint in the building prior to a recent inspection, and neither was he aware of a fine.

He said in part, “A couple of weeks ago, there was a guy with the Super and he was going to all the apartments, and he was checking all the walls to see if there was any remnants of lead or anything. He checked the apartment, and we didn’t have any lead in our apartment.” He said he understood it was possible to obtain the test results straight away, and that he never got any written formal confirmation.

 

Regarding 1750 Grand Concourse in Mt. Hope, City documents show that in 2019, 1750 GC LLC, with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn entered into a mortgage agreement with New York Community Bank, with an address in Hicksville, NY. As of press date, we have not yet had the time to visit the property.

 

Regarding 2181 Barnes Avenue in Pelham Parkway, City documents show that in 2021, ACE 2181 Barnes LLC, with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, entered into a mortgage agreement with New York Community Bank with an address in Hicksville, NY. As of press date, we have not had the time to visit the property.

 

Regarding 1001 Jerome Avenue in the Concourse section, City documents show that in 2022, New Jerome LLC, with an address at 1651 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, also known as 1001 Jerome Associates, with an address at 2800 Webster Ave, Bronx, NY 10458, entered into a mortgage agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank. N.A. with an address in Texas.

 

We called the number listed for Jerome Associates for comment on this story and got a voicemail referring to an entity entitled “4200.” The recording said to select 3 for a directory, which we did. A recorded message informed us that the option chosen was an invalid entry. We also reached out to Jerome Associates by email for comment. We did not receive an immediate response. As of press date, we have not had the time to visit the property.

HPD officials said Weinberger and affiliates must comply with record-keeping, annual notice, and investigation requirements per Local Law 1 of 2004, going forward. They said to prevent lead exposure, landlords of specific, older multiple dwellings were required to provide annual notices in English and Spanish to tenants before Jan. 16, and collect the completed notices by Feb. 15.

 

They said the notices were to find out if a child under six lived or spent significant time in the relevant housing unit. They said if tenants didn’t return the completed notices by the required deadline, landlords were required to notify the City’s health department.

 

They said that if owners discovered a unit was occupied by a child under six, they were required to conduct visual inspections for potential lead-based paint hazards in the housing unit annually, or more frequently based on prior knowledge or reports. Tenants concerned about lead paint and landlords’ inaction can file complaints online or via 311.

 

HPD’s “Get Ahead of Lead” webinar series can help landlords learn more about their responsibilities and obligations under Local Law 1 of 2004. For more information, visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/hpd.

Of the latest imposed fines, Carrión Jr. concluded, “Enforcement is a pillar of our work to ensure families live in safe and healthy homes. We use violations, litigation, and swift emergency repairs to compel landlords to meet their moral and legal obligations. Those who perform as expected contribute to our collective well-being, and those who don’t are, and will continue to be, held accountable. Good work Team HPD!”

 

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story erroneously omitted mention of the status of 2675 Grand Concourse in Fordham Manor. This has since been updated.