Bronx Family Forced Out Of Their Apartment After Leak, Partial Ceiling Collapse
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A family was forced out of their home in the Bronx after a leak in their ceiling lead to their apartment flooding, and part of their ceiling falling down.
Making matters worse, they say their landlord isn't doing anything about it.
Pieces of the ceiling cover Crystal Marshall's apartment after she says it fell shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday.
"I got up and my whole entire ceiling was leaking," she said. "Then the bathroom started leaking and the hallway started leaking and it was just flooded in here and then the next thing you know an hour later the ceiling fell on my bed."
Crystal, who is disabled, says she called 911 and the FDNY responded.
"They came, they shut the power down, they tried to get access to the apartment upstairs, no access," she said. "Now I'm in here with no lights, no running water, and nowhere to sleep."
She, her son who's also disabled, and her husband are now without a home. The building's superintendent told CBS2 he tried to get access to the apartment upstairs but there are two large dogs, and nobody is home. Aside from that, he also said he wasn't able to get in touch with the landlord.
Both he and Crystal say the landlord is someone who goes by the name of "Joseph" at M&F Management on Lee Avenue in Brooklyn.
When CBS2's Lisa Rozner tried calling him, he asked what she wanted. When she told him about Crystal's situation, he requested she call back on Sunday and hung up.
Already in 2019, the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development has 15 open violations on Crystal's building. One of them was issued just a few days ago for not fixing a water leak.
Crystal says it's "ridiculous."
"I've sent emails, I've sent pictures, I've sent 311 complaints and he's done nothing," she said. "This is the repercussions."
The American Red Cross says since the city hasn't issued a vacate order, it can't help Crystal's family with a place to stay. CBS2 has contacted the city's housing agency as well as the Department of Buildings, both of whom said they'll send inspectors to Crystal's apartment on Sunday to investigate the matter.