East New York Tenants Protest Living Conditions; Lawsuit Filed Against Landlord
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Tenants at 650 New Jersey Ave. in East New York say their building is a wreck inside and out.
"You can see the water, where it damages the building, and it does not stop there," one woman, who lives on the top floor with her disabled mother, told 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa.
"Up over her bed, there's a big leakage," the woman added. "And when it rains, it pours. So then I have to go into her room, move her bed over, put a bucket there, call them and wait for months for them to come."
East New York Tenants Protest Conditions; Lawsuit Filed Against Landlord
Tenants, meanwhile, held a protest outside the building, chanting, "Housing is a right!"
Brooklyn legal aid lawyers are suing landlord Michael Sakowski over not only the needed repairs, but also because they say he illegally deregulated the building, leading to rent overcharges.
There are broken bannisters in the building and holes under the stairwell, Papa reported.
Afya Hamilton said she moved her family there a year ago and the apartment was supposed to be renovated.
"It's a butcher job. I could do a better job, if you ask me," she said.
So far, there have been no repairs to Hamilton's windows that won't lock, faulty electrical outlets or a hole in the floor.
"This is one of the worst landlords in New York City," said Judith Goldiner of the Legal Aid Society. "The conditions in this building are really horrendous."
