Bronx building collapse raises questions about what New Yorkers can do to make sure their buildings are safe
NEW YORK -- A building that collapsed in the Bronx on Monday had several open violations, and tenants tell CBS New York they had reported structural problems in the past.
For some New Yorkers, this collapse raises questions about the safety of their own buildings.
- Related story: Following Monday's collapse, Bronx residents concerned about structural integrity of their buildings
We don't yet know what caused Monday's collapse, but we do know there had been seven open violations at the property from the Department of Buildings and over 100 open violations from the Department of Housing Preservation.
This is a problem that City Hall says they just don't have enough manpower to address, so before something like this happens, what options do residents have if their building is slowly crumbling?
No one could have expected the Bronx building to collapse the way it did Monday, but tenants say long before, the writing was on the wall -- or perhaps the ceiling.
"A piece of the ceiling actually fell in," resident Jacqueline Tomlinson said.
"In my apartment, especially where my kids sleep, it's a big, big line. It's a crack, and they just cover it with plaster," resident Rosa Diaz said.
In a 2020 engineering report, the same building's facade had been labeled "unsafe" but not an immediate danger, with photos showing cracks all along exterior walls from at least three years ago up until 2022.
"We are a city of millions of buildings and 500-something inspectors, so we will never, with boots on the ground, get to every building," said Meera Joshi, deputy mayor for operations.
The Buildings Department can issue fines to landlords who do not make repairs in a timely manner, but the city does not have the power to put a lien on a building.
"Without the ability to have liens on buildings, it is often difficult to collect those fines," Joshi said.
John Montoute, director of the Tenants Rights Coalition with Bronx Legal Services, says if a landlord does not make essential structural repairs, renters should first call 311, then file a complaint with the Buildings Department.
"With this one, the city did issue violations ... The problem is they're not enforceable now, but the city does have mechanisms to do it. It's a large legal process, which is why the city hired lawyers like us to help tenants get access to that stuff," he said.
If a landlord continues to ignore these problems, tenants can organize a rent strike or bring their landlord to housing court.
"We oftentime bring contempt motions for actual damages for our clients. We bring harassment claims, which gets our clients damages, and we also seek civil penalties from the city," Montoute said.
We've reached out to the landlord at the Bronx building that collapsed but have not yet heard back.
Experts advise every renter in New York City should look up potential violations on their buildings through both the Buildings Department and the Department of Housing Preservation:
- Department of Buildings -- click here
- Department of Housing Preservation -- click here
