NEW YORK, NY— A New York court ordered the owner of a troubled Bronx apartment building to make repairs within weeks and pay more than $2.1 million in penalties after years of housing violations.
The ruling targets the rent-stabilized building at 919 Prospect Ave. in the South Bronx, where tenants have reported dangerous conditions including faulty electrical equipment, pests and broken building systems.
A state Supreme Court judge ordered the landlord to fix the most severe violations within two weeks and all remaining violations within one month. The decision also imposes a $1,000 daily penalty for each day the building remained a public nuisance, including a retroactive penalty totaling $2,174,000.
City officials said the judgment marks the first time a court has imposed the maximum penalties allowed under New York City’s Nuisance Abatement Law in a housing case.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani called the ruling a major victory for tenants who have pushed for repairs for years.
“This judgment is a landmark victory not only for those who call 919 Prospect Ave home, but for tenants across the five boroughs who must contend with the daily misery, mistreatment and neglect of a bad landlord,” Mamdani said.
The building is owned by landlord Seth Miller, who has repeatedly appeared on the Public Advocate’s “Worst Landlords Watchlist.”
The property is also part of the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Alternative Enforcement Program, which targets buildings with severe housing violations.
City inspections have documented a range of problems at the property, including a deteriorating façade, unsafe electrical equipment, obstructed fire escapes, an unsafe elevator and an inoperable boiler.
Inspectors also cited peeling lead-based paint, missing self-closing doors, pest infestations and the failure to install a required sidewalk shed.
New York City Corporation Counsel Steve Banks said the ruling strengthens the city’s ability to hold negligent landlords accountable.
“The City will use every tool available to ensure tenants are protected and building owners comply with the law,” Banks said.
Tenants at the building, supported by the legal advocacy group TakeRoot Justice, joined the city’s case seeking court intervention.
Claribel Morales, a staff attorney with the organization, said tenants have been fighting for safe living conditions at the property since 2016.
The court order followed a city motion seeking an injunction requiring the landlord to correct violations and eliminate conditions deemed a public nuisance. The judge granted the motion and authorized the daily penalties under the nuisance law.
City officials said the case reflects broader enforcement efforts targeting landlords who fail to maintain safe housing conditions for tenants.