Rockland crackdown: More than 40 may be removed from unsafe apartments
Steve LiebermanSPRING VALLEY — Rockland building inspectors have threatened to remove tenants from a Ridge Avenue apartment house littered with unsafe conditions while levying a nearly $40,000 fine against another landlord for violations of state fire and building codes.
The double-barreled enforcement continues a crackdown since February on unsafe buildings. The state deputized the county government in November to inspect and prosecute violations in Spring Valley after many years of dysfunctional enforcement.
The 20-apartment complex at 17 Ridge Ave. was the latest property cited.
Ed Markunas, who heads the Rockland Office of Building and Codes, estimated more than 40 people live in the complex. While nobody has been evicted yet, they would potentially be left homeless if action is not taken by the landlord in the next two weeks.
Takeover: Rockland targets Spring Valley buildings with severe problems, sets moratorium on permits
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Inspectors issued the owner 27 violations centering on a structure unfit for occupancy. The two-story yellowish building off Route 59 has 10 apartments on each level and a basement.
Rockland officials said a March 28 inspection found floors sagging and sloping, fire escapes that did not reach the ground, fire-protection doors that did not close to prevent the spread of fire and smoke, and an absence of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. The walls, stairs, and masonry had cracks, officials said, among other violations. Electrical hazards were found throughout the building.
"We deemed the building unsafe, based upon a detailed inspection," said Markunas, who described the conditions on Thursday, noting a squirrel came out of a hole in the building.
Markunas said he doesn't know when the building had been last inspected — or if inspected — by Spring Valley, but apartment buildings need to be inspected every three years.
"I cannot find a document of an inspection from the Village of Spring Valley," Markunas said. The village said it turned over all its records to the county after the state ordered the takeover.
The county posted notices Tuesday on 17 Ridge Ave. and its apartment doors, notifying tenants the building is unsafe.
The property needs to be repaired, vacated or demolished within 15 days, Markunas said. The Rockland Department of Social Services and other agencies have interviewed some tenants and are available to assist in placing residents who are unable to relocate on their own.
Owner faces deadline to make repairs
The property owners, Abraham and Sarah Mandlovic of Milton Place in Spring Valley, declined to comment Thursday.
Markunas said Abraham Mandlovic told an inspector the building's condition hasn't changed since he bought the property 26 years ago under A&S Realty LLC. The price was $626,000 on April 30, 1997, according to the Ramapo Tax Assessor's Office website.
"If that's so," Markunas said of the building remaining unchanged since 1997, "why didn't Spring Valley observe these violations. We are finding violations existed in these places for years."
Abraham Mandlovic has supposedly hired an engineer to look at the structural issues. He also owns other properties in Spring Valley up for inspection, Markunas said,
Tenant Yvon Bertrand said Abraham Mandlovic told him he had plans to make the repairs within three months. Bertrand said he's lived at the complex for 12 years and was not concerned about the conditions or having to move.
Markunas said while some people want instant results since the takeover, the county inspectors do a thorough inspection, and not just check the boxes. He said the county has conducted hundreds of inspections and issued more than 1,000 violation notices.
Landlord fined nearly $40K for house
County Executive Ed Day pressed for a county takeover of Spring Valley's inspections, along with other officials and safe housing advocates. The double fatal fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in March 2021 gave impetus to the state to deputize the county and remove Spring Valley as code enforcers.
“Just when we thought we’ve seen the worst, we recently encountered another egregious property owner subjecting families to dangerous living conditions," Day said of 17 Ridge Ave. "We have zero tolerance for greedy landlords who put profit before people, and I pledge to hold this irresponsible property owner accountable."
Day said he hopes landlords get the message after the inspections and a $39,250 fine after an administrative hearing against Rony Joseph, who owns 3 George St. It marked the first civil penalty since the takeover.
Inspectors found two dozen men, women, and children living in dangerous, rundown conditions in makeshift bedrooms at 3 George St. The illegal quarters were created in the basement, attic, and middle floors with partitions constructed to offer a semblance of privacy. All were removed from the rooms in February.
If the payment of the fine is not received within 30 days. legal action will be commenced to collect, Markunas said, The county could attach the fine to Joseph’s tax bill or move to seize the property, he said..
Joseph, an Airmont resident, could not be reached for comment on Thursday. He also owns other properties in Spring Valley
Justin Schwartz, a member of the Rockland Illegal Task Force and Private Schools, said the group has reported violations at 17 Ridge Ave. for years to the village and state. He said he's concerned about dangerous conditions in other large apartment complexes and was critical of the fire services for not being more active.
Schwartz said code violations continued even while state monitor Erika Krieger was assigned to the village after working with Ramapo inspectors.
The state had warned the village for years about its inspections and documentation. The building department has been short-staffed by the financially strapped village, despite calls to increase inspection fees and fines to finance more inspectors and equipment.
"In the very short time, the county codes have uncovered many unsafe conditions and code violations that were ignored and not inspected for years," Schwartz said. "How many more deaths do we need to to have an outcry 'enough is enough'."
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal. Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.