In what city officials are describing as a first for local housing enforcement, a state Supreme Court judge has ordered the owner of a South Bronx apartment building to pay more than $2.1 million in penalties for years of hazardous living conditions.
The judgment, announced on Thursday by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, targets the six story property at 919 Prospect Avenue. The ruling marks the first time a court has imposed the maximum civil penalties allowed under the Nuisance Abatement Law in a housing case. For the Mamdani administration, which took office in January with a pledge to aggressively protect tenants, the victory serves as a high stakes warning to the city’s most frequent housing law offenders.
“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,” Mr. Mamdani said during an announcement at the building.
The $2.174 million penalty is the result of a $1,000 daily fine for each day that open violations at the property were deemed a public nuisance. The building has long been a fixture on the Public Advocate’s “Worst Landlords Watchlist” and was enrolled in a special city program for buildings with the most severe safety issues.
Inspectors from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development documented a litany of failures at the site. The court record details a deteriorated facade, unsafe electrical wiring, and obstructed fire escapes that posed immediate risks to residents. Tenants also reported a faulty elevator, a broken boiler during winter months, and widespread peeling lead paint and pest infestations. Parts of the building were under a partial vacate order due to the severity of the structural neglect.
Under the terms of the ruling, the owner is required to fix the most critical life safety violations within two weeks. All other remaining violations must be resolved within one month. If the owner fails to meet these deadlines, the city could move to appoint a receiver to take control of the property.
Tenant advocates, who have supported residents in their legal fight since 2016, called the decision a turning point. For years, residents at the Prospect Avenue building organized rent strikes and filed dozens of complaints only to see the property fall further into disrepair.
“This is progress,” said Claribel Morales, an attorney with TakeRoot Justice, which represented the tenants. “But the new administration must keep enforcing housing codes to ensure these wins aren’t just one time headlines.”
The $2.1 million will be directed toward city funds used for emergency repairs in other distressed buildings. Mr. Mamdani indicated that his administration is currently reviewing several other high volume offenders for similar legal action.
“We will use every tool to protect New Yorkers from bad landlords,” the Mayor said. “The days of profiting from neglect are over.”
