Adams announces lawsuit against owner on ‘Worst Landlord’ watchlist

Piller has amassed 1,900 violations in Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan

March 31, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Mayor Eric Adams. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Share this:

Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced that the city has filed a lawsuit against Moshe Piller, a building owner who has amassed more than 1,900 violations across 15 buildings he owns throughout Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan.

Piller ranks number 28 on the New York City public advocate’s 2021 “Worst Landlord Watchlist” and has been criticized by numerous tenant organizations, including the Flatbush Tenant Coalition. The city’s lawsuit seeks to compel Piller to repair his properties or face tens of millions in civil penalties.

“The time of landlords openly flouting the law and harassing tenants is over. This lawsuit sends a clear message that those who break the law will pay,” said Adams. “For years, Moshe Piller has ignored his responsibilities as a landlord and racked up more than 1,900 violations — landing him a spot as one of the city’s ‘worst landlords’ list.”

“Safe housing is a fundamental right for every New Yorker, and we’re asking the court to compel Mr. Piller to address these longstanding violations,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix. “As counsel for all the city’s code enforcement agencies, the Law Department is uniquely situated to address the full range of unsafe conditions that plague tenants and the public.”

“This lawsuit is an excellent example of how the city can and will employ enhanced enforcement and interagency coordination to hold consistently noncompliant landlords accountable and to make our housing stock safer and healthier for New York City tenants,” said New York City Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz.

730-760 Rogers Ave., also known as 155 Linden Blvd., in Crown Heights, owned by Moshe Piller. Google Maps photo

The lawsuit focuses on Piller’s most serious violations and activities. Some violations constitute public nuisances, such as work performed without a permit or repeated failures to correct immediately hazardous conditions at the premises, which pose additional risks to tenants. Based on this data analysis, the lawsuit targets 15 of Piller’s properties.

There are numerous examples of dangerous conditions at each building. For example, at 730-760 Rogers Ave. (also known as 155 Linden Boulevard) in Crown Heights, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development has issued 202 violations, the Buildings Department has issued 52 violations, the Fire Department has issued five violations, and the Health Department has issued three violations.

New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix, a former Brooklyn judge. Eagle file photo by Mario Belluomo

There are broken doors that should be self-closing to contain fires; a vacate order on three units that were illegally converted and did not meet legal habitability standards; illegal partitions to create additional apartments or rooms; installation of gas and water lines without a permit; façade violations, including cracked masonry and a leaning parapet wall; failure to comply with lead-based paint hazard laws; and mold and bedbug infestations.

The New York City Law Department develops tenant protection cases in close cooperation with the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT). MOPT then works in partnership with the numerous city agencies charged with inspecting for code violations, including HPD, DOB, DOHMH, FDNY, the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Environmental Protection.

“It is time for Moshe Piller to finally see real consequences for harassing tenants and forcing us to live in dangerous conditions. Right now, we have a roof that leaks whenever it rains. He’s endangered peoples’ lives right here in Brooklyn and in the Bronx,” said Altagrace Aime, tenant leader of the Flatbush Tenant Coalition. “For years, Moshe Piller has been targeting tenants, taking us to court for nonpayment, and trying to evict us, all while he ignores repairs and acts like the law doesn’t apply to him.”