One of New York’s ‘worst landlords’ is arrested for building neglect
A New York City landlord could face jail time in connection with “dangerous conditions” in two of his Manhattan apartment buildings. the city announced on Monday.
Property owners almost never face criminal consequences for neglect of their buildings.
But a housing court judge, Jack Stoller, issued an arrest warrant Friday for the landlord, Daniel Ohebshalom, noting that problems with lead, mold and pests have persisted for about 16 months in two of his buildings in Washington Heights.
The order orders the landlord to be held for up to 60 days unless he corrects the violations.
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development said there were nearly 700 open violations in the two buildings. Mr. Ohebshalom’s buildings have been involved in the city’s public advocacy efforts on several occasions Watchlist ‘worst landlords’a ranking based on violations by municipal authorities.
“If you create unsafe, unhealthy and unlivable conditions, we will hold you accountable,” Housing Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. said in a statement Monday.
A lawyer for Mr. Ohebshalom, Vladimir Mironenko, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to Judge Stoller’s order, Mr. Ohebshalom’s lawyers had said that separate lawsuits filed by tenants had delayed the landlord’s ability to make certain repairs.
A housing department spokeswoman said Mr. Ohebshalom was not in custody as of Monday morning. The city sheriff’s department is coordinating with authorities in California, where the city says Mr. Ohebshalom lives.
Tenant advocates often criticize New York City’s enforcement of housing codes as weak, saying violations by city agencies or lawsuits filed by the city or tenants are not enough to force landlords to make repairs.
But there are only a few modern examples of criminal cases related to housing.
The housing department could not immediately recall Monday when it last applied for an arrest warrant. In October 2022, Manhattan prosecutors accused six real estate developers and their companies of taking advantage of a lucrative tax break intended to spur construction.
Ashley Viruet, a supervising attorney at the tenants’ rights coalition of Manhattan Legal Services, called the arrest warrant “unprecedented.” The group represents many tenants in the Washington Heights buildings.
Ms Viruet said it was common for landlords to correct violations only when they were brought to court. But the case involving Mr. Ohebshalom’s premises was particularly egregious, she said, noting that he had already paid fines, been ordered by the court several times to correct violations and was held in contempt.
“This is a necessary step,” she said. “The landlord has been terrible. He left these tenants in unbearable conditions for years.”
Jay Martin, executive director of the Community Housing Improvement Program, a landlord group, said that “bad property owners are a threat to good property owners, and we fully support efforts to crack down on those who exploit their tenants.”