Gentile, Adams Announce Bill Addressing Illegal Housing Conversions
City Councilman Vincent Gentile (Bay Ridge) and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will hold a press conference today to highlight the need for their proposed legislation dubbed, the Aggravated Illegal Conversion Bill.
The measure addresses the proliferation of illegal conversions of one- and two-family homes into multiple apartments which has disrupted neighborhoods, caused safety issues and taxed local infrastructure for several years – particularly in South Brooklyn.
City Council Member Jumaane Williams (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood), Chair of the Housing and Building Committee, along with Queens City Council Member Barry Grodenchik will introduce the legislation, LS 4115, which would establish the immediately hazardous DOB violation of Aggravated Illegal Conversions — defined as three or more illegal dwelling units being created within one structure.
For each qualifying illegal unit, the owner of an illegally converted building would be fined $15,000. This fine would immediately create a lien on the building upon an ECB judgment. If left unpaid, the lien could be included in a lien sale. In addition, aggravated illegal conversions would be added to the list of offenses for which a vacate order could be issued due to immediately hazardous conditions.
Additionally, if inspectors from DOB fail to gain entry to premises after several attempts, this legislation provides the means by which DOB would be required through request to the Corporation Counsel (Law Department) to seek a warrant to gain entry.
Among the other Brooklyn lawmakers expected to attend the press conference include Assembly Members Peter Abbate, Pamela Harris and Nicole Malliotakis; Congressman Dan Donovan and State Senator Marty Golden.
The press conference is slated for 5 p.m., today at St Ephrem’s Church 929 Bay Ridge Parkway (between Fort Hamilton Parkway and 10th Avenue) in Dyker Heights.
Schumer Pushes Bill Limiting Weapons To Those On Terror
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer yesterday announced that votes to close a fatal gap in the U.S. background check law and improve the gun background check system will begin Monday.
These votes aim to fix the broken gun background check system and prevent prohibited purchases—like felons, domestic violence offenders and terror suspects—from getting their hands on weapons of war through gaping loopholes in the law that currently exist and need to be closed.
On the eve of this critical vote on the Senate floor, Schumer urged the American public to make their voices heard by calling, writing, e-mailing and tweeting their Congressional representatives about the importance of passing the “Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act.”
Schumer is a sponsor of this legislation, which would give the Department of Justice the authority to prevent a known or suspected terrorist from purchasing firearms or explosives, also known as the “terror gap.”
“In the wake of the Orlando tragedy, we have to right the wrongs in our background check system that let people plan and carry out despicable attacks,” said Schumer. “We must immediately disallow terror suspects from legally getting their hands on weapons. The ‘terror gap’ just defies commons sense. The same nefarious individuals we monitor and bar from planes, we turn the other way when they want to purchase a gun. Simply put, if you are on a terrorist watch list, you should not be able to walk into a gun store and easily purchase a cache of deadly weapons.”
Schumer said that terrorists are well aware about the “terror gap.” For instance, Schumer also pointed to a June 2011 video in which Adam Gadahn, an American born al Qaeda member, urged other terrorists to exploit weakness in federal gun laws as an easy means of obtaining weapons for use in terrorist attacks.
Treyger Calls For NYPD Anti-Gang Resources In Gravesend
City Councilman Mark Treyger (Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Coney Island) on Friday called on the police department to commit anti-gang resources for his district a day after a Gravesend block was defaced by graffiti containing gang-related language.
“I am outraged by the reports of gang-related graffiti scrawled all across public and private property on a Gravesend block this morning. There is absolutely no place in our community for this kind of disgraceful behavior. This is a neighborhood full of hard-working families who should never have to wake up and find that their property, whether it be their homes or their cars, or the streets they call home have been defaced with hateful language referencing criminal organizations or anything else,” said Treyger.
“Whether this incident truly is the work of gang members, or whether this is just unaffiliated pretenders, I am calling on the NYPD to immediately commit anti-gang resources to stop this before it goes any further, because this is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our community.”
Golden Holds Superstorm Sandy Town Hall Meeting
State Senator Martin J. Golden (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend) will host a town hall meeting Wednesday in Gerritsen Beach to address continuing issues still facing many residents rebuilding in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
The following agencies will be in attendance to answer questions and offer continued assistance to residents: New York City Department of Buildings, New York City Build it Back Program, Neighborhood Housing Services, Brooklyn Housing and Family Services, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Golden has hosted regular town hall meetings since Superstorm Sandy made landfall in October 2012 to give affected residents of his district an opportunity to discuss ongoing recovery efforts with key officials.
The meeting is slated for 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 22 at P.S. 277 located at 2529 Gerritsen Avenue.
Ragusa, Tong Honored At Asian Community Appreciation Dinner
Democratic District Leaders Charles Ragusa and Nancy Tong (47th AD, Bensonhurst, Gravesend) were honored at the Asian Pacific Heritage Committee’s Asian Community Appreciation Dinner last week.
Ragusa, the right-hand man to Assembly Member Bill Colton for the past 30 years, is facing a challenge for district leader from Billy Thai, in the growing Asian district that includes Bensonhurst and Gravesend. The Asian community in Southern Brooklyn is somewhat divided on how to gain political empowerment as they have no elected legislative officials from Brooklyn.
“It has always been my priority to unite people so we can stand together on issues to better our community. It was an honor for the Asian Pacific Heritage Committee to recognize me and I thank them for that,” said Ragusa.
Tong, the only Asian elected official of any kind in Brooklyn, works in Colton’s office in constituent services.
“This was a very special moment to be honored at the Asian Community Appreciation Dinner. I would like to thank the Asian Pacific Heritage Committee for choosing to honor my partner Charles Ragusa and I. Our neighborhood team will continue to serve the community to the best of our ability,” said Tong.
Williams Lauds Bust Of Bust Of Errant Landlord
City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) last week lauded the arrest and indictment of Yury Baumblit, along with his employee, Edwin Elie, on charges that the duo illegally evicted tenants who lived in three-quarter houses between April 2014 and March 16, 2016.
The defendants allegedly unlawfully evicted at least 10 tenants who occupied rooms for over 30 days – even though landlords cannot evict a tenant who occupies a room or a bed for 30 consecutive days without a court order. Three-quarter housing is transitional housing for people with substance abuse problems who are also formerly homeless.
“No landlord in New York City should be able to take advantage of our city’s most vulnerable residents – whether they are seniors, disabled citizens, low-income families, or those living in transitional housing, such as three-quarter houses,”said Williams.
“Any owner who doesn’t think that law enforcement officials, along with elected legislators, aren’t watching you and ready to respond should you abuse your tenants, are sorely mistaken. The Committee on Housing and Buildings intends to consider several pieces of legislation in the coming months that cracks down on the exact behavior that Mr. Baumblit and Mr. Elie are accused of in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s indictment. We know that we have many tools in the toolkit to protect tenants, and I thank Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson for using one of these tools. I look forward to working with him, along with Speaker, and the administration to ensure that where the City can act, it will.”
