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Tenants without heat , hot water, hang signs for help

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | November 1, 2009 at 07:28 pm

299 views | 30 Recommendations | 5 comments

After 3 months of no heat and no hot water, tenants in the Bronx, New York, have taken to hanging "help" banners outside their windows.

A gas line went bad, and because the city's office has been contacted numerous times, they are taking steps to replace the line. The building's owner had tried to get friends to repair the gas line, but to no avail.

Bronx tenants who haven't had heat or hot water for three months took the dramatic step of hanging giant banners out of their windows this week, begging for relief.
The residents of 2285 Sedgwick Ave. are forced to use crock pots to heat bathing water, shiver beside space heaters and face sky-high electric bills since a July fire knocked out their gas service.

"I don't know if I can keep taking it," said Jonathan Rodriguez, 26, who is wheelchair-bound and needs hours to get ready in the morning because of the lack of heat.

Tenants of the 54-unit building have repeatedly called the city's 311 hotline to report the problem, but gas service cannot be restored until the gas line to the building's boiler and hot water heater is repaired.

Following a tenants' press conference on Tuesday, the city Department of Housing and Preservation Development now has a contractor working to run a new gas line to the boiler. A spokesman said theDepartment of Buildings and Con Edison will need to inspect the repair before turning the gas back on.

"HPD will work to help expedite that process," a spokesman said in a statement.

Residents said the building's owner has had friends try to make the repairs, but their attempts haven't been successful. Phone numbers for Juan Romero, president of 2285Sedgwick Realty Corp., which owns the building, had been disconnected.

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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 19:58 on November 1st, 2009

This is typical of slum landlords anywhere. Surely fixing a gas line is not a difficult job. I would also think Dept of Bldgs and Con Edison could be there to certify the job when it's completed.

I wonder what obligations this landlord has and who is paying the rent?

Beaulieu

at 06:46 on November 2nd, 2009

Have the tenants actually paid any rent?

mudricky

at 01:58 on November 2nd, 2009

Didn't expect that to be America.

Hugh Askew

at 02:24 on November 2nd, 2009

Is this a city/bureaucrat mess, or is the landlord at fault? Both?

"Tenants ...... have repeatedly called the city's 311 hotline to report the problem"

a211423

at 18:41 on November 2nd, 2009

I am surprised the city is responsible for running the gas line to the boiler in the apt. complex. Cities in California usually only will replace "their" lines that stop at the street. Any connections that go onto the private property, the owner is responsible for.