THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — An overflowing sink, an infestation of flies and other pests, multiple fire department rescues at a stalled elevator – these are just some of the many issues tenants at 1187 Anderson Avenue in the Bronx say they’ve been living with for far too long.
Rumaisha and her neighbors detailed these and other issues for PIX11 News Wednesday, including an unreliable stove, and a serious roach infestation.
“They just give us a date or sometimes tell us they’ll fix it but they don’t show up,” said Rumaisha.
PIX11 News has been following this ordeal for years.
In fact, last year the landlord settled with the tenants that included nearly a half million dollars in rent credits…and the completion of certain mandated repairs.
The Tenants Association says those repairs were never made, and the landlord instead allegedly duped uninformed tenants into unwittingly signing an affidavit falsely confirming the work was done.
The tenants returned to Bronx Housing Court Wednesday, in their ongoing effort to try to hold accountable that landlord, identified in court documents as Gary Kassirer.
He and his family, along with multiple associated corporate entities own several older buildings in the neighborhood – which are noticeably absent on the company’s listing of featured properties.
Bronx Legal Services attorney Cynthia Ramos represents the tenants in court.” Their repairs are not done and if they are done, it’s done as a patchwork job,” said Ramos.
Frustrated tenant Mercedes Escoto added, “You are paying lawyers all of this money. Why don’t you save all that money and repair the apartment?”
PIX11 News reached out to the landlord, requesting comment in time for this report but has not received a response.
Originally published on Aug. 14, 2024 via Pix11
