Friday, October 24, 2014

Updated: City deems 338 E. Sixth St. 'unsafe to occupy'


[Photo from Wednesday]

On Wednesday, the city put in a Vacate Order at 338 E. Sixth St., the building that has been undergoing a gut renovation these past 18 months.

Now more paperwork has arrived outside here between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... a partial vacate order with more details about the apparent danger...



As previously reported, Rory Denis, who has lived here since 1979, is the building's lone resident. He has been fighting to keep his rent-stabilized apartment during the 18 months of gut renovations.

Now he is out of a home... and Awash Ethiopian Restaurant in the commercial space is temporarily out of business.

According to the notice:

"The new metal staircase treads are not fully planked. Significant debris in apartment 4R impeding egress throughout all rooms. Falling debris from the facade of exposure #1 has caused an unsafe condition to the patrons of the restaurant ... These conditions have create [sic] a hazardous condition to the occupants and has therefore rendered Apartment 4R and Commercial Space unsafe to occupy."

Denis took landlord Nurjahan Ahmed to housing court last year after she switched off the electricity and water. Denis won the case in June 2013, which forced Ahmed to restore the services.

Given the history here, we can't imagine any scenario where this comes to a quick resolution.

Updated 5:30

EVG reader Michael Hirsch tells us that the Buildings Department issued a partial rescind of their order, allowing Awash to remain in the building and reopen tonight.

Photos by Michael Hirsch

Previously on EV Grieve:
Gut renovations enter 16th month at 338 E. Sixth St., where 1 tenant remains

Vacate order issued for East 6th Street building with lone resident

7 comments:

East Village Today said...

You can tell by looking at it that it's unsafe!

Anonymous said...

So what happens to the lone resident now? Where is he supposed to go? Do they expect him to continue to pay rent? Will get his apartment back when all of this is over? This is unreal.

Anonymous said...

Awful. hey municipality: all these subsidized new developments should give first dibs housing to all the rent stabilized tenants being subject to this shit. It's epidemic. greed is the disease. it's a disgrace what landlords are getting away with.

Anonymous said...

Here's the reality-stay with family/friends or go into the shelter system. Always amazes me how unprepared for emergencies people are. In the lonf term sue for damages. This is why you need to have cash or a plan. If your building caught fire and you had to move you need to have a plan. Or you can end up in a nightmare called the shelter system.

Billsville said...

"Slumlord Millionaire"
You got evicted from the apartment, now see the movie.
Coming soon to a rent controlled apartment near you.

blue glass said...

not everyone can put aside money for emergencies like having your landlord create an unsafe building and then evicting you.
and really, it's such an inhuman act that most folks can't consider something like that happening to them.
if the landlord set fire to his building he'd be arrested but causing it to be unsafe - that seems to be legal.
and of course, blame the tenant(s)!

Anonymous said...

It would be foolish to live in that building and not have an evacuation plan.

If he has apartment insurance, it should pay for his stay in a hotel.