Heat Back In Clinton Hill Home, But Tenant Says Fire Risk Added

CLINTON HILL, NY — A tenant who'd lived without heat or hot water for nearly a month finally came back to her Clinton Hill home – and found a extension cord with exposed wire stretching from the now working boiler and through her home.

When she emailed the building manager to express concern, she was told to never contact them again, she said.

"This is not a solution, this is not fixed," said Gruer, a freelance graphic designer and animator who has lived in the building at 174 Clinton Avenue for nearly two years. "It's a fire hazard."

The building lost heat and hot water in December, just the city was plunged into a deep freeze that lasted several days. The pipes burst, residents were forced to sleep with ovens on for warmth and the building. tenants eventually organized a rent strike.

Building workers replaced the boiler on Jan. 10 — restoring the heat and hot water — but installed it "completely illegally" by running the wires through Gruer's apartment, she said.

"I’m comfortable, I’m just waiting for the apartment to catch fire," she said. "It's not if there will be more problem, it's when."

An inspector from the city's Department Housing Preservation and Development was called into the apartment on Jan. 15 and Gruer said he wrapped the exposed wiring with electrical tape for safety.

A woman who answered the phone at landlord Stuart Venner's office said repairs were being made and referred calls to a lawyer, who did not respond to a request for comment.

Real-estate mogul Venner owns several properties around Brooklyn and first bought the building for nearly $3 million in 2013, Department of Finance records show. He refinanced it for nearly $4 million days before the heat went out.

He made headlines in 2015 after his wife sued him for leasing a Philadelphia rowhouse to his mistress for $1 a month, but he suit was dropped shortly after, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The heat in Clinton Avenue first went off on Dec. 19. Building workers told tenants it was caused by problems with the boiler and the issues eventually spread to the hot water, Gruer said.

The lack of flowing water caused three pipes to burst in the building. Two flooded Gruer's entire living room and the other sent water into bedrooms in all the apartments, damaging mattresses and property, she said.

"There's damage to books and journals and clothing and anything that was around," resident Samantha Pinto previously told Patch.

Most of the tenants eventually left the building to sleep elsewhere, except for Dr. Robin Helburn and her 90-year-old mother. The pair stayed but ran several space heaters and slept with the oven on for warmth.

Residents made nearly 50 complaints about the lack of heat, hot water and other issues to the city since Dec. 19 and HPD has 13 open violations for the building, records show. Department of Buildings inspectors also issued a violation earlier this month.

The landlord replaced the boiler and made repairs to the damaged walls and ceiling last month, tenants said. He offered them a free month's rent and the ability to break their lease early, which satisfied Helburn.

"Everything is back to normal," Helburn said. "In my book we're OK."

However, Gruer thinks residents should be further compensated and isn't sure if she'll stay in the apartment. She's worried that workers won't respond to her calls to fix problems.

"It's ridiculous," said Gruer. "It's like all consuming."

Image: Morgan Gruer