Washington Heights Landlord Among 'Worst' In NYC Sued By City

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Lead paint. Mice infestations. Lack of hot water. Crumbling facades and walls.

These are among 1,900 violations Moshe Piller — a fixture on the city's official "worst landlord" list — let fester in 15 New York buildings, including four in Washington Heights, according to a civil lawsuit filed by the city Thursday.

"The Defendants have allowed their buildings to deteriorate to the point where they pose an imminent threat to the health and safety of the tenants and the public," the lawsuit states.

Patch was unable to reach Piller for comment.

The sprawling 58-page complaint details conditions in 15 buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn and The Bronx with more than 900 rent-regulated units, according to documents.

Here's more information for each one in Upper Manhattan.

10-22 Fairview Ave.

It is a five-story building with 61 rent-regulated apartments. There are a total of 79 violations for which Piller has failed to show compliance, according to the suit.

The violations in the uptown building include failure to get rid of roach and mice infestations, water leaks, and construction happening without the proper permits, says the suit.

554-558 West 191st St.

It is a five-story building with 21 rent-regulated apartments. There are a total of 48 violations for which Piller has failed to show compliance, according to the suit.

The violations include the creation of five illegal single-room occupancy units in the cellar, lead-based paint hazards, mold, and mice and roaches, according to the suit.

1-3 Pinehurst Ave.

It is a six-story building with 49 apartments, 48 of which are rent-regulated. There are a total of 38 violations for which Piller has failed to show compliance, according to the suit.

The violations include construction work without a permit, defective door and window locks, failure to provide fire extinguishers, and rodent infestations, according to the suit.

65-71 Wadsworth Terrace

It is a five-story building with 46 rent-regulated apartments. There are a total of 67 violations for which Piller has failed to show compliance, according to the suit.

The violations include the creation of an illegal cellar unit, unsafe electrical wiring, and rodent infestations, according to the suit.

Here are the other building locations owned by Piller.

Manhattan

• 1-9 Jacobus Place
• 10-18 Jacobus Place

Brooklyn

• 121-137 E. 18th St.
• 730-760 Rogers Ave.
• 40 E. 17th St.

The Bronx

• 1742-1758 E. 172nd St.
• 1775 Davidson Ave.
• 2501 Davidson Ave.
• 4563-4575 Park Ave.
• 1025 Boynton Ave.
• 2874 Grand Concourse

Newly elected uptown Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos pointed to many of the violations relating to the lack of self-closing doors in building.

"Five of the buildings in this lawsuit are in my district, accounting for 451 violations. Many of these violations relate to lead paint and a lack of self-closing doors, the type of violation which led to the death of 17 people at Twin Parks towers in the Bronx," De Los Santos told Patch. "We need leadership from local enforcement agencies to ensure buildings remain safe for all residents. I would like to thank Mayor Adams for cracking down on landlords who do not keep their buildings up to code."

This isn't the first time conditions in Piller's buildings have made headlines.

Among the most notorious was the Bronx building where, in 2016, a faulty radiator that filled two girls' room with steam and scalded them to death.

The horrific case prompted tenants to file suit against Piller, DNAinfo reported at the time.

"The time of landlords openly flouting the law and harassing tenants is over," Adams said. "This lawsuit sends a clear message that those who break the law will pay."

Patch reporter Matt Troutman contributed to this report.