Some people in Woodhaven are still worried about what has been labelled the “House of Horrors.”
Residents voiced continued concerns at the September meeting of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association (WRBA) about the house at 87-19 90th Street, where last year an 18-year-old was murdered.
The Department of Buildings (DOB) recently sealed the back door of the house with concrete blocks, WRBA President Ed Wendell said. The DOB left before the cement had dried, however, and vandals kicked in the bricks.
The problem with the house, according to Community Affairs officer Jose Severino of the 102nd Precinct, was that the house has been foreclosed and is owned by a bank. This means if the police do make an arrest for trespassing, a representative from the bank has to sign an affidavit for the trespassing charge, he said. Because many of the banks are from out of state, it is nearly impossible to get a bank representative to comply; as a result, the suspects must be let go after a certain amount of time.
Severino went on to say this was a nationwide problem as more houses are foreclosed and left dormant by banks.
Assemblymember Mike Miller suggested collecting a list of foreclosed homes, finding out which banks owned the houses, and setting up a hotline so a bank representative is always available to sign an affidavit. Miller said he would also contact the district attorney’s office to see what options there are.
