R’wood Activist Included On Landlord Watch
While operating various Ridgewood civic and community organizations, Paul Kerzner regularly offers tips and information to property owners on how to properly maintain their homes and comply with city law.
So it came as a shock to Kerzner last week when he was informed that his name was included on Public Advocate Letitia James’ “Landlord Watch List,” which purportedly identifies property owners whose locations have scores of outstanding city violations.
The list named Kerzner as the “head officer” of the 1865 Linden St. Housing Fund Corp., a separate housing development corporation which the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation (GRRC) formed to purchase 1865 Linden St. from the city about a decade ago.
The GRRC, which Kerzner serves as president, worked with Con Edison’s Renaissance Housing program, to convert the structure from a six-family apartment house into a threefamily condominium.
Upon being purchased, the structure had a large number of violations, Kerzner told the Times Newsweekly, but they were all remedied as a result of the renovation, which was completed in 2008. GRRC Executive Director Angela Mirabile added the Department of Buildings (DOB) issued a new certificate of occupancy thereafter which reflected the violations’ removal.
But according to James’ list, 1865 Linden St. has 134 outstanding violations, all of which were purportedly issued last year.
The Times Newsweekly checked the DOB’s online database and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s online registry, both of which indicated there were no outstanding violations against 1865 Linden St.
In an interview with this paper last Thursday, Kerzner stated it’s impossible for the building to have any violations since the GRRC resolved previous violations against the property in the process of renovating the structure.
He cited the sale of the three condo units as further evidence, noting lending institutions would not have issued mortgages to the buyers if the property had outstanding violations on it at closing time.
“All three families have mortgages. They wouldn’t have gotten the loans if the buildings had violations,” Kerzner said. “Clearly, this is an error. … It just goes to show you they (the public advocate’s office) weren’t all that diligent in checking things out.”
Mirabile added in an interview with the Times Newsweekly on Tuesday the list doesn’t even reflect the actual owner of the building.
Once the first condo unit was sold at 1865 Linden St., ownership was transferred to the condominium’s board of managers, as required by law; the board is comprised of all three condo owners.
“Even that information was really erroneous,” she said.
After being apprised of the situation, Mirabile stated, the Public Advocate’s office informed her the list is being reviewed and revised, and any properties found to be erroneously included on the list would be removed.
Aja Worthy-Davis, a spokesperson for Public Advocate James, told the Times Newsweekly a review of the list is ongoing and revisions would be made as needed.
Kerzner stated last Thursday he expects an apology from James over the error-“and she’d better not [just] say, ‘We made a mistake.'”
The Landlord Watch List is available online at www.landlordwatchlist.com.
