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HPD representative explains monitoring and litigation process for vacated buildings

1:03:06

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AnnMarie Santiago, Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement Neighborhood Services at HPD, explains the agency's process for monitoring and potentially litigating cases of vacated buildings due to fires.

Describes HPD's follow-up inspections and communication with owners
Mentions the initiation of litigation in some cases, citing an example in The Bronx
Highlights the goal of returning tenants to their homes and the challenges involved

AnnMarie Santiago

1:03:06

Thank you, council member.

1:03:07

I I will speak for HPD and related excuse me.

1:03:11

Specifically, the HPD vacates.

1:03:16

With relation to fire, after HPD issues a vacate in most buildings where six units or more have been vacated, HPD does follow-up with inspections, follows up with the owner to ensure that things are moving forward.

1:03:34

In some cases, we do initiate litigation on properties.

1:03:39

That litigation does take time unfortunately.

1:03:43

For example, we do have litigation against fourteen twenty Noble Avenue, which is a previous large fire in The Bronx also where the entire building is still vacated.

1:03:54

We have received one round of civil penalties, but that case continues against that property owner.

1:04:02

We have had cases where we've brought litigation and tenants have returned.

1:04:07

There was one down in Lower Manhattan, and we can certainly provide you with some examples.

1:04:13

We work as hard as we can to return tenants to their previous housing.

1:04:20

We can't do that in all cases.

1:04:21

There are a lot of vacates where there's just one unit or two units, and it's impossible for HPD to follow-up on all of them.

1:04:28

But certainly, if you have examples of buildings where you have a number of tenants who were vacated, especially if those tenants are receiving emergency housing services, so they're housed through our agency's housing, we do follow-up with those for that very reason.

1:04:45

Right?

1:04:45

Our goal is to get households, families back into their homes.

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