Inwood landlord of building with 444 violations blames tenants

92 Nagle Avenue in Inwood
92 Nagle Avenue in Inwood

WEEKENDEDITION A residential building at 92 Nagle Avenue in Inwood has 444 open city violations, more than all but one other building in the city. But the building’s landlord, Abraham Benelyahou, claims that it’s his tenants that are the problem.

“They can’t pay rent,” the 63-year-old landlord said of his tenants. “They break things, then call the inspectors. Some city inspectors aren’t qualified to be shoemakers.”

However, many of the six-story building’s residents stopped paying rent in protest after having spent nearly a year without cooking gas, according to the New York Daily News.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

By signing up, you agree to TheRealDeal Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Tenants also claim that a perpetually broken door has led to multiple robberies in the building.

“How many times have I fixed the door? Each time, it costs me $750. They come and kick it back open,” Benelyahou told the Daily News . “The tenants are problems.”

Residents have taken Benelyahou to Housing Court, hoping that the city will seize the delinquent property — something that the city seldom does. [NYDN]Christopher Cameron