Highpoint Associates drags feet for 7 months on fire repairs

Landlord is trying to muscle out rent-regulated tenants, residents say

412 West 46th Street in Hell's Kitchen
412 West 46th Street in Hell's Kitchen

More than six months after a fire tore through Highpoint Associates’ 412 West 46th Street in Hell’s Kitchen, cutting gas and destroying parts of the roof, the landlord and its property manager Keystone Management have failed to make basic repairs, tenants say.

Tarps cover holes in the roof, and rainwater is being routed through a series of tarps and hoses, according to residents’ photos. 

The landlord, dubbed the worst illegal hotel operator in the city by Public Advocate Letitia James, also owns the building next door. The two buildings have racked up $122,900 in fines dating back to 2009, according to records, DNAinfo reported.

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Residents told DNAinfo they suspect the neglect is a tactic to force rent-stabilized tenants from the building.

Residents of 412 46th have filed 165 complaints with the Department of Buildings since the fire. [DNAinfo]Ariel Stulberg