Residents at 3525 Decatur Avenue in the Norwood section of the Bronx,
who sued their landlord for negligence, are looking to elected
officials for help after a judge denied the presentation of the
majority of their evidence in court last month. The eight residents,
who claim landlord neglect by Jacob Selechnik over a four-year period,
have appealed to the city’s public advocate and the Bronx borough
president’s office. Sarah Hausman, an organizer with Urban Homesteading
Assistance, said the negligence on the part of the landlord may be on
purpose. “Landlords looking to turn a quick profit have neglected or
harassed existing tenants in an effort to force them out and hike up
rents in their apartments,” she said. [Norwood News]
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Jacob Selechnik, one of the Bronx’s most prominent landlords, has $300 million in hand from recent sales and is on the hunt for bargains in the borough’s distressed multi-family buildings, despite being accused of nearly 6,000 building violations, according to the New York Times. At 3525 Decatur Avenue in Norwood, 30 of his tenants were expected to file complaints in housing court today. They say the building is infested with bedbugs, lacks working ramps for disabled residents and a full-time superintendent. But Selechnik, 66, who owned more than 7,000 apartments at the height of his career, has brushed off those allegations, as well as thousands of others. “I don’t think there is 100 percent happiness,” he said. “Because we dig into their pockets every month.” The Department of Housing Preservation and Development claims Selechnik owes $13,855 for outstanding violations.