Sharif El-Gamal and 1835 Amsterdam AvenueIf Sharif El-Gamal doesn’t show up to court Thursday, he could be sent to jail over the $63,133 his company owes the city in fines, fees and taxes for a Washington Heights property, the New York Post reported.
El-Gamal, the man behind the notorious Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan, acquired the 14-unit apartment building at 1835 Amsterdam Avenue in 2008, public records show, although the price isn’t listed. Between July 2010 and May 2011, 150 complaints about rats, roaches, lack of heat and construction debris were filed for the building. One resident complains that her bathroom ceiling collapsed blocking the toilet and sink and releasing dust and vermin.
Overall there are 366 open complaints in the building, according to the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The HPD sued El-Gamal’s company Washington Holdings II, but the developer missed the first court date last month. [Post]