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Landlord racks up nearly 700 city violations
FOX 5 NY's Ashlie Rodriguez explains why he's being sent to jail and takes a closer look at his problematic history.
NEW YORK CITY - Daniel Ohebshalom is considered one of the worst landlords in New York City, according to Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. And now there’s a warrant out for his arrest.
Ohebshalom owns the buildings at 705 and 709 West 170th Street in Washington Heights, and between the two buildings, he has racked up nearly 700 violations with the city for not making court-ordered repairs to the buildings’ 42 apartments and/or showing up to court since 2021.
"Some of these owners own such a large portfolio that they just see it as an item on a list, right? I'm gonna just avoid this until I have to deal with it," Adolfo Carrión Jr., Commissioner, HPD said. "And they're not thinking about the humanity. The people who are trying to just live their lives, raise their kids, older New Yorkers who are in their apartments and their, you know, these folks are paying rent, for God's sake."
Ohebshalom is accused of not responding to residents' complaints about roach and rat infestations, lead, mold, leaks, collapsing ceilings, and not turning on the heat during winter.
He faces up to months at Rikers Island, but authorities have not been able to locate him to arrest him.
There is a $3 million penalty he's going to have to pay. And while some landlords don’t usually face jail time, in the case of Ohebshalom, the city said he has a large portfolio of buildings, and has accrued thousands of violations over the years, including a $1.1 million settlement he paid to the city at the end of last year for violations in one of his Hell's Kitchen buildings.
"I want this to be a message to all those bad owners out there who are taking advantage of just regular New Yorkers who are trying to make a life in this city," Carrión said.
Manhattan Judge Jack Stoller is working with authorities in California, where Ohebshalom resides, to bring him back to New York, where he can either make these repairs immediately or go to Rikers.