With the recent storms that moved through New York, many people are experiencing issues with ice and snow on their properties. Landlords are held to a high standard to provide for their residents in order to avoid what is called premises liability issues. Residents who are injured as a result of the negligence of others, whether landlords or another tenant or homeowner, are able to pursue premises liability claims. Often these claims are related to slipping and falling on a person’s property, which snow and ice are a common factor in. Animal bites are another common type of case.
The residents of one New York building are attempting to take this a step further by having their landlord evicted by the owner of the building. Residents claim that with the drop in temperatures, the pipes are frozen and that the boilers have been broken. They also claim that they have been exposed to lead paint and asbestos, in addition to the numerous water leaks. A rodent infestation has also been alleged. Any one of these claims would be a serious allegation and possible premises liability case. Recently, a stairwell in the building collapsed, and two of the tenants were injured.
At this time, there are over 200 open code violations for this building alone, according to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The residents are hoping that the building’s owner, which has acquired numerous apartment buildings across the city, will hand the building over to an administrator approved by the city.
Though this might be a solution for the pipes and rodents, the long-term effects of living in this environment may require expensive medical care. Compensation may be available for residents who have been exposed to these harmful conditions.
Source: New York Daily News, “Angry tenants in squalid South Bronx building rally to demand their landlord be ousted” Beth Stebner, Dec. 03, 2013
