He’s Jailed For Deadly Dispute State Subpoenas Bk. Landlord including tenants being unlawfully locked out of their units. One of the 10 buildings owned by JBI Management includes 98 Linden St. in Bushwick, where a partial vacate order and a stop work order were issued in February by the city Department of Buildings (DOB). The orders were issued due to exposed “wood joists” in the premises and illegal demolition work. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) catalogued 20 different complaints at 98 Linden St. dating back to Feb. 27, including raw sewage in the basement, no heat or hot water in the building, a collapsed bedroom fire escape, lack of any kind of water supply in an apartment and a collapsing ceiling. Since last year, the HPD noted, there are 85 open violations against the owners for problems including failing to provide adequate water and natural gas, a defective fire escape and failing to replace missing bathtubs and kitchen sinks. Astop work order was also issued by the DOB for another JBI Management building in Bushwick, 324 Central Ave. The agency’s Emergency Response Team issued the order in February after responding to a complaint for interior demolition work performed without a permit. Similar complaints were reported at four other Bushwick apartment houses owned by JBI Management: 36 Ditmars St., 147 Bleecker St., 332 Central Ave. and 386 Woodbine St. The company also owns 15 Humboldt St. and 43 Bushwick Ave. in EastWilliamsburg and 300 Nassau Ave. in Greenpoint. The problems came to light after tenants and their attorneys reported the conditions to local elected officials, city and state agencies and tenants’ rights groups. “It is not only unconscionable, but it is flat out illegal, for any landlord to subject families to living without running water or a functioning bathroom or kitchen,” Cuomo said. “We created the Tenant Protection Unit two years ago to protect rentregulated tenants against this type of egregious harassment, clearly intended to drive tenants from their apartments. Today, we are sending a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated and that we will fight to keep New York families protected and safe.” “This is obviously not the way that responsible landlords renovate apartments: these apartments were trashed, without consideration for structural integrity or the safety and security of the tenants,” said HCR Commissioner Darryl Towns. “While we know that most landlords are committed to following the law, we must take action against those who would brazenly flout it.” “The de Blasio administration takes these actions very seriously,” added city HPD Commissioner Vicki Been, “and HPD has been aggressively working with the local elected officials, fellow city agencies and the tenants’ attorneys to hold JBI Management accountable for its actions.” “Many of these buildings are in my district and I take these allegations very seriously,” said State Sen. Martin Malavé Dilan, who proposed state legislation barring landlords from deliberately damaging or destroying rent-regulated apartments. “Landlords need to understand that they cannot come into this community and push out long-term, hardworking tenants to unlawfully profit.” Pending the ongoing investigation, the HCR’s Office of Rent Administration issued “$1 rent orders” to the tenants at the 10 buildings, lowering their monthly charges to $1 until the owners remediate the conditions. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 11- TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014 • 52 40 Fowler Ave., after Swann and Black—both of whom were Parks Department employees—got into a verbal argument. The exchange turned violent, authorities said, when Swann stabbed Black in the front torso. He would later tell detectives he fled from the scene with the knife and later discarded the weapon and his clothing in a Flushing Meadows- Corona Park field. Officers from the 109th Precinct and EMS units rushed to the scene. Paramedics brought Black to New York Hospital Queens, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. During a search, police tracked down Swann near the Unisphere at Flushing Meadows Park. He was booked the following day on seconddegree murder charges. The 109th Precinct Detective Squad conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Denise Tirino of the District Attorney’s Homicide Trials Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Brad A. Leventhal, bureau chief, and Jack Warsawsky, deputy chief. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 11- Sex Harassment Lawsuit At M.V. School anything further. In September, it is alleged, Ludwigson was confronted in her classroom after school by a custodian, who was not among the defendants named in the lawsuit. She reportedly ran out of the classroom after he tried to forcefully kiss her. The lawsuit indicated that Ludwigson had previously been harassed by the custodian, along with several other teachers who have since either retired or moved on to other employment. After the custodian allegedly harassed her again in October by glaring “in an intimidating manner” at her for several minutes, Ludwigson reported the harassment to Krebs. The principal told the teacher she would speak with Rev. Michael Carrano, the parish’s pastor, about the episode. On Oct. 9, the lawsuit claimed, Carrano allegedly summoned Ludwigson to his office and informed her she would not have her contract renewed for the 2014-15 school year. “Do you have a persecution complex?” Carrano was quoted in the complaint as allegedly telling Ludwigson. “You are not prudent and show very bad judgment.” Ludwigson then told Carrano that the custodian allegedly harassed one of her colleagues. The pastor reportedly told her that he already knew that, then ordered Ludwigson to return to her classroom. Nearly 10 days later, the complaint noted, Krebs allegedly reprimanded Ludwigson for “refusing to work with the other teachers on her grade level,” for taking a two-day absence and for missing a meeting with Carrano. Finally, on Oct. 31, Carrano and Krebs informed Ludwigson at a meeting that she was suspended with pay for the remainder of her contract, which expires this August. The teachers’ attorneys claimed Ludwigson was subjected to “a discriminatory, hostile and abusive work environment.” Her termination, lawyers claimed, violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and provisions of the city’s Administrative Code barring employers from punishing or firing workers for making accusations of wrongdoing by an employee. Ludwigson is seeking compensation for lost wages and benefits; mental and emotional injury; legal fees and expenses; and any other relief the court deems fit. In its formal response to the court, the defendants denied the accusations outright, claiming that Carrano and Krebs decided to relieve Ludwigson of her duties “regarding job performance issues.” Our Lady of Hope, school officials and the diocese acted in compliance “with policies, programs and procedures for the prevention and detection of discrimination and harassing practices by employees, agents and other persons” associated with the school, the response noted. It was also mentioned that the defendants in the case “have a record of no, or relatively few, prior incidents of discrimination.” Federal Magistrate Judge Roanne Mann is scheduled to hold the hearing on May 27 in Brooklyn. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 6- Oz. Park Meeting Eyes Select Bus For Boulevard service lane complicating a bus system already in need of improvement. Many residents voiced strong concern about the lengthy pedestrian crossings at many of the intersections along the corridor as the area’s senior population grows. Vincent Arcuri, chairperson of Community Board 5, has been involved in the Woodhaven project since 2006 with the Queens County Traffic and Safety Council. He expressed concern about vehicle volume and pedestrian safety agreeing the crosswalks are too wide. Taking matter into his own hands, Arcuri did his own study and found the average senior couldn’t make it to the other side of the street in one light. There wasn’t enough time for the distance and they were forced to wait on the median which usually offers little to no haven. For 2014, the DOT proposes short-term improvements by installing offset bus lanes between Eliot and Metropolitan avenues and curbside bus lanes approaching Rockaway Boulevard. These lanes would be in effect for bus use between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Vehicles would be allowed to use them for right turns and pick-up up and loading. The curbside bus lanes would be available for parking between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. This would set up the long-term establishment of SBS, which has been implemented in all five boroughs except for Queens. Amenities that come with the SBS brand include bus signal priority, fare collection at bus stops, enhanced bus stations and reliable real-time passenger information. Over time the changes have cut travel time by up to 20 percent, increased first year ridership by up to 10 percent, claimed a 95 percent customer satisfaction rate, and addressed many safety issues and tamed the flow of traffic according to the SBS. Other benefits of the SBS include: • Students would have faster access to high schools and universities. • Retailers along the corridor could see an increase in business as they become more accessible and foot traffic grows. • An improved corridor would better serve tourists and Brooklyn residents venturing to the beach in the summer. City Council Member Eric Ulrich, a supporter of bringing the SBS to the corridor and helped market and organize last Wednesday’s meeting. He assured residents earlier in the night that “Nothing is set in stone ... don’t leave this meeting feeling discouraged in any way. “Woodhaven Boulevard, as we all know, is the most congested corridor in all of Queens County,” Ulrich said. “One of the things I’ve offered my support for is bringing the SBS to Woodhaven Boulevard and the amenities that go with it. So I hope you have an open mind, I hope you ask lots of questions, I hope you offer your own ideas and that when we are at the end of this process we can have something everyone will be proud of.” As the night began to wrap up, last minute opposition filled the room when Phil McManus questioned why the Rockaway Beach branch of the Long Island Rail Road was not involved in the conversation. Many residents applauded in agreement. The defunct line, only blocks away from Woodhaven Boulevard, connected the Rockaways to the A train and was shut down in 1962. McManus has been battling to reopen it and said at Wednesday’s meeting, “If you’re going to address overcrowding and not include the Rockaway Beach Line, I think it’s unfair and an incomplete study.” Past presentations, collected data, future meetings and proposals can be viewed on the NYCDOT website, www.nyc.gov/dot. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 8- Selling A Home Or Car? Renting An Apartment? Let The Times Newsweekly Classified Section Work For You! Call Us At 1-718-821-7500
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