Tenants at 143 Ludlow Sue Samy Mahfar; Rooftop Extension Still Happening
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A simple slap on the wrist. That was the punishment enacted by the DOB with regard to suspicious construction practices at 143 Ludlow. As we exclusively revealed last August, owner Samy Mahfar is converting the walkup into luxury living, and at the expense of those currently living there. Broken ceilings, busted plumbing, lack of heat, questionable asbestos cleanup…you name it. But of all these alleged transgressions, the potentially illegal rooftop extension is obviously the most visible. Spurred by this structural enlargement, a hearing summons was issued and fine levied. Penalty was minimal – a mere $1,630 fine.
Meanwhile, the eight remaining rent-stabilized residents in the building organized, and are now suing developer Samy Mahfar for hazardous living conditions (with the help of Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center and the Cooper Square Committee). And as the Observer notes, there are 145 open HPD violations on this property.
“I worry about my safety and health in my own home,” said 143 Ludlow resident Stacie Meador. “My ceiling has collapsed twice, and I barely escaped serious injury by running out of the room as plaster came crashing down.”
“I haven’t had heat for five months,” said Carine Montbertrand, a resident in the building for 20 years. “Dealing with my collapsed ceiling, floods, and lack of water and electricity has become a second job, and I fear for people in the community in the same situation who don’t have the resources to protect themselves.”
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Apt #17, August 2012
Remember, kids, Mr. Mahfar also resides on the board of the Lower East Side BID.
Feast your eyes on this gallery of the carnage from past to present:
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