Semper Fi Management is controlled by Frank Palazzolo, ranked by the Village Voice as one the city’s “Ten Worst Landlords.”
BY Bill Egbert
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
April 2nd 2010
Tenants of a dilapidated Bronx building went to court Thursday to fire their landlord.
After years of living with broken windows, leaky ceilings, sagging floors, cracking walls and no locks on the outer doors, residents of 2710 Bainbridge Ave. filed suit to ask a judge to appoint new management for the building.
“Enough is enough,” said tenant association President Cruzmaria Renvill, who has lived in the Fordham building for more than 25 years. “We refuse to continue to live – or be treated – like this.”
Nearly a year and a half ago, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development listed the building as one of the 200 worst maintained in the city.
Under its Alternative Enforcement Program, HPD gave the landlord four months before the city sent workers to make vital repairs at the landlord’s expense.
More than a year later, however, few repairs have been made.
The window in electrician Edgar Sandoval’s living room has been broken for a year and a half and the window frame is separating from the wall. His bathtub doesn’t drain, so after every shower he has to bail the bathwater into the toilet – which leaks when it flushes. And the sink doesn’t work, forcing him to go into the kitchen to wash his hands whenever he uses the bathroom.
“I call 311 every week,” said Sandoval, 46, “but nothing ever happens.”
That’s because, according to HDP, the landlord, Semper Fi Management, repeatedly refused the city access to the property, forcing HPD to go to court to get a warrant.
Last month, HPD won the case and repairs have begun in earnest, with $158,663 worth of work already completed, according to the agency. Major work to replace the roof, water and sewer lines will begin in less than two weeks.
Semper Fi Management is controlled by Frank Palazzolo, ranked by the Village Voice as one the city’s “Ten Worst Landlords.”
Neither Palazzolo nor Semper Fi Management could be reached for comment.
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