Bronx Landlord Karan Singh Hit With Record Fine

On Wednesday, a Bronx landlord was fined $10.14 million for hazardous conditiovns in one of the city’s largest housing court judgments ever, Gothamist reported.

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development alleged that landlord Karan Singh and his partners failed to provide heat and hot water for more than a week each between 2023 and 2024. The suit also claimed that Singh and his partners threatened tenants with retaliation if they reported violations to the city.

“Respondents have failed to correct unsafe conditions that pose a threat to the health and safety of their tenants for years on end and display a callous disregard for immediately hazardous conditions like lack of heat and hot water,” HPD attorney Benjamin Bisaro told the outlet.

The 15-story building on East 188th Street, called Fordham Towers, has 540 open violations, including 145 that were deemed “immediately hazardous” according to HPD records. Other violations include defective self-closing doors, broken locks, mold and mice, rat and roach infestations.

HPD inspectors found that Singh consistently neglected to correct numerous violations and falsely reported others as fixed, according to court documents.

Singh was listed as number 17 (out of 100) on 2023’s Worst Landlord Watchlist, produced by NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

Both Singh’s lawyer and an HPD spokesperson did not respond to Gothamist’s request for comment.

Another negligent Bronx landlord was the first in seven years to face foreclosure from the city back in April. The landlord, David Kornitzer, had racked up $28 million in debt owed to the city for back taxes, emergency maintenance, and other fees. The property had more than 600 open violations, with 245 of them classified as “immediately hazardous.”

— Quinn Waller

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