Historic ruling forces Bronx landlord to pay $2.1M, correct violations within a month

A South Bronx landlord must pay $2.1 million and fix severe, long-standing violations within a month following a historic court judgment. On Thursday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the first-of-its-kind ruling against the owners of 919 Prospect Avenue, imposing the maximum penalties under the city’s Nuisance Abatement Law. The landlord must address the most severe violations within two weeks, correct all remaining issues within a month, and pay $1,000 for each day the property remained a public nuisance, including a retroactive penalty of $2,174,000.

The rent-stabilized building at 919 Prospect Avenue is owned by landlord Seth Miller, who has repeatedly appeared on the Public Advocate’s annual “Worst Landlords Watchlist.”

City inspections have cited the property for numerous violations, including a deteriorated facade, hazardous electrical equipment, obstructed fire escapes, an unsafe elevator, a non-functioning boiler, a partial vacate order, peeling lead-based paint, missing self-closing doors, rodent infestations, and the failure to install a required sidewalk shed.

At a Thursday press conference, Mamdani cited tenants of the building, represented by TakeRoot Justice, who worked alongside the city on the case and described the property as being “in a state of near complete neglect.”

Mamdani added that Miller reportedly cut off heat during the winter, locked elderly residents out of bathrooms, and suspended utilities as a “form of punishment” against tenants who reported building conditions to the city.

The $2.174 million fine against the negligent landlord stems from years of unresolved violations dating to April 21, 2019, according to Mamdani. He added that penalties will continue to accrue if the building’s conditions are not corrected as required. The ruling marks the first time a landlord has been hit with the maximum civil penalties allowed under the Nuisance Abatement Law.

Mamdani also warned other landlords, calling the ruling a “strong precedent” for pursuing similar legal action. He added that the city has allocated over $85 million in its preliminary budget to hire 200 new attorneys and 100 additional support staff for the Law Department, enabling it to take on more cases.

“This judgment is a landmark victory not only for those who call 919 Prospect Ave home, but for tenants across the five boroughs who must contend with the daily misery, mistreatment and neglect of a bad landlord,” Mamdani said.

“Let the scale of this penalty show how seriously we take the threat of building mismanagement that put residents’ and neighbors’ health at risk. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect tenants across New York.”

Since taking office on January 1, Mamdani has made tenant advocacy a central part of his agenda. On his first day as mayor, he revitalized the Office to Protect Tenants, now led by Cea Weaver, executive director of Housing Justice for All and the New York State Tenant Bloc.

He also signed a series of executive orders focused on creating new housing and strengthening tenant protections.

In January, Mamdani announced a $2.1 million settlement with A&E Real Estate following an 18-month legal battle, requiring the landlord to pay fines, correct more than 4,000 building code violations, and cease harassment of tenants across 14 properties.

The judgment stems from the city’s intensified enforcement against negligent landlords, led by the Law Department in close coordination with the Office to Protect Tenants and several city agencies.

After the city sought an injunction, a State Supreme Court judge issued a Decision and Order granting the city’s motion, mandating the correction of code violations and the abatement of all public nuisances at the property.

“In the Mamdani administration, the Mayor of New York City is on tenants’ side. The tenants of 919 Prospect Avenue have fought for a livable home for more than a decade, and this victory is a turning point in that fight. We will leave no stone unturned in our work to create a city where every tenant can live in comfort and dignity,” Cea Weaver, director of the Office to Protect Tenants, said.

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