The owner of 1547 Commowealth Ave. will do 30 days in jail for ignoring city orders to fix the building.
One of the worst landlords in the Bronx is facing jail time after failing to make hundreds of repairs to an apartment building that has fallen into “deplorable” disrepair.
James Caban, the owner of 1547 Commonwealth Ave., was sentenced to 30 days in jail by Bronx Housing Court Judge Jerald Klein after ignoring the city’s requests to make repairs needed to fix up the building.
The judge also issued a warrant for the delinquent landlord’s arrest.
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Caban had argued he was too broke to be held responsible for the repairs. But he failed to provide evidence to support the poverty defense.
The 12-unit building currently has 308 open violations, making Caban one of the most negligent landlords in the borough — and the building one of the 200 most distressed structures in the city.
Due to Caban’s delinquency, the city has spent approximately $ 115,000 on emergency repairs, including fixing water leaks, removing lead, and even providing fuel for boilers.
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“If you neglect your property and your tenants, disregard your legal responsibilities, and defy court orders, we will seek the maximum penalties available under the law,” said RuthAnne Visnauskas, commissioner of the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
That “maximum” is six months, but Klein rejected that.
Calls to Caban’s lawyer were not returned.
dslattery@nydailynews.com
Yahoo Local News – New York Daily News
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