Monsey landlord who housed migrants in illegal housing faces thousands of dollars in fines
NEW CITY — A Monsey landlord is being hit with fines topping $23,000 for illegal conversions of two houses into overcrowded multiple rooms that provided unsafe living conditions for migrants, Rockland and Clarkstown officials said.
Sholamei Koppel, 29, faces a county government fine of $23,000 for operating an illegal boarding house at 8 W. Funston St. in Spring Valley and potentially thousands of dollars more in fines from Clarkstown for illegally adding rooms and operating a boarding house at 295 New Hempstead Road in New City.
In the Clarkstown case, Koppel appeared Tuesday morning before state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Zugibe. The judge approved a preliminary injunction sought by Clarkstown ordering Koppel to revert the house back to single-family use and prohibiting him from using the building as a boarding house.
Complaint: Clarkstown seeks removal of overcrowded conditions
The agreement reached between Clarkstown and Koppel also empowers the town to make unannounced inspections of the property for the next 12 months.
Zugibe ordered another court appearance for Oct. 12 to make the injunction permanent.
The case moves to Clarkstown Justice Court, where the town will ask a town justice to issue fines for multiple fire, safety, and zoning violations, Clarkstown Deputy Town Attorney Kevin Conway said.
Supervisor George Hoehmann said the town could seek $10,000 in fines for at least eight violations. Each one is subject to up to $2,500 each, he said. Koppel may get two violations of $3,500 each for violating the town rental registry law, Hoehmann said.The violations include overcrowding, no smoke detectors, some construction, and partitioning off the areas into separate rooms
"The fine will be substantial," Conway said, adding while the Supreme Court case was a civil action the violations in town court were criminal.
"This is a very serious case and dangerous circumstances," Conway told Zugibe.
He said 34 people were living in the house with bed sheets forming rooms and people "sleeping on top of each other." The exact number of people has fluctuated from 31 to 34. Hoehmann called 295 New Hempstead Road a "flophouse" as people came and went.
Conway said the dangerous conditions have been remedied by removing the people a day after Zugibe issued his preliminary injunction on Sept. 19.
Koppel's attorney Chris Riley of White Plains, stated in court papers and to Zugibe's questions that Koppel is not contesting the violations. He also acknowledged when asked by the judge that Koppel claims he had been unaware of the overcrowding and added bedrooms at the house.
Riley and Koppel declined to comment after the court session.
Clarkstown and county inspect houses
Inspectors for a Rockland housing agency and the Clarkstown Building Department did separate investigations of houses owned on paper by Koppel. They both found houses violated multiple state fire and safety codes and endangered men, women, and children.
At the Funston Street house, inspectors for the Rockland Office of Building and Codes found overcrowding and illegal conversions.
In a house originally built with three bedrooms, inspectors found eight bedrooms and 16 beds. Officials said the inspectors are still trying to determine how many people are living in the house as the investigation found three people sharing one of the beds.
In addition to overcrowding, violations found include blocked egresses, electrical hazards, illegal conversions, and missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Koppel, as the landlord on record, has 30 days to remedy and request a reinspection.
Hoehmann and county officials said Koppel profited at the expense of poor people, who are Hispanic migrants who recently came to the county.
“Building and fire codes were designed to protect the welfare and safety of residents, visitors, and first responders and it is inhumane of landlords to put profit above people,” Rockland County Executive Ed Day said.
Day and Hoehmann said illegal housing and exploitation of poor people have become a major problem across the county. Traditionally, such illegal construction and fire and safety code violations have been associated predominantly with communities in Ramapo and Spring Valley, areas where the lack of enforcement has come under state scrutiny over decades.
Conway said people living at the house on New Hempstead Road told police they were flown to New York from Texas. Neighbors told officials people were dropped off at the house by van under the cloak of darkness.
The house residents told police an unknown party had paid their share of the rent to Koppel's management company, First Choice Property Management. The company could not be reached. Conway said the town was seeking contact information.
Fire hazards, code issues: What we know about Clarkstown 'flophouse' ordered shut by judge
Day, in a news release Monday, pushed the theme that New York "state and federal elected officials continue to ignore the tens of thousands of migrants being moved across the country illegally, into properties not complying with safety standards.”
Many people who crossed the nation's southwest border either seeking asylum or illegally have been bused to northern states and cities by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Rockland and New York City are involved in a legal battle over the city's attempt to house migrants in an Orangetown motel in Rockland. The city has placed migrants in seven other upstate counties.
“I want our residents to know that we understand and share your frustration," Day said. "Illegal housing is becoming a major problem in this county. The sad reality is enforcement is only a Band-Aid and not solving the true cause of this issue that is getting increasingly worse if our state and federal elected officials continue to ignore the tens of thousands of migrants being moved across the country illegally, into properties not complying with safety standards.”
Day said he wrote a letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James calling on her to investigate the organized movement of migrants across the country and state into dangerously overcrowded properties.
Hoehmann said Clarkstown inspectors were looking at several other overcrowded houses in violation of fire and safety codes and town zoning. He cited the effects on schools, neighborhoods, and the costs of enforcement, as the town has hired additional inspectors to a Building Department topping 10 inspectors.
Hoehmann said Koppel operated a "migrant flophouse" at 295 New Hempstead Road, where officials estimated dozens of people lived until the town raided the house. He said children were among those living in a garage, attic, and an unfinished basement.
Hoehmann said Koppel, who he says owns a mansion-like home on Edwin Lane, dodged inspectors and gave evasive responses. When contacted last week by The Journal News/lohud, Koppel responded to questions during a phone call: "I think you should try to go find information from somewhere else."
The purchase price of 295 New Hempstead Road was $470,000. The use of the property at the time of the sale is categorized as a one-family residential property. The house, on a one-acre plot, was described by Hoehmann as a 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom Cape Cod.
Koppel also owns two properties in Spring Valley, according to village assessment rolls: 194-196 Main St., a two-family residence, is listed to Shloima Koppel with a market value of $290,215; and 8 Funston Ave., a single-family residence, is listed to Shloma, spelled a different way, Koppel with a market value of $285,240.
The unsafe housing issue lingers
The migrant issue countywide affects services and schools, as well as endangers the people forced to live in substandard housing, Hoehmann said. Some of the migrants and others have been panhandling.
“You can’t have people come here if they can’t work and there are no places for them to live safely," Hoehmann said. “We’re finding this all over Clarkstown. I am delighted we were able to shut this down so quickly.”
The description of the New Hempstead Road property by officials underscored the risks: mattress upon mattress upon mattress were lined up in the garage; a small refrigerator, balanced atop a microwave, sat next to the small beds likely used for children. Electrical extension cords strewn around.
The house lacked smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors, as well as sprinklers mandated for a two-story multi-family dwelling under state building codes.
Rockland assumed control of Spring Valley's Building Department on orders from the New York State Department of State, effective February 14, 2022. The county took control after decades of dysfunction and a lack of continuous inspections and enforcement of fire, safety, and zoning codes by village officials.
The county took over nearly a year after two people, including Spring Valley firefighter Lt. Jared Lloyd, died in a massive fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in Spring Valley.
In March, five people, including two children died during an early morning fire that destroyed a two-family house at 118 S. Lake Street. The residents hailed from Guatemala. People were jumping out of windows to escape the smoke and flames.
Under New York State law, three-family homes and above, commercial, and places of assembly are subject to mandatory inspections and fall under the jurisdiction of Rockland Building & Codes. Single and two-family homes are not subject to required inspections.
The county inspectors obtained a search warrant to enter the property based on safety concerns and overcrowding.
The Office of Buildings and Codes requests all interested parties submit complaints within the Village of Spring Valley by calling 845-364-3700 or emailing BuildingsAndCodes@co.rockland.ny.us.
Rockland Codes Investigations requests all Sanitary Code Violations be reported to 845-364-2585 or by filing a report online.
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal.
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland County landlord faces fines for illegal housing for migrants
