Rockland closing illegal boarding house; landlord says violations cured
SPRING VALLEY — Rockland County has moved to close down an over-crowded, illegal, boarding house on South Madison Avenue with walls erected to add extra rooms.
The owner, Joel Brull, has been issued a fine of $16,750 for multiple violations of state fire and safety codes. A state judge has ordered Brull to remove the people squeezed into illegally constructed rooms, according to the Rockland Office of Building & Codes. His Buildings & Codes administrative hearing is scheduled for Nov. 20.
The single-family house at 60 South Madison Ave. has a certificate of occupancy for three bedrooms and two baths.
See the county order: Rockland Building & Codes violations, and order to vacate.
Brull's attorney, Joseph Churgin, said Friday that the physical violations have been addressed and the people living in the house will leave this week..
Churgin said the leased tenant had sublet the property, including the basement, without the knowledge of Brull or his management company, JCW Management LLC in New City. He said the actual lease "charged an appropriate rent for a single-family house."
Churgin said JCW has scheduled a re-inspection by Buildings & Codes as required. He said he hopes the issues will be settled before a New York State Supreme Court appearance scheduled for Nov. 2. An agency spokesperson said that no permits have been applied for or issued for remediation that would be needed to satisfy the violations.
The Rockland Office of Building & Codes inspected the property on Oct. 13. The office is responsible for Spring Valley building inspections and prosecution of violations under a state order that took effect in February 2021.
Inspector finds multiple violations
Brull is accused of owning a house converted into an illegal boarding house with people living in the basement and extra rooms created throughout the two floors.
The inspector, Chris Flynn, found several violations, including:
Walls were constructed on the first floor and in the basement, creating six additional rooms.
Eleven people living on the second floor.
Safety hazards from furniture blocking the exit from the basement bedroom to the stairs.
Extension cords used as the permanent source of power in several first-floor bedrooms.
Brull bought the single-family house in August, taking out a loan of $775,000, records show.
Churgin said Brull and JCW moved to cure the violations when they learned of the problems before the inspection. The state court order mandates Brull remove the extra rooms and illegal construction and convert the house back to a single-family.
Rockland code enforcement in Spring Valley so far
The New York State Department of State seized control of Spring Valley's code enforcement in November 2021, deputizing the county government as enforcer of the codes. The state's decision came after years of pressure regarding the village's dysfunction and two deaths in an adult home fire.
The office can only inspect multiple-family homes, apartment complexes, schools, and businesses in Spring Valley. Single and two-family homes can only be inspected with permission from the landlord or the tenants.
More: Bringing back inspections to Spring Valley still uncertain after code enforcer speaks
Building & Codes Director Edward Markunas told the Rockland Legislature in late August that the office has done the following since starting:
1,963 properties have been inspected;
10,600 violations issued;
815 certifications of compliance with no violations;
192 prosecutions with 68 consent orders with a time frame to make repairs;
$613,000 in penalties and $333,000 in collected fines.
He said the office had generated $2 million with expenses of $1.3 million.
Markunas said the office has met the state's initial goals, including establishing a code enforcement program, issuing building permits, and maintaining a records system for follow-up inspections.
He said Spring Valley's record-keeping was abysmal. Hundreds of properties went years without being inspected, though regulations required inspections yearly or every three years.
Markunas said the state will determine when and if Spring Valley can re-take control of code enforcement. The county has a two-year commitment into 2024.
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 NY seeks fine, closure of boarding house in Spring Valley
