Notorious landlord Daniel Ohebshalom has turned himself into authorities and will serve time on Rikers Island, the city announced Thursday evening.
Manhattan Supreme Court’s housing division had signed off on an arrest warrant for Ohebshalom earlier in March over accusations that he had not fixed hundreds of problems at two Washington Heights properties: 705 and 709 W. 170th St. The buildings have almost 700 violations, and Ohebshalom will be held at Rikers for up to 60 days until and unless he has them corrected.
Ohebshalom, who frequently appears on the public advocate’s annual list of worst landlords, turned himself in Thursday afternoon, the city said. He had been believed to be living in California.
Alleged problems in the Washington Heights properties — both 5-story buildings with 41 total apartments — include infestations of rats and cockroaches, mold and lead paint in common areas and apartments. These problems have been at the center of an ongoing 2021 lawsuit from the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
“Slumlords in New York City are officially on notice,” HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. said in a statement. “Landlords in New York City will not get away with putting our families in unsafe, unhealthy and downright unlivable conditions.”
Housing Court Judge Jack Stoller, who signed the arrest warrant, found Ohebshalom in contempt of court earlier this year and noted that he had blown off several court-ordered appointments. The lengthy delays also suggested he was acting in bad faith, Stoller said.
Although the city has plenty of notorious landlords, it is exceedingly rare for any to actually go to jail. One of the few others who has served time is Steve Croman, who pleaded guilty in 2017 to state charges of tax fraud, grand larceny and falsifying records and was sentenced to one year in Rikers.
Eddie Small , 2024-03-22 16:35:25
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