‘Stop this nonsense.’ Inspectors find 25 people living in Suffern home with apparent violations
Among the code violations found inside the home was an illegal wall on the main floor to create separate bedrooms. There were also two basement bedrooms without windows or egress. As a result, the basement is now uninhabitable.
Inspectors in Rockland County found 25 people living in a home in Suffern that had apparent violations, prompting the mayor to act.
Inspectors say there were rooms and spaces inside the home at 30 Sagamore Ave. that shouldn’t have been there.
“Some of these people here are victims because they're put in here without even knowing,” said Mayor Michael Curley. “It's the landlords who I blame. They have a responsibility to take care of their property and to come and monitor their property…It cannot be to just make money."
Curley, a retired FDNY firefighter, says an extra code enforcer was recently hired and the village will be approving new software for the Building Department at a meeting tonight.
He would want to add a full-time building inspector, as well as someone focused on fire code enforcement. He’s also interested in putting a rental registry for landlords in place for an added level of transparency.
News 12’s Diane Caruso knocked on the door at 30 Sagamore Ave. but no one answered.
Among the code violations found inside the home was an illegal wall on the main floor to create separate bedrooms. There were also two basement bedrooms without windows or egress. As a result, the basement is now uninhabitable.
Curley plans to ask a state Supreme Court judge for an injunction too.
"I will be proactive. And I will work day and night to stop this nonsense," he said.
Curley says the landlord is being cooperative and tenants are being connected with local resources.
