Judge Issues Arrest Warrants for Three Brooklyn Owners

Three Brooklyn owners of distressed properties were arrested recently for failing to comply with court orders directing them to correct hazardous housing violations on their properties and failing to appear in court, according to the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

A Kings County Housing Court judge issued warrants of arrest for the owners. The owners' buildings are in HPD's Alternative Enforcement Program, which is designed to improve conditions in the city's most blighted buildings.

One of the buildings currently has 322 open housing-code violations and has been in the Alternative Enforcement program since November 2007, while another, a six-unit property with 178 open housing code violations, has been in the program since November 2008. The city said the owners failed to make repairs and didn't allow the housing department inspectors and contractors access to the buildings.

The judge stated that the owners could purge their civil contempt if they correct building violations by Sept. 16. If they're not going to do the work, they must give HPD access to their properties to do the work. All three owners were released from custody pending compliance with the orders.