Notorious NYC landlord could face up to 2 months in jail for neglecting 2 buildings
NEW YORK (PIX11) --- A notorious New York City landlord with hundreds of violations and millions in fines could spend months in jail for neglecting two Manhattan buildings, officials announced Monday.
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) has secured an arrest warrant for Daniel Ohebshalom in connection to the 700 violations at his buildings at 705 and 709 170th St. in Washington Heights, officials said.
Ohebshalom faces up to 60 days in a civil jail until he addresses the deplorable conditions, including mold and rodent infestations at the two buildings, according to the HPD. Last year, the agency issued $48,000 fees against the property and did some emergency repair work to address the living issues such as leaks and mold, officials said.
But the landlord allegedly ignored the HDP court order before the Housing Court hit Ohebshalom with over $3 million in civil penalties for ignoring multiple court orders and not complying with agreements to fix the conditions at the two buildings, according to the HDP.
"The most striking factor informing the Court’s discretion is the duration of the contempt proceeding. The Court held Respondents in civil contempt as of Feb. 2, 2023, more than thirteen months before this writing. Moreover, the sheer volume of extant hazardous and immediately hazardous violations bespeaks the extent of Respondents’ contempt,” the Housing Court filing said.
Ohebshalom has repeatedly been named on lists of the worst landlords in New York City and has been the subject of several city lawsuits. In October 2023, the city won over $4 million in three lawsuits against the Ohebshalom, including $1.1 million for outstanding fines regarding tenant harassment and illegal short-term rentals in three buildings in Midtown Manhattan and Hell’s Kitchen, according to Mayor Eric Adams.
"I want to be crystal clear, if you create unsafe, unhealthy, and unlivable conditions, we will hold you accountable. Let this be a message to all landlords that HPD will make certain the law is enforced to protect every New Yorker from dangerous housing conditions," HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. said.
Ohebshalom's attorney could not immediately be reached on Monday.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.