The Legal Aid Society has filed a lawsuit seeking repairs on behalf of 41 rent-stabilized tenants, who live at 1349 Stratford Avenue, in the Soundview section of the Bronx, as reported by the New York Daily News.

Tenants have suffered from a lack of cooking gas since January 2022, in addition to enduring regular hot water outages, lead paint violations, persistent leaks, mold and vermin infestations, amounting to 471 HPD Housing Code Violations currently on record.

The lawsuit alleges that the persistent and repeated lack of repairs and housing code violations constitute harassment by the owners and management, Patbru Realty and Concord Management, to force tenants out of the 72-unit rent-stabilized building, which they have lived in for decades.

“Patbru Realty and Concord Management should be ashamed of the conditions that they have forced their long-standing tenants at 1349 Stratford Avenue to endure. Without further delay, the owners must take steps to address the lack of essential services and numerous housing code violations at their building,” said Benjamin Seibel, an attorney with The Legal Aid Society who is representing the tenants.

“The lack of gas has a big impact on me. I need special food because I take certain medicines. Last month, my electric bill was $400 because I have to use multiple electric appliances to cook the food I need,” said Alithia Mackins Wilson, whose family has lived in the building for over 45 years, and who currently has 40 open HPD violations for her apartment. “The hot plate I was given has already burnt out because of the bad electrical system in the building.”

“It is inexcusable that the cooking gas outage began in January 2022 and the owners of 1349 Stratford Avenue had not even obtained a permit to begin the repair work until four months later,” said Russell Crane, another attorney from Legal Aid who is working on the case.