NYC “Worst Landlord” Bags Jail Time for Ignoring Repairs

A notorious landlord well-known for disregarding regulations and failing to address maintenance issues has finally faced legal consequences. Daniel Ohebshalom, known as one of New York City’s “most notoriously negligent landlords,” was briefly hospitalized after an assault at Rikers Island.

Ohebshalom surrendered to authorities on Thursday after neglecting hundreds of court-mandated repairs on several Manhattan properties under his ownership. He was later transported to Rikers, where he will serve a sentence of up to 60 days.

According to a close source, Ohebshalom sustained facial bone fractures on Friday afternoon after receiving a punch to the face from another person in custody. The incident took place at approximately 12:15 p.m. in the intake area of the Eric M. Taylor Center. A spokesperson for the Department of Correction confirmed this.

The disgraced landlord is presently receiving medical care at Bellevue Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether the inmate had any personal connection to Ohebshalom, remain unclear. Authorities are still investigating the matter.

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Ohebshalom had been ordered by a court for years to address persistent hazards at two of his Manhattan buildings, yet he consistently refused to comply. These buildings, located at 705 and 709 West 170th Street in Washington Heights, had gathered almost 700 city violations due to Ohebshalom’s negligence. Additionally, he had failed to fulfill court-mandated repairs for 42 apartments across the two properties.

Concerning the assault, sources believe that Ohebshalom may not have been specifically targeted in the assault. This is because the attacker reportedly threatened several other people in custody as well.

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In several years, the city attempted to impose fines on the landlord of the building in Washington Heights and undertake emergency repairs. But just last week, the city took the extraordinary step of issuing an arrest warrant against the man they alleged is a slumlord.

The city brought allegations against Daniel Ohebshalom and his company, Belmont Ventures LLC, in the two buildings situated along West 170th Street. The city claimed that they had accumulated a staggering 700 serious violations that directly affected the health and safety of the residents.

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In response to this challenging situation, Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr. escalated the city’s actions by issuing a warrant. He took a firm stance against the blatant disregard for housing regulations and the well-being of tenants.

“We caught up with him. He’s facing $3 million in fines and penalties, and he’s going to jail for 60 days,” said Carrion. Sonia Peralta and her neighbors complained about the dilapidated conditions within their apartments for years.

“We have rats, roaches, no heat or hot water,” she said. “We’re gonna have a little celebration, we’re so happy that’s happening. It’s about time.” Another tenant said they would go for weeks without hot water, which always happened at the worst times. The city has taken actions before for bad conditions, like issuing a big fine in 2022. They even spent nearly $50,000 on emergency repairs in January 2023.

Finally, landlords usually don’t go to jail for bad living conditions, but Ohebshalom’s refusal to fix things got him in trouble with the law. “Until we see this behind bars and in handcuffs, we won’t be happy,” said tenant Edward Lenis.

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