Rockland County Fighting Lawsuit Against Local Building Landlord

The Rockland County Office of Buildings and Codes (OBC) is fighting a lawsuit filed by NBM Management, Weinreb Management, Country Village Towers Corp., and Jacob Weinreb, the owners and operators of Country Village Towers in Spring Valley which had 100+ of the most egregious violations discovered at a single property since the effort launched in mid-February.

On March 9, 2022, a fire broke out inside a 7th floor apartment in Country Village Towers at 101 Kennedy Drive resulting in multiple people trapped and multiple families displaced. This fire sparked an inspection that resulted in the following violations being discovered inside Country Village Towers:

• No fire extinguishers in hallways (one is required every 75 feet)
• Combustible materials in hallways
• Flammable caulking
• Corroded fire pump
• Exposed wires throughout the building
• Faulty smoke alarms & CO detectors
• Systematic failure of the fire alarm system
• Fire doors not closing properly
• No elevator certificate of inspection
• Black mold in several apartments
• Deteriorating stairways and balconies
• Numerous illegally converted apartments

The lawsuit filed, is challenging the administrative court Rockland County uses to prosecute code enforcement violations and determine the fines issued against property owners. Administrative tribunals are utilized statewide including in the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Environmental Conservation, and many other state agencies.

This type of court proceeding is employed because it expedites the legal process compared to the traditional court system, placing more urgency on the landlord to remedy dangerous violations putting lives at risk.

“This is a prime example of an irresponsible landlord trying to scapegoat the law,”𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 Ed Day. “Our administrative court is a legal, well-established process and I pledge to fight this ridiculous lawsuit.”

Some of the violations at Country Village Towers were first discovered by the Village of Spring Valley in 2019 but never followed up on. OBC reports that since the fire in March, the violations discovered still have not been remedied by the property owner, continuing to put lives of those living there at risk.

“It is my duty to protect the health and safety of residents, visitors, and first responders and it’s clear that this lawsuit is an attempt to circumvent the legal process at the expense of lives,” 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐲. “This fire at this apartment complex could have easily taken a turn for the worst, resulting in casualties, and I will hold the landlords responsible for these egregious violations.”

Jacob Weinreb and Weinreb Management is at the center of another major lawsuit filed by New York City for 200+ building and fire code violations at 11 properties that include failing to maintain fire escapes, sprinklers, and alarm systems.