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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Home away from home
 
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Amanda Eisenberg | The Jersey Journal
Jersey City Fire Department officials found 48 violations at a multiplex apartment after the steps of the building's fire escape snapped while residents were fleeing a fire there last month. The four-story building, located at 500 Garfield Ave., is tucked away between Garfield Avenue and Bayside Terrace, but leaves "a lot to be desired," said Charles Green, one longtime resident. Green has lived in the building for 37 years and has seen rent increases for upgrades that he said the tenants don't actually have. "We paid for the intercoms and a security camera," Green said. "The tenants paid for it but management doesn't acknowledge any responsibility." Story
Posted on: 2015/7/7 2:35
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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I would say about 45% of the landlords here are slumlords. Thankfully now many slumlords are starting to cash out as prices rise.. Here is an opinion piece from GV resident. By HAKIM HASAN GUEST COLUMNIST Last month the toilet in my apartment was clogged for more than 24 hours. On a Thursday morning, I sent a text message to the assistant of the landlord. The three-story building that I live in was owned by a Livingston-based management firm, from 2008 until mid-May. But, the assistant to the landlord did not respond. So, I called him. He sounded distant and told me that he would send someone to fix my toilet. When I arrived at my apartment later that night my toilet was still clogged. I was furious. I sent an email to the landlord. I explained that I spoke to his assistant about my toilet earlier in the day and no one came to fix it. He did not respond either. On the following Friday morning I called the landlord's assistant again. He finally answered the telephone. He told me that the building was sold the day (Thursday) before. But, he refused to give me the name and telephone number of the new landlord. "You will receive a letter in the mail," he said. I then called Denise Cicarelli at the Division of Housing Code Enforcement in Jersey City. I explained my problem to her. She told me that she would call me back with the contact information for the new landlord. She also sent a housing inspector immediately to check out my toilet. She called me and told me that a Clifton-headquartered management company was the new landlord and gave me their contact information. They manage a sizable rental portfolio throughout Hudson County. I called the new landlord. A woman finally answered the phone. "Management," she blurted out, "this call is being recorded." I thought I had reached a bill collection agency by mistake. I explained that my toilet was clogged. She took my name, address, and telephone number. That was it. Close to four in the afternoon a man knocked on my door. He said that he was from maintenance. He did not have any identification. I guess he was from the new outfit. However, three hours prior to this, my former landlord sent a maintenance man to fix my toilet. Ms. Cicarelli contacted him; otherwise, my toilet would not have been fixed. To make matters worse, it is absolutely impossible to speak directly by telephone to management. Telephone calls to their office are forwarded to Answering Service Care, a company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Messages from tenants are then forwarded by text message, email, fax, or by telephone to the landlord. The company does not return telephone calls unless you contact the Division of Housing Code Enforcement. Maintenance workers are not available to make repairs until, well, after seven at night. This is absurd. The building I live in has been sold three times since 2007. The building is a business to the landlord. But, to the tenants it is simply a roof over their heads. The apartments are very small, decrepit, and lack closet space. There is an ongoing problem with mice infestation. Greenville and Hudson County residents who live in dilapidated and poorly managed buildings are like boat people on dry land. The landlords who own these properties would not allow their dogs, dressed in sweaters, to live in them. Residents living in these properties need to organize rent strikes reminiscent of those led by Jesse Gray in Harlem during the 1960s. Michael Lipsky wrote about Gray in "Protest in City Politics: Rent Strikes, Housing and the Power of the Poor." Landlords will only respond to the needs of tenants when they start losing money. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop should be forced to take a public stand on the issue of slumlords. "They don't care what happens in the other half of Jersey City," a long-time resident told me.
Posted on: 2015/6/20 23:00
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Newbie
 
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According to the article 500 Garfield Avenue is owned by 500 Garfield Avenue JC LLC. The building is interesting architecturally. I cannot imagine a fire escape deteriorating to the degree depicted in the photographs if the building was PROPERLY inspected and, furthermore, managed by a responsible landlord.
500 Garfield Avenue JC LLC is managed by a company called Riveredge Management. They are located at 65 Kingsland Avenue, #2, Clifton, New Jersey. their telephone number (which is an answering services) is: (973) 365-1990. Riveredge Management is subsidiary of a holding company that owns a lot of real estate in Hudson County mainly in what can be described as the proverbial "hood." They are basically slumlord investors who buy properties in depressed areas and find ways to increase rents in rent controlled properties through the use of capital improvements in vacant apartments. All you have to do is Google Riveredge. you will find articles in local newspapers where they were taken to court for failure to ppl provide heat in buildings where senior citizens live. Residents in Hudson County should avoid renting any apartments by Riveredge Management ( ask the realtor who the landlord is when looking at apartments). It is a wonder that no one was hurt or killed at 500 Garfield Avenue; but, this should serve as a warning to all those who are currently living in buildings owned by Riveredge Management. Call your local Housing enforcement Code agency and request an inspection of your apartments and buildings. If that does not work, call and write to the State Attorney General's Office. Tenants living in their buildings have been complaining for years about their business practices. Call and write the Attorney General Office. Posted on: Today 16:49
Posted on: 2015/6/20 20:51
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Newbie
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According to the article 500 Garfield Avenue is owned by 500 Garfield Avenue JC LLC. The building is interesting architecturally. I cannot imagine a fire escape deteriorating to the degree depicted in the photographs if the building was PROPERLY inspected and, furthermore, managed by a responsible landlord.
500 Garfield Avenue JC LLC is managed by a company called Riveredge Management. They are located at 65 Kingsland Avenue, #2, Clifton, New Jersey. their telephone number (which is an answering services) is: (973) 365-1990. Riveredge Management is subsidiary of a holding company that owns a lot of real estate in Hudson County mainly in what can be described as the proverbial "hood." They are basically slumlord investors who buy properties in depressed areas and find ways to increase rents in rent controlled properties through the use of capital improvements in vacant apartments. All you have to do is Google Riveredge. you will find articles in local newspapers where they were taken to court for failure to ppl provide heat in buildings where senior citizens live. Residents in Hudson County should avoid renting any apartments by Riveredge Management ( ask the realtor who the landlord is when looking at apartments). It is a wonder that no one was hurt or killed at 500 Garfield Avenue; but, this should serve as a warning to all those who are currently living in buildings owned by Riveredge Management. Call your local Housing enforcement Code agency and request an inspection of your apartments and buildings. If that does not work, call and write to the State Attorney General's Office. Tenants living in their buildings have been complaining for years about their business practices. Call and write the Attorney General Office.
Posted on: 2015/6/20 20:49
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Home away from home
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This article completely fails to ask the question of how this building passed inspection in the first place. Sure, it's nice to see the City act after the fact and give the guy 48 fire code violations, but this degradation did not occur overnight. How long ago did these things last pass inspection? Is it even physically possible for a fire escape that passes inspection to completely rot between the inspection date and today? Would be nice to see a reporter take some initiative and do some investigative journalism.
Posted on: 2015/6/19 19:50
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal
The owner of a Jersey City building where a rusted, rotting fire escape snapped beneath the feet of residents fleeing a fire Monday has been slapped with 48 fire code violations, Jersey City officials said. The owner of 500 Garfield Avenue, a management company in Clifton, was cited for failure to properly maintain fire escapes and for obstructing a means of egress due to a fire escape being blocked by a metal gate, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. The violations came to light after a 2-alarm fire at the four-story apartment building there at 5 a.m. Monday. One third-floor resident said he fell through the steps and landed on the fire escape landing a floor below while fleeing the fire. Others said they had to hold onto the fire escape railings and do their best to slide down the fire escape using their feet minimally. Story
Posted on: 2015/6/19 17:09
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Home away from home
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user1111 I certainly agree with you that building owners need to maintain their properties. Lives depend on it. But if it's corruption, there's an Inspector in on the ?deal.? And since we pay them to enforce the Code, now that would be disgraceful. Sadly, it wouldn't be the first time a Jersey City Fire Inspector took a bribe ? link below. The FBI came calling in that case.... As was noted, it seems pretty odd that a recently inspected Fire Escape collapsed under the weight of one person climbing down. http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... stitution_businesses.html
Posted on: 2015/6/16 21:15
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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I smell corruption. These are all my neighbors and they are already speaking with attorneys and the prosecutor. This is what slumlords get away with here in the city.. A Disgrace.
Posted on: 2015/6/16 19:40
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Home away from home
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Couldn't agree with you more dtjcview. This situation seems very strange. The State Bureau of Housing Inspection inspects multi-family, non life hazard use buildings every 5 years ? of which this building looks to be from the photos. Life hazard use structures are inspected more frequently ? at least once a year. In my experience, BHI Inspectors are very strict about fire escape maintenance, as are JCFD Inspectors. So back to your implied question: How could a Fire escape deteriorate to the point of collapse, if it passed inspection just a few years ago? Very odd indeed.
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Posted on: 2015/6/16 18:58
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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If that building passed inspection in 2012, it's quite simply criminal negligence if not outright corruption.
Posted on: 2015/6/16 14:14
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal
Every step I took, the step collapsed," Anthony Floyd said of his escape from the building. "I was falling and sliding. Me and my wife are lucky to be alive." Speaking of the fire escape, Severo K. Gerena said: "I've been here a year and I've seen maybe two inspections and this should not have passed."  However, the building was last inspected in 2012 and was on the rotation for future inspection, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. A message left with the building's management company was not immediately returned. Juan Cid, who lives with his wife Elise Belicaire and their 3-year-old daughter in a first floor apartment, said the the fire started in his kitchen. "She woke me up and said, 'Honey, something smells of smoke,'" Cid said. "I opened the bedroom door and I saw smoke along the ceiling. I put my head inside the kitchen and everything was on fire. It was coming from between the stove and the wall ... I said, 'Honey, take the baby, the kitchen is on fire.'" Cid said the smoke detector alarms had not sounded so he ran out of the apartment, pulled the manual alarm and began banging on apartment doors to warn people. Firefighters responding to the 5:21 a.m. alarm found the fire in Cid's apartment. It spread to an adjacent apartment before being declared under control at 6:01 a.m. Residents of both apartments will not be able to return due to fire damage, Jersey City Department spokeswoman Carly Baldwin said at the scene. Full Story
Posted on: 2015/6/16 11:41
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal
Every step I took, the step collapsed," Anthony Floyd said of his escape from the building. "I was falling and sliding. Me and my wife are lucky to be alive." Speaking of the fire escape, Severo K. Gerena said: "I've been here a year and I've seen maybe two inspections and this should not have passed." However, the building was last inspected in 2012 and was on the rotation for future inspection, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. A message left with the building's management company was not immediately returned. Juan Cid, who lives with his wife Elise Belicaire and their 3-year-old daughter in a first floor apartment, said the the fire started in his kitchen. "She woke me up and said, 'Honey, something smells of smoke,'" Cid said. "I opened the bedroom door and I saw smoke along the ceiling. I put my head inside the kitchen and everything was on fire. It was coming from between the stove and the wall ... I said, 'Honey, take the baby, the kitchen is on fire.'" Cid said the smoke detector alarms had not sounded so he ran out of the apartment, pulled the manual alarm and began banging on apartment doors to warn people. Firefighters responding to the 5:21 a.m. alarm found the fire in Cid's apartment. It spread to an adjacent apartment before being declared under control at 6:01 a.m. Residents of both apartments will not be able to return due to fire damage, Jersey City Department spokeswoman Carly Baldwin said at the scene. Full Story
Posted on: 2015/6/16 11:40
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal
The steps on a rusted fire escape gave way beneath the feet of residents fleeing a two-alarm fire in a four-story apartment this morning in the Greenville section of the city. "I fell right through the stairs," said J.R. Williams, who lives on the third floor of the building at Bayside Park Drive and Bayside Terrace and fell one story through the fire escape steps. "I didn't know what to think. I was just trying to get out," Williams said when asked whether he thought he would fall three stories to the ground. Like others who used that fire escape during the fire, which began around 5:20 a.m., Williams said he had to break down an access door because the sliding bolts locking it had been painted over several times and appeared to be locked in place. Williams suffered scrapes and bruises in the fall. "Every step I took, the step collapsed," Anthony Floyd said of his escape from the building. "I was falling and sliding. Me and my wife are lucky to be alive." Story
Posted on: 2015/6/15 18:16
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Home away from home
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I agree! The building is now swarming with inspectors... a little too late.
Posted on: 2015/6/15 18:12
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Re: Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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Home away from home
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 If this isn't a call for a city-wide inspection of fire escapes, I don't know what is. This could have been a tremendous tragedy. Fire escape steps snap as residents flee JC fire
Posted on: 2015/6/15 18:05
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Fire breaks out on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City
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This building is beautiful. but run by a slumlord.
  Several Jersey City residents were evacuated as a fire broke out at an apartment building on Garfield Avenue this morning. Freelance photographer Joe Shine was on the scene as a fire broke out at 500 Garfield Ave., a multi-story apartment building near Bayside Park, around 5:30 a.m. http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... jersey_city.html#comments
Posted on: 2015/6/15 17:34
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