Jersey City forces woman and seven children to leave attic unit after inspectors find four units being rented illegally in two-family home on Van Horne Street

Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 3:00 AM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

A Jersey City family of eight has been forced to move in with their downstairs neighbors after city inspectors cited their building?s owner for having illegal apartments, officials said.

When city Fire and Building department inspectors went to the three-story building at 173 Van Horne St. on Jan. 13 they found the building had four apartments and was only supposed to have two, officials said.

The first-floor apartment had been converted into two apartments and there were no building permits or approvals for the work, officials said.

The third floor should have been an attic but had been converted into an apartment without the proper approvals from the Building Department, officials said.
The family living on the third floor, a woman and seven children ranging in age from about 4 to 15, had to move downstairs because the third-floor had no secondary means of egress for use in the event of fire, officials said.

City officials said the building owner said he will relocate the family to another building he owns.
In the meantime, residents on the first floor will have to be relocated within the next 30 days, officials said.
Firefighters became aware of the problems at the building after responding to a kitchen fire there on Jan. 13.

The building owners face a possible $10,000 fine and are slated to appear in Jersey City Municipal Court on Thursday.