Landlord on NYC ‘Worst Landlord Watchlist’ Sued by City

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A notorious landlord on New York City's "Worst Landlord Watchlist," with more than 1,900 violations across 15 buildings he owns throughout various boroughs, has been sued by the city, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday.
The lawsuit against Moshe Piller -- proprietor of more than a dozen buildings in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan -- seeks to have Piller repair his properties or face millions of dollars in civil penalties, according to the city.
Piller is ranked No. 28 on the New York City public advocate's “Worst Landlord Watchlist” of 2021 and has faced strong criticism from tenant organizations, including the Flatbush Tenant Coalition and the Bronx Tenants Movement.

A notorious landlord on New York City's "Worst Landlord Watchlist" with more than 1,900 violations across 15 buildings he owns throughout various boroughs, has been sued by the city, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday.

The lawsuit against Moshe Piller -- proprietor of more than a dozen buildings in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan -- seeks to have Piller repair his properties or face millions of dollars in civil penalties, according to the city.

“The time of landlords openly flouting the law and harassing tenants is over. This lawsuit sends a clear message that those who break the law will pay,” Adams said in a statement. “For years, Moshe Piller has ignored his responsibilities as a landlord and racked up more than 1,900 violations — landing him a spot as one of the city’s ‘worst landlords.’ While Piller made millions in profits, his tenants paid the price. Our administration won’t allow people to willfully endanger the safety and well-being of their tenants.”

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Piller is ranked No. 28 on the New York City public advocate's “Worst Landlord Watchlist” of 2021 and has faced strong criticism from tenant organizations, including the Flatbush Tenant Coalition and the Bronx Tenants Movement.

The lawsuit focuses on Piller's most serious violations including lead-based paint hazards, failure to make certain doors self-closing to prevent a fire from further extending, elevator safety conditions, creating illegal partitions to create additional apartments or room, facade violations, unsafe electrical wiring, work done without permits such as installing unlawful gas, electric and plumbing lines, among other violations.

“This lawsuit is an excellent example of how the city can and will employ enhanced enforcement and interagency coordination to hold consistently noncompliant landlords accountable and to make our housing stock safer and healthier for New York City tenants,” New York City Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz said in a statement.