Mamdani Administration Announces $2.1 Million Settlement to Address Hazardous Housing Conditions

Mamdani Administration Announces Historic $2.1 Million Settlement to Address Hazardous Conditions and Tenant Harassment Across 14 Buildings

A&E Real Estate and associated bad actors agree to correct building violations, injunctions to end tenant harassment

New York, NY – TODAY, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and incoming Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Dina Levy announced a $2.1 million settlement involving A&E Real Estate properties with associated principals Douglas Eisenberg and Margaret Brunn, and registered managing agent Brian Garland, to address tenant harassment and hazardous conditions across 14 buildings in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. In addition to the civil penalties, the settlement requires A&E to correct more than 4,000 building condition violations across these buildings and imposes injunctions prohibiting tenant harassment moving forward.

This enforcement action, led by HPD’s Anti-Harassment Unit, represents one of the tools that the Mamdani administration is bringing to bear to protect tenants across New York. Mayor Mamdani made tenant protection a focal point of his administration on his first day in office, signing executive orders to revitalize the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT) and help deliver housing more quickly, including on City-owned sites. HPD, the MOPT, and other agencies will continue to use every tool available to defend and strengthen tenants’ rights, confront bad-actor landlords, and intervene when unsafe or illegal conditions put tenants at risk.

The litigation that led to this settlement regards 14 buildings across three boroughs: 150-45 73 Avenue, 35-64 84 Street, 37-06 81 Street, 35-16 34 Street, 48-16 46 Street, 37-25 81 Street, 80-01 37 Street, 37-30 81 Street, and 150-40 73 Avenue in Queens; 2 Ellwood Street, 342 Fort Washington Avenue, and 350 Fort Washington Avenue in Manhattan; and 65 Ocean Avenue and 230 Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. HPD’s initial investigation revealed widespread unsafe conditions at four buildings; when those violations were not corrected, HPD escalated enforcement by filing motions with the Court seeking civil contempt, additional Orders to Correct, and further civil penalties.

Over the course of litigation, more than 1,000 violations have been corrected following enforcement actions and court orders, and HPD has made an additional $488,000 worth of repairs through the Emergency Repair Program. Should A&E not comply with these settlement terms, HPD may seek additional court orders and further penalties.

35-64 84th Street

Jackson Heights, NY 11372

January 16, 2025