Brownstoner Queens: Local Pol Rallies Against Abandoned, Rundown Home in Jamaica Hills

February 8, 2015

On Friday, State Senator Tony Avella joined Jamaica Hills residents to speak out against the abandoned home at 80-44 233rd Street. This home has a long and troubled history, dating back more than ten years. Senator Avella first called attention to the home in 2010, but since then its condition has only worsened. There are boarded up and broken windows, scattered refuse, and dead, overgrown trees and bushes surrounding the property. The current owner owes $27,049.63 in property tax debt, with the last property tax payment made in 2009. The Department of Buildings also has over fourteen complaints against the property dating back to 2002. A “partial vacate order” was issued in 2010.

Avella contacted a number of city agencies with the hopes to have this home’s maintenance addressed: Fire, Finance, Health and Mental Hygiene, Housing Preservation and Development, Sanitation and Buildings Departments. Frank Toner, of the Rocky Hill Civic Association, states that “This property has been a problem for this neighborhood for years. This kind of neglect should not be allowed. If the owner has not paid his taxes for years, that should be justification for the City to take over this property. It is time for the City to take action and help resolve this long-standing issue.”