102 Precinct Community Affairs Officer Jose Severino speaks to residents who attended the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association meeting on Saturday about the problem of abandoned homes within the confines of the precinct. Forum Newsgroup photo by Luis Gronda.
The Woodhaven squatter house on 90th Street that has received a lot of attention from the news media was a big topic at this month’s Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association (WRBA) meeting.
Civic members, local officials and community members all discussed the past problems at the property and how to combat a similar problem like that one in the future if it happens again. The house, which is located at 87-19 90th Street in Woodhaven, was boarded up early last week by the city Department of Buildings (DOB) after many residents complained about young kids hanging out at the abandoned house and throwing parties that lasted into the early morning hours.
At the meeting on Saturday afternoon, Ed Wendell, WRBA’s president, announced that the cement barrier that was supposed to seal the back entrance of the house was knocked down by people that were trying to regain entrance into the now boarded up home.
Speaking on the issues that house caused for the neighborhood, Community Affairs Officer Jose Severino of the 102nd Precinct, said that the house and the area overall has always been a problem in the seven years he has been at that precinct.
“That corner, between 92nd Street all the way down to 80th Avenue, was a core problem at all times,” Severino said. “I can’t remember how many times I’ve been to that house.”
He then recalled the different operations they have done there including conducting search warrants and their narcotics division going through homes.
The problem with these types of houses that Severino and many others pointed out is that more often than not, the landlord or the bank that owns an abandoned house are absent from the area, making it difficult to get in contact with the owner if a problem arises.
For law enforcement, Severino said that the problem with the absentee landlord is it is difficult to get them to sign an affidavit for trespassing if they arrest someone for that reason. He said that if they cannot reach someone that can sign the affidavit, they have to release them with only a summons for trespassing and they cannot give them a harsher penalty.
“There are numerous houses in this area that the banks don’t seem to pay attention to,” he said.
Maria Thomson, a member of the WRBA, said that residents have to make an effort to report an abandoned house if they see one on their block.
“If you know it’s vacant, keep an eye on it,” Thomson said. “It’s vulnerable because it’s accessible.”
As a way to solve the problem of getting the trespassing affidavit signed, Assemblyman Mike Miller, who attended the civic meeting, asked Severino if he could sign that document as a local elected official and said that he would follow up with the Queens District Attorney on that matter.
By Luis Gronda
