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BRIGHTON BOARD AXES LANDLORD
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, November 30, 2005, 12:00 AM
A BOARD MEMBER of a Brighton Beach group that advocates for tenants' rights has resigned his post after revelations he ignored hundreds of violations in a building he owns, the Daily News has learned. Landlord Sam Shpelfogel, a 15-year member of the Brighton Neighborhood Association's board of directors, stepped down last week. His resignation came after The News detailed charges by the city Housing Preservation and Development that Shpelfogel has failed to fix more than 400 maintenance violations at 2822 Brighton Eighth St., a 38-unit building. "Sam has since resigned from my board of directors," said Pat Singer, association director. Singer said she asked Shpelfogel to step aside temporarily while she looks into the charges against him but that he insisted on permanently cutting ties. "I don't want to speak to you," Shpelfogel told a reporter who called him for comment. Lawyers for the city agency are evaluating a new housing court case against Shpelfogel - the second in two years - because of the massive number of violations at his building. In a case that settled last fall, Shpelfogel agreed to fix 715 violations there, officials said. "His cover is gone and he's got to go," a tenant said yesterday of Shpelfogel's resignation. "I've been robbed here three times and it's a result of that front door [lock] - he doesn't want to fix it. Another tenant called 311 so frequently about leaks, mold and roaches in her apartment that after The News' Nov. 16 article, a city operator called her. "311 called me and said, 'You made the paper ,' " said mother of five Dionna Hodges. Shpelfogel previously said that some tenants, including Hodges, have refused to allow city inspectors in to see that repairs have been made. Hodges said she refused to allow Shpelfogel in because he harasses her. City officials stood behind the Brighton association's work - and the $22,000 the group gets from the City Council each year. The state's Division of Housing and Community Renewal gives the group $65,000 a year. Because Shpelfogel stepped down, the city's money will continue to flow to the group, said City Councilman Lewis Fidler (D-Marine Park). "You got the best result," said Fidler, a member of the Council's Housing and Buildings Committee, of Shpelfogel's resignation. Of the 410 outstanding violations at the building, 43 areconsidered dangerous - class C - violations according to city records. mgrace@nydailynews.com
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