Dozens of Hasidic Jews visiting from Israel were forced to vacate what officials say is an illegal transient hotel in the basement of a Brooklyn apartment building Thursday. NY1's Michael Herzenberg filed the following report.
Video: Tishrei Guests Evicted from Basement
Dozens of Hasidic Jews visiting from Israel were forced to vacate what officials say is an illegal transient hotel in the basement of a Brooklyn apartment building Thursday. NY1’s Michael Herzenberg filed the following report.
When NY1 approached 899 Montgomery Street, workers were replacing the lock on the basement door to enforce the city’s vacate order.
Most legitimate residents we spoke with had no idea what the city says was illegally going on below them.
“I’m just surprised,” said one. “I didn’t even know that was there, that the door was there.”
The door, building inspectors say, is the only way in or out of the basement. The New York City Department of Buildings says the owner illegally converted the cellar into a transient hotel with more than 100 beds.
“That’s ridiculous and no one in here knows that,” said one resident. “That’s putting people at risk. And what kind of people they putting in there?”
The people staying there were dozens of Hasidic Jews from Israel, observing the High Holy days with a Lubavitch Rabbi.
They learned about the vacate order late Thursday and removed luggage, foam mattresses and even wooden beds from the basement.
Some neighbors say they knew something was suspicious.
“You see how things happen right in front of your face, you don’t know what’s going on,” said one. “I knew something was fishy though.”
Some say they’ve seen the visitors outside for a few weeks now. An employee of the building says the owner opens the basement door to visitors every year for the holidays.
“The guests were not worried that they only had one way to escape the basement if there was a fire.
”God should help,“ said one. ”Once the Messiah will come, we’ll have this whole building.”
The pilgrims were confident they’d find another place to stay within the community but wouldn’t say where.
The building’s owner, Clean Realty, faces two building violations, for working without a permit and the illegal conversion. NY1 was unable to reach the company for comment.
Oyvey
As per the DOB website:
Someone called in a complaint that there are “Illegal Appartments”
The DOB could not gain access.
Then the “FDNY REPORTED ILLEGAL OCCUPANCY IN THE BASEMENT”
FDNY called DOB back.
The first complaint was most likely Mesirah, the 2nd complaint was possilbe a tip to the FDNY by concerend residents of CH who make it their buissness to give work to building inspectors…
alwaysme
god, now take the to the airport and ship those meshichist terrorist home!!
I have never been prouder
What a beautiful kiddush lubavitch……………NOT!
Try Tolerance for Two Weeks
Well done Crown Heights for your great hachnosas Orchim. This is crown Heights – if you want a quiet place folks move to suburbia. Get the hatred out of your hearts and practice tolerance for two weeks. Try it! Of course tolerance is not really a Crown Heights thing, but you could work on it.
chaim
Bochurim shouldn’t talk to the media…i blame the yeshivas and lack of planning and organizing.
yes we can.........
eye kald
oopsy!! oh no!!
a big chilul hashem!! oops!! where are they going to go!!?
braun
Mendy Hendel would take them in but his basement is full of cash.
drizin
All mishuchsitim one big chillul hashem.
ad moshai? Together with hechsher braun.
all guest from israel please go home. Bibi needs you.
Love those pilgriims
I love the guest they make Crown Heights happen.
Rebbe has so much Nuchus from happy Yidden and Chachnosis Orchim.
Cant wait to do my part when I get My buildings and a bigger house.
Milhouse
Velamalshinim al tehi sikvoh.
Moshiach
You are all screaming “mesirah”! But no one is screaming “sakanos nefashos”!!
Smoking inside by these guests has caused fired in years past!
Is it right that the building owner, or management, looking to make a couple thousand dollars is doing so at the risk of their legal & law abiding tenants?!?
349
Two weeks ago in my building (349 Crown) one Meshichist guest threw his finished cigarette down the garbage-shut. A fire started but thank g-d for the working fire sprinklers, the fire was extinguished right away.
The smokers actions were irresponsible and life threatening.
1) No smoking in the building (all residents know and keep to this rule).
2) don’t be an idiot and throw your cigarette down a garbage shut or in that case any garbage.
Evidence Of Mesira
To #11 Milhouse:
There is no evidence of Mesira. You can assume, but that’s not evidence. Mikva news is not real evidence.
Here’s two examples of evidence of mesira:
Shmira member Yitzchok Shuchat
http://www.youtube.com/watc…
Yaakov Spritzer (G-d father of Mesira)
http://www.youtube.com/watc…
The fact that it was a complaint, does not make it a fact of Mesira, anybody (even a non-Jew) could have made the complaint.
Besides: Even had it been a Mesira, the Meshichistim have no problem with Mesira. In fact Meshichistim glorify, justify and excuse mesira. So whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
yohiz
Now if we can get ny1 over to 274 kingston ave to the ilegal hotel, this has been a looong time coming, i guess popack’s and mendel’s scam is coming to “Light?”
messira is not cheap
As a total outsider it would seem to me – from the reactions of the neighbors – that they were the ones to call the city after they had been suspecting some illicit happening under their feet… literally!
So commentors, please be a little more cautious with the whole messira allegations – it cheapens it far more then it already has become.
Yonah!!!
Im laughing out loud!
Milhouse
Mesirah is mesirah, no matter who does it.
disgusted with comments!
why is it ok to yell and scream about this? they spend hundreds of dollars every year to come and spend tishrei by the rebbe, and in return they get snide remarks and dirty looks! enough! so your uncomfortable for a month of the year. try to have a little hachnasas orchim! please, stop hating our fellow yidden!
goodman
“once the messia comes will have this whole building” i have just fallen of my chair laughing.. Ha ha ha
Mitzva Mesira
To #18 Milhouse:
Mosser MITZVA L’Mossro!
regards from LA
yonerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!
Milhouse
#21, So are you alleging that the owner of this building is a mosser?! That’s a serious allegation. Who is he, whom did he masser, and when? And the orchim staying in the basement, they are also mossrim?! Every one of them?!
Mesirah is not a joke. It is a serious issur, and it doesn’t matter WHO you are. It has nothing to do with politics. I’m no fan of Hendel and his crew, but before you masser on any one of them you had better ask a rov who is boki in this siman of choshen mishpot, just as you would ask about a shayla of taharas hamishpocho, or about a shayla with a chicken.
Yossi
Thank you Joe Popak
To #18....
What do you mean “uncomfortable”? This is a fire hazard! There have to be two exits, in case of fire! That is a reality! I would rather have them evicted than burned! As for the mean comments toward the men in that basement….can’t you think of a more spiritual way to comment? How old are you? I have a guess as to how deep you are….not very….yet.
What-s the deal?
Reacting with vengeance does not serve you, the Rebbe, or Hashem well at all. Come on, guys. Rustle up your davening and use it to better represent! What do you daven for, anyway? More ways to spread hate and ill wishes? Um…. One would assume not.
to number 2
i truly dont agree with number 2 i think number 2 to should fly a kate have a grat day you really should fly to israel and see for ur self