City Enforces Vacate Order in ‘749’ Dormitory

New York City building inspectors, accompanied by police officers, fire inspectors and representatives from the mayor’s office of special enforcement, entered the ‘Kvutzeh’ dormitory at 749 Eastern Parkway in order to enforce and verify compliance of a recent vacate order.

Two weeks ago, building inspectors discovered a number of troubling safety hazards in the building, including bowed exterior walls and bricks falling out around windows – among many other issues, and issued a vacate orders for some 14 rooms and other areas of the building.

City officials said that negligence on the part of the building’s legal owners – Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva – has reached a point where the building poses and imminent safety threat to its occupants, and raised the possibility that the city may confiscate and take over ownership of the building.

Over the past several years, ‘749’ has become a hotbed of flaunting authority and lawlessness. The Yeshiva administrators threw up their hands and allowed the building to fall into utter chaos, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for safety violations and illegal construction.

This prevailing attitude was in display over the past two weeks, as residents ripped down the notices and reentered the vacated rooms.

On Tuesday, inspectors with the Department of Buildings and the FDNY were accompanied by police officers and representatives from the mayor’s office of special enforcement as they entered the building to verify compliance with the orders.

They then discovered that residents had altered the room numbers in an attempt to confuse the inspectors.

Sources told CrownHeights.info that city representatives informed the board of the Yeshiva that as the building owners they must ensure compliance with the vacate order, or they may face prosecution and repossession.

A locksmith, who said he was hired by the Yeshiva, was brought in and after figuring out which rooms were the ones vacated he changed the locks on the doors.

Once inspectors left, residents told CrownHeights.info that the rooms have already been broken into and reoccupied.

“How could they allow it to come to this?” asked an angry neighbor from an adjacent property; “how dare [administrators] neglect property of Tomchei Temimim to the point where it may get taken away?”

“And how can buildings department inspectors ignore so many violations, lack of fire extinguishers and self-connected gas and electric lines?” he said.

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20 Comments

  • ch resident

    This is such a chillul lubavitch. If g-d forbid someone gets hurt then maybe the hanholoh and whoever else is involved will finally realize the repercussions of politics and enough with this nonsense once and for all

  • מחשבות זרות

    Don’t let them in and they won’t be able to obtain the evidence needed to be used against you.

    Oh, we only came to HELP you, for your good. Afterall, we are concerned about your SAFETY. We can’t help you if you don’t let us in.

  • not normal

    Inspectors should be called back in every single day. Fire the Board of the Yeshiva. Demolish the building. End of story.
    Oh and go vote for Cruz.

  • this is not judaism

    this is not judaism. this is insanity parading as piousness.

  • Dovid

    Thete is no hanholeh…a new hamholeh with responsible members need to be hired or elected..what a,disgrace

  • Who Cares

    the buchrim will probably reoccupy the infamous “749” before the dust of today’s raid settles

  • CHLEAKS.COM

    This building must be shut down!!! This is a building of Mesira, innocent blood was spilled on this property and it must be destroyed!!!

  • CR

    The notice above from the “building committee” seems to be ordering residents to not comply with any orders or directives from the DOB, Police, Fire or any other City officers. And to thwart directly all attempts to access the property, up to and including physical assault.

    This will not end well!

  • Yossel

    Like most of the buildings in the neighborhood, this place looks like a run-down dump.

    Why do they even bother putting locks on the doors? Everyone knows that the first course a high school Bochur takes, is “How To Bust Even the Toughest Lock In Five Minutes or Less.”

    Sad to say Bochurim, especially Israeli Bochurim, trash any facility they are admitted into.

  • Union of employees at restaurants of Brooklyn and Manhattan

    the guy’s with the T-shirt and with colorful shirts seen in the picture of Those our people who live in this building rent free of charge

    we support their battle!!!!!

  • To OT

    Aren’t you ashamed? Following on the heels of Newsweek, you now are in the news again. How many millions will read/see/hear about this farce? It is a disgrace, and this once fine institution is a laughing stock.

    You are all so chassidish – your chassidishkeit is krum, nothing. Instead of giving up, act like men & DO SOMETHING to get rid of these fanatical anarchists.

  • Toshov Hashchuna

    Who is the guy in picture 6 sitting in front of 749, half naked wearing flip flops and smoking? I have a shidduch for him.

  • Mendel

    don’t worry boys of 749

    I wrote into the igres.

    The rebbe said to increase in saying yechi and you must put 100 yellow flags at the entrance to the building. don’t give up the rebbe lebtt.