In January, a prospective tenant who went to the building complained that more than 60 people appeared to be living there. “I also witnessed people using drugs and the whole house” smelled of marijuana, the complaint said. In 2018, there were several complaints expressing concern that the building looked like it could collapse. “The entirety of this house, including the garage, has been illegally converted into several rooms for rent,” one complaint said. The owner of the building at the time of the 2018 complaints was identified in city records as Muhawwara Mahmood.

Source: New York Times December 19, 2020 15:04 UTC