The Building

In April 2024, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit New York City. While most buildings suffered no damage, the already-deteriorated structure at 109 East 9th Street worsened significantly.

Steel Core Engineering was hired to conduct a full structural analysis. Their findings were alarming — documented in a 45-page report:

• •Load-bearing exterior walls had huge gaps between bricks — some movable by hand
• •Severely deteriorated masonry transferring load onto compromised mortar joints
• •Many joists with extreme water damage
• •Floor joists unsupported except by the subfloor, overloading other joists
• •Upper floors sagging toward the middle of the building

Steel Core judged the upper floors unsafe for occupancy and at risk of collapse at any time.

On November 6, 2025, during an HP Court-mandated DOB inspection, violations were issued to tenant-occupied units for work performed without a permit (Violation #391-663-12M):

• •Unit 4D — Illegal installation of a bathtub in an SRO unit
• •Unit 3C — Illegal installation of a bathtub in an SRO unit (Sabin's unit)
• •Unit 2D — Illegal standing shower installation (Chlapek's unit)

These heavy cast-iron bathtubs were never intended for installation in SRO units and contribute to the structural instability and severely sloped floors that existed long before the current owner acquired the building. The tenants have received notices to cure these violations.

The same tenants who accused the owner of neglect had themselves performed unauthorized construction in their own units without permits.