BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A senior apartment building on Buffalo's east side has a working boiler again for the first time in months. 7 Problem Solver Michael Schwartz has been investigating this situation since he was first told about it three weeks ago.
Schwartz was called to the building by the family of an 81-year-old resident who had been using multiple space heaters to stay warm. She and two other residents told Schwartz the boiler had been broken all season, but the owner of the building disputed that, and said the boiler broke a couple of months ago.
The building is owned by Jefferson Realty Group LLC. The company's owner said a new boiler was ordered right away, but the wrong boiler came in. Around December 21 the owner said the boiler would be fixed by Christmas weekend, but that never happened.
Schwartz was then told in a text message that crews working on the new boiler would fix the heat by January 1, but it took until January 10 for the heat to be restored. The owner told Schwartz the delays were due to issues with parts for the boiler.
Schwartz and the owner have gone back in forth in text messages, and phone calls. In a heated conversation last Wednesday Schwartz confronted the owner on new information that he obtained from an Erie County inspection letter dated January 4, 2024. In the letter sent to Jefferson Realty Group LLC, it stated the building was "grossly out of compliance," and "this address has not had a valid certificate of occupancy since 2018."
The landlord said the "grossly out of compliance" comment is the city's opinion, and he wants to see a list of issues. As far as the Certificate of Occupancy, the property owner said the city never told him about this.
A Certificate of Occupancy means that a property met code compliance at the time is was issued. The inspection Order to Remedy states that if access to the property is not provided by February 1, "the property will be expedited to Housing Court and Court-ordered interior access will be requested. At that time, an Order to Vacate will also be sought and the building will be deemed uninhabitable."
The landlord said he has taken this issue seriously, and said that the residents have heat for months, referring to the space heaters provided. He declined to comment on when he was at the property last.
If you have a consumer problem you need help with, let Michael be your voice. Email 7ProblemSolvers@WKBW.com
