By: Chris Munzing
Council President Jim Hennessy said the law would help combat the problems of illegal housing and building and zoning code violations.
In the past, the city's building inspectors had to track down landlords to serve them with summonses, a time-consuming and expensive process. "This will save us time, this will save us money, and this will save us personnel now that they don't have to go chasing after these guys," Hennessy said. "Everybody knows that illegal housing is a problem in Long Beach, and this is one way to handle it."
Building Commissioner Scott Kemins said the proposed change would make it easier for the city to take absentee landlords who violate the law to court. "The neighbors across the street know which houses these are, and it's not fair to them," Kemins said. "Sometimes we have tenants who live inside the house telling us it's a mess."
The measure has the support of the city's real estate community. "This will put absentee landlords on notice that we care about our communities and we want them to thrive," said Daniel Ryan of Ryan & Walis Realty, who is also the president of the Long Island Multiple Listing Service. "Any time you can make it easier for there to be accountability, it's a good thing."
Ryan added that if the measure is approved, it will make it that much harder for absentee landlords to have illegal rentals. "If the owners knew there was an easier way to haul them in, it might make them think twice," he said.
Members of the public are encouraged to weigh in on the measure at the public hearing, to be held during the City Council meeting Feb. 1, at 8 p.m., in the sixth-floor meeting room of City Hall, at 1 W. Chester St.
Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon announced Tuesday that his office would use the county's resources to assist local governments in the fight against illegal housing, including in Long Beach. Dillon said his assistance would focus on legal and investigative help.
Public reports indicate that one of the area's worst offenders, cited by Nassau County Assessor Harvey Levinson, was a home on East Hudson Street in Long Beach that contains 13 rented rooms.
"I am happy that we are able to assist the towns with this matter," Dillon said. "I believe our assistance will help them in their quest to combat illegal housing in their townships."
City Manager Charles Theofan said he was pleased with the initiative and expected the city to avail itself of some of the county's resources.
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