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Landlords rented out house after it was seized for back taxes

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“Two landlords rented out a single-family home even though the house had been seized by Rockland County for lack of property tax payments, according to a lawsuit.

After finding the house occupied and tenants paying rent to the former owners, Joseph Greenbaum and Elazer Dancziger, the county filed a civil lawsuit against the two New Square men and referred the case for criminal investigation to the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office.

The county contends Greenbaum lost ownership for not paying property taxes since 2012. Dancziger used the address for his two medical-related businesses and managed the property, the county said. [Read more…]

Ken Zebrowski: New Hempstead school should be closed until safety codes are met

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Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski Photo Ricky Flores/The Journal News

“Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski said Thursday that authorities should close down a private school that’s operating with an inadequate fire hydrant and without independent water and power, calling the approval the “most egregious example yet of the build first, ask questions later mentality.”

Zebrowski, a New City Democrat who has long advocated for pressuring schools to follow fire and safety codes, said he’s demanded the New York state Department of State investigate how the school got a certificate of occupancy to run a school, specifically with the apparent backing of the agency’s monitor assigned to review Building Department activities. [Read more…]

New Hempstead approves school without running water, power

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Gorden Wren Jr. Director of Fire and Emergency Services for Rockland (Photo: Mark Vergari/The Journal News)

“A private school continues to operate without running water, without its own electricity and with a makeshift fire hydrant that a state monitor said doesn’t meet safety codes, but was allowed to give the operator a temporary permit to teach several hundred students, authorities said.

Rockland officials got involved Wednesday and said that if the Summit Park Road school doesn’t have an approved water source by Monday — such as a tanker with water — they will close down the school in violation of the county sanitary code. [Read more…]

Brinn named interim Ramapo supervisor

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New Hempstead Mayor Frederick Brinn

At a special meeting of the Ramapo Town Board this evening, New Hempstead Mayor Frederick Brinn was named as the interim Ramapo Town Supervisor, beginning Monday June 26 through December 31, 2017. The vote was 3-0 approving the appointment. Those voting were Yitzy Ullman, Brendel Logan-Charles, and Michael Rossman. Councilman Patrick Withers was absent.

Brinn will begin next Monday, temporarily leaving his position as New Hempstead Mayor.

Michael Castelluccio
Preserve Ramapo

New Hempstead trustee’s votes on school questioned

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New Hempstead Mayor Fred Brinn

A village trustee has voted for the construction of a girls religious school while working for a member of the school’s board of directors.

Trustee Abe Sicker confirmed he works for a company whose owner was president of the board of directors for Ateres Bais Yaakov Academy of Rockland, a not-for-profit religious organization seeking to build a school on Summit Park Road.

Mark Hertz, who has signed village documents as president of Ateres’ board of directors, is founder and president of Mark Hertz Company, a real estate consulting and violation removal services, according to the company’s website. [Read more…]

New Hempstead yeshiva operating without permits for years

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New Hempstead yeshiva that operated for years without a permit

Mesivta Ahavas Hatorah Photo: John Meore/ The Journal News

“Mesivta Ahavas Hatorah has been operating a boys’ religious school in the village since about 2013.

But it has been running without permits because the property at 720 Union Road never received permits, or a certificate of occupancy, to operate as a school — nor did the previous tenants who also had schools there since about 2006, according to village documents. [Read more…]

Rockland Elections: O’Blenis Wins in Hillburn; Challengers dominate in New Hemptstead

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Challengers grabbed control of the New Hempstead village board in Tuesday night’s elections. New Hempstead’s election revolved around concerns about development, with residents fiercely protective of their village’s semi-rural character. Longtime Trustees Solomon Fuerst and Paul Mundt, who received 284 and 279 votes, respectively, fell to challengers Adam Reich and Avroham Sicker, who received 360 and 365 votes, respectively, according to unofficial results. The two seats were for four-year terms. Incumbent David Weiss also lost his seat to Shalom Mintz to fill an unexpired, two-year term. Weiss received 290 votes, while Shalom Mintz received 352, according to unofficial results. In Hillburn, Trustee Bonnie O’Blenis held onto her seat. O’Blenis received 65 votes, which was enough to beat out challenger Thomas Scott, who received 45. There was a single write-in ballot. Scott who joined the board in 2010 when O’Blenis resigned, won a seat outright in 2011 but lost in 2013 to Eleanor DeGraw. O’Blenis returned to the board in an uncontested trustee race in 2014 and was seeking her second term.” Complete Journal News reporting here.