Tenant injured after falling through floor of Bronx apartment building

By Kevin Rincon

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A woman is recovering after falling through the floor in the bathroom of her Bronx apartment building and landing in the basement.

It was an accident tenants say could very well have happened to them.

CBS2’s Kevin Rincon has more from the Highbridge section of the borough.

The woman was responsive as she was loaded into the back of an ambulance, which was a good sign. Neighbors said her husband jumped down right behind her to make sure she was okay.

Many tenants said they’re concerned. In fact, many told Rincon their homes feel unsafe.

“I feel afraid because I have my son, my wife, and I don’t want the ceiling to fall on top of our head. I need the city to do something, please,” Jose Madera said.

Madera has tried to organize tenants at his apartment building on 1204 Shakespeare Ave. in the Bronx for more than a year now to report things like leaks, pests, and electrical and structural concerns. They feel not enough has been done by the landlord.

“We’ve been telling him, you know, please help us, help the tenants, but he doesn’t want to do nothing,” Madera said. “Now, look what happened. The bathroom collapse and the lady fall to the basement, so she’s at the hospital.”

The Department of Buildings issued a partial vacate order for just the one apartment unit that was impacted. It said the collapse was caused by a lack of proper maintenance.

“When it rains, my apartment, it feels like it’s raining in my house, too,” a tenant said.

A tenant showed Rincon her bathroom ceiling, which looks in disrepair. She also shared videos of rain water pouring through the hallways.

“It’s frustrating, very frustrating. They’re trying to do what they have to do, but they really need professional people in the building,” she said.

CBS2 invited into several homes and observed doors that wouldn’t lock, a sink that was broken, and shower tiles barely hanging on due to leaks behind the wall.

Tenant Wendy Martinez said in Spanish when they pay rent, issues like these have to be resolved.

The Department of Buildings said it will require the landlord to bring in an engineer to look into some of the issues.

The landlord was issued a summons, and it’s the hope of so many of the tenants that it can help serve as a catalyst to change.

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