City Hall announced Thursday the sale of three derelict buildings in Crown Heights, which had accumulated over 1,000 property violations, to a new owner who plans to renovate the 88 units. The administration, led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, highlighted the transaction as a success in its effort to address neglected rent-stabilized buildings.
The deceased former owner, Rubin Dukler, had a history of violations dating back to before 2002 and was frequently listed on the Public Advocate’s “worst landlord’s list.” Following his death in 2022, tenants were left in uncertainty regarding building management. They formed the Dukler Tenant Union in 2025 to push for a transfer of ownership away from Dukler’s estate.
The Housing Preservation and Development Department (HPD) utilized its Alternative Enforcement Program to facilitate the sale. This program targets buildings with severe violations and enables the city to make emergency repairs.
"The tenants of the Dukler Tenant Union have suffered from neglect and disinvestment for years," Mamdani said in a statement. "Today, a new chapter begins for these buildings." The new owner, Mark Schwartz, will work with the HPD to address the units.
An expert suggested the sale represents a positive outcome for the tenants but also warned that it signals the Mamdani administration's intention to intensify enforcement against private owners of rent-stabilized properties. "This is a clear signal from the Mamdani administration that chronic neglect is going to be met with escalating enforcement," said real estate attorney Massimo D’Angelo. "And that the city is going to actively work to transfer ownership of these buildings and similar type buildings, you know, from non-compliant owners, and transfer them ultimately to set up tenant ownership."
The HPD stated its commitment to working with the new owner and tenants to ensure adequate investment in repairs and maintenance. "We will work alongside tenants and the new owner to put these 88 homes on a path toward stability and make clear that every New Yorker deserves a safe, well-maintained and stable place to call home," Mamdani added.