Brooklyn apartment racks up $40K in debt as city chases unpaid water bills

BUSHWICK, Brooklyn (PIX11) – The city’s recent crackdown on delinquent water bills led officials to one Bushwick apartment that’s over $40,000 in debt – leaving residents at risk of a water shut off. 

Brooklyn local Michelle Rice’s issues with her apartment on Bushwick Avenue started right after she moved in in January, including a steady stream of mice, she told PIX11. Things escalated when she came home to find a red flier on her door warning the building’s water would be shut off by May 1 if her landlord didn’t pay the $42,007 they owed the city. 

A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection confirmed to PIX11 that water payments have not been made on the Bushwick property since July 2019, and the outstanding bill has still not been settled. 

Though the April 30 payment deadline passed without a shut-off, the Bushwick Avenue property is still at risk of losing its water or other enforcement, a spokesperson for the DEP said. 

City records list the owner of the property on Bushwick Avenue as 2521 Bushwick Realty LLC.

PIX 11 News called and texted the cell phone number that Rice has for her landlord, but he did not answer our messages.

The Bushwick Avenue apartment is just one of hundreds of owners sent shut off notices in a recent push to crack down on delinquent water payments, according to a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.

The department has sent notices to 760 customers and shut water off at eight properties, all one—and two-family residential homes that were, for the most part, vacant. Enforcement thus far has brought the city $3.5 million in revenue from customers who received shut-off notices, according to a spokesperson for DEP. Another $6.3 million has been promised in payment plans.

In a statement, a spokesman with the city DEP said, “We are putting a stop to bad actors that refuse to pay their delinquent water bills and force New Yorkers to pay higher rates for water. Water shutoffs are a last resort, and we would much rather work with the customer to find a way to set up a payment agreement. But everyone must pay their fair share to support our water system, and this property [on Bushwick Avenue], which has not paid their water bill in nearly five years, is at risk for a water service shutoff or alternative enforcement actions.” 

In March, the department said the city was owed $1.3 billion in unpaid water bills, naming top offenders as: Hotel Hayden, Dexter House, The Draper New York, and The Mave Hotel NYC. 

By Thursday, the Hayden Hotel and another major offender, 500 7th Ave LLC, had made payment plans with the department, but the department did not confirm whether the other perpetrators had settled up their debt. 

The City canceled its tax lien sale in 2020 due to the pandemic, meaning the city cannot put liens against properties with delinquent water bills. City sources now tell PIX 11 News that a legislative solution is in the works that would "restore property tax enforcement while putting safeguards in place for those at risk." A deal with the City Council could be reached within two to three months.

Rice’s story struck a chord with people on social media, garnering hundreds of comments with advice and commiseration. To Rice, it’s a frustrating reminder of what New York City tenants have to put up with, she said. 

“I've paid my bills, all up until now, so I don't know why he can't do the same. He definitely makes more money than I do."

Residents facing water shut-offs should ensure their landlord is aware of the warning and, if it is not resolved, contact the DEP.