44 West 56th Street, Manhattan, NY 10019

The 5-story, 2-family house at 44 West 56th Street, owned by Ashley Proctor and built in 1920, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues over recent years. Most notably, in the past two years (2024-2025), there have been recurring concerns regarding food establishment sanitation, with two Department of Health and Mental Hygiene complaints related to rodent/insect issues (September 2024) and spoiled food (April 2025), though both were resolved. The building has a documented history of water-related problems, with multiple water leak complaints in 2021-2022, including heavy flow and damp spots, particularly affecting Apartment 4.

This apartment has also been the focus of various housing violations, including mold issues and multiple repairs needed for smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and self-closing doors. The building's systems maintenance has been a recurring theme, with notable concerns about the elevator service in 2020, which resulted in violations for being the only elevator in a multiple dwelling out of service, along with various related safety violations including an inoperative car phone and expired maintenance tags. In 2018, there were multiple violations and penalties related to unpermitted work involving a deck installation on the 4th floor, though most of these violations have since been resolved.

More recently, from 2019 to 2025, the property has maintained a clean record regarding bedbug infestations, with all six annual reports showing zero infested or re-infested units. Regular rodent inspections conducted between 2010 and 2014 have consistently passed, indicating effective pest management in this area. The building's documented issues reflect typical challenges for an older NYC residential building, with particular attention needed to address recurring water-related problems and maintain compliance with safety equipment requirements. The property has shown responsiveness to violations, with most being closed out appropriately, though some ongoing maintenance issues have persisted over the years.