1559 Zerega Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462

The three-story, three-unit residential building at 1559 Zerega Avenue, Westchester Square, owned by Pedro Morillo, has experienced several significant maintenance and compliance issues since its construction in 2005. Notably, there was a series of heat and hot water complaints in March-April 2020, with four emergency complaints filed with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), though no violations were ultimately issued. The building has faced recurring issues with bedbug reporting compliance, with annual violations noted from 2021 through 2024 for failing to file required reports, resulting in multiple Environmental Control Board (ECB) violations and fines totaling $40,000 between 2021-2022.

In late 2019, there were serious concerns about illegal occupancy and blocked egress, leading to a partial vacate order and subsequent violations, which were not fully resolved until 2024, during which time fines totaling $37,500 were assessed but some were later dismissed. The property has generally maintained acceptable rodent control status through various inspections from 2017 to 2019, with only one report of rat activity in May 2018, though this specific issue appears to have been resolved. Most recently, the building's bedbug report for the 2021-2022 period showed no infestations, though there was a previous history of violations related to failure to properly report.

Two complaints from 2022-2025 regarding illegal work/permits and occupancy issues resulted in inspectors being unable to gain access for verification. A series of violations related to improperly addressed previous ECB violations lingered from 2020 through 2024, though these were ultimately resolved. The most recent inspection and filing dated September 2023 indicated no current infestations or compliance issues, suggesting recent improvements in maintenance practices, though the building's history shows a pattern of delayed compliance and reactive rather than proactive maintenance response.