768 East 226th Street, Bronx, NY 10466

The 3-family, 3-story New Law Tenement at 768 East 226th Street in Wakefield, built in 1901 and currently owned by Loretta Rutherford, has experienced several significant maintenance and compliance issues in recent years. Most notably, there are four open Housing Maintenance Code violations from 2021-2024 related to the failure to file annual bedbug reports as required by HPD regulations. In 2022, the building faced serious concerns regarding unauthorized alterations, with violations issued for converting the cellar into additional living space without permits, including the installation of unauthorized bathrooms, rooms, and electrical systems.

This violation remains active and carries a substantial penalty of $2,500. The building's compliance history shows several clusters of issues, including a series of interconnected complaints in October 2021 involving water leaks, mold, and wall conditions, which were not able to be inspected by HPD at that time. The property underwent multiple inspections and addressed several maintenance issues in 2018, including checks on various appliances, wall conditions, and flooring, though no violations were ultimately issued.

There were also some safety concerns in 2018 regarding a broken window guard, and indoor air quality issues related to construction dust. More recently, in 2022, there was a significant violation related to improper storage of combustible materials in the cellar, though this was resolved with a penalty of $312. The most recent rodent inspection from October 2022 showed a passing result. Of particular note is that three separate HPD inspections in recent years (2022-2024) have resulted in violations or complaints specifically related to bedbug reporting requirements, indicating a persistent issue with compliance in this area.