17 Spencer Place, Brooklyn, NY 11216

The three-story, two-unit building at 17 Spencer Place in Bedford-Stuyvesant, owned by Herbert Johnson and constructed in 1899, has experienced numerous electrical and sanitation issues in recent months. Between March and June 2025, there were multiple complaints regarding electrical wiring problems, with emergency designations on several service requests, though HPD inspectors consistently reported being unable to gain access to conduct inspections. The building also faced sanitation challenges, particularly with pest infestations, during the same period, with similar access issues preventing proper inspection follow-up.

More concerning, in September 2024, a set of Class B violations were issued for apartment 2F, including problems with exposed electrical wiring, broken electrical fixtures, and missing safety devices such as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. A parallel set of issues was documented in apartment 2B in April 2024, including exposed electrical wires and problems with plaster surfaces and paint throughout the unit. The property has also faced questions regarding its legal status as a two-unit building, with multiple complaints about possible illegal conversion attempts, the most recent being an active complaint from March 2025.

A 2024 Environmental Control Board violation, noting work done without a permit, remains active with a $250 penalty. Despite these ongoing issues, the building has maintained a passing record on rodent inspections, with all such inspections from 2020 through 2025 showing compliance. Notably, the building has demonstrated no history of bedbug infestations, with all recent reporting periods showing zero affected units.