244 Irving Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237

The 8-unit, 4-story New Law Tenement building at 244 Irving Avenue in Bushwick, owned by Joseph Fragala, has been in operation since 1931 and has experienced several significant maintenance and pest management issues over recent years. While the building has maintained a generally positive record for bedbug infestations, with zero reported cases in the past six reporting periods from 2019 to 2023, the property has faced challenges with rodent control. Between 2021 and 2025, the building showed both problems with rat activity and substantial efforts to address them, as evidenced by multiple inspections and bait applications.

Notably, there was a rat sighting reported to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in November 2021, which resulted in identified violations requiring follow-up inspections. The building's mechanical systems have been a source of concern, particularly in 2018 when two separate Environmental Control Board violations were recorded. The first, in January 2018, detailed multiple mechanical issues, including problems with mixing valves and temperature gauges, as well as an oil leak at the oil tank, resulting in an initial $500 penalty.

A subsequent violation in October 2018, related to unsatisfactory resolution of these previous issues, carried an additional penalty of $1,250, which remains active with a balance due. While these violations are now several years old, they represent a period of mechanical system challenges for the building. The most recent inspections in 2024 and 2025 have all consistently passed rodent inspections, suggesting improvements in pest management, though a compliance failure was recorded in October 2023 for "Other Reasons."