77 Schaefer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207

The Rochelle Family Trust owns this 1920 two-story, two-family house located at 77 Schaefer Street in Bushwick, which has experienced multiple maintenance issues over the past several years. The property has had recurring problems with heat and hot water, particularly between late 2020 and early 2021, with several emergency complaints filed and verified violations. During this period, there were also issues with electricity, including two power outage complaints in 2020.

In late 2019, significant sanitary concerns emerged in Apartment 2, including pest infestations (with violations issued for both mice and bedbug problems) and moisture-related issues. More recently, in 2023-2024, the building underwent rodent inspections showing varying results, with rat activity noted in early 2024 but passing inspections in early 2025. Of particular concern is a pattern of violations related to an alleged illegal conversion of the building.

In October 2020, violations were issued for unauthorized construction work, including partition walls and additional bedrooms on the top floor, suggesting the building had been converted from its original two-family configuration to a four-family dwelling. This resulted in several Environmental Control Board violations throughout 2021, with penalties ranging from $1,250 to $35,000. The most recent Building Department violation from 2021, relating to failure to certify correction of an immediately hazardous condition, was dismissed in May 2023. The building's maintenance history also includes a variety of other issues, such as cooking gas problems in late 2020, and the building currently has two open Class C violations from 2020 requiring correction: one for inadequate heat in Apartment 2 and another for an unauthorized hasp and eye lock at the front yard gate.