677 Watkins Street, Brooklyn, NY 11212

The 2-story, 4-unit New Law Tenement building at 677 Watkins Street in Brownsville, owned by Neishanette Shields, has experienced several significant maintenance and compliance issues over recent years. Most notably, there is a cluster of concerning electrical issues that emerged in October 2023, involving wiring problems, power outages, and lack of lighting, with multiple complaints filed through both 311 and Housing Maintenance Code channels.

While some of these complaints were inspected without violations being issued, others resulted in no access to the premises for inspection. The building has been subject to multiple open Housing Maintenance Code violations, including failure to file annual bedbug reports (2022-2024), reports of mold in a second-floor bathroom, broken plaster in the kitchen, and various safety and compliance issues related to illegal alterations.

In January 2022, violations were recorded regarding illegal Class A apartments and unlawful cooking spaces in the cellar, along with safety concerns such as inadequate heating system access notice and missing registration information. These violations appear to be related to unauthorized modifications that increased the unit count from 4 to 5, as indicated in both Department of Buildings violations and an illegal conversion complaint investigation from 2022. The building's documented history also includes earlier issues from 2022 involving water leaks and pest conditions, though these complaints were similarly closed without inspection access being granted.