55-35 Metropolitan Avenue, Queens, NY 11385

The 2-family house at 55-35 Metropolitan Avenue in Maspeth, built in 2015 and owned by Shao Yun Chen, has experienced several significant maintenance and safety issues since its construction. Most recently, in 2024, Apartment 2 received multiple violations including the presence of roaches, hot water exceeding the maximum allowable temperature of 130°F, and a defective carbon monoxide detector. The building has also faced recurring hot water issues, with emergency complaints in December 2019 and violations in 2023-2024 regarding excessive water temperatures.

A series of inspections in December 2019 revealed various maintenance concerns, including issues with the door/window, ventilation system, and garbage/recycling storage. The property has a concerning history of potential illegal modifications and occupancy issues. Multiple complaints between 2019-2021 suggested possible unauthorized rooming unit configurations and occupancy contrary to allowed certificate of occupancy (C/O) or building department records.

In 2021, violations were issued for obstructed exit passageways and excessive storage of combustible materials (tires), resulting in fines totaling $9,687. More recently, there are active violations (issued June 2023) for failure to file required external low-pressure inspections for multiple years (2018-2022). Notably, the building was inspected for rodent issues in 2017, where it passed inspection, and several non-emergency complaints regarding mailbox and door concerns were addressed and closed between 2019-2020. While some historical issues have been resolved, including multiple Housing Maintenance Code violations being certified as corrected, the property continues to have open violations related to inspection requirements as of 2023.