68-38 Forest Avenue, Queens, NY 11385

This three-story, four-unit residential building at 68-38 Forest Avenue in Ridgewood, owned by Kermit Westergaard and constructed in 1930, has experienced several significant maintenance and compliance issues over the past few years. Most notably, there is an active violation regarding the failure to file required annual boiler inspection reports for the low-pressure boiler, with penalties totaling $625, reflecting non-compliance with safety regulations.

The building has also faced challenges with water supply issues in February 2022, which prompted multiple complaints from tenants and led to an HPD inspection, though no violations were ultimately issued. The property has documented several violations related to fire safety in October 2021, including obstructed fire escape access due to potted plants and a front drop ladder obstruction by a store awning, both of which were subsequently resolved.

In terms of pest management, the building has maintained a consistent record of bedbug reporting for the past four years (2021-2024) showing zero infested units, and while there were rodent inspections in 2014, 2016, and 2017 showing compliance, there were also initial failures noted in 2014 and 2017. More recently, there have been multiple attempts to conduct Local Law 188/17 compliance inspections in 2020 and 2024, though inspectors were unable to gain access on both occasions. The property has an extensive history of building permits issued between 2020-2021 for various work types, including exterior and plumbing-related improvements, suggesting ongoing maintenance and upgrade efforts by the owner.