16-26 Hancock Street, Queens, NY 11385

The two-family house at 16-26 Hancock Street in Ridgewood, owned by Leon Mehl and built in 1910, has experienced several notable issues over the past few years, with particular attention needed to heating system reliability and illegal conversions. In early 2022, there was a heat and hot water complaint that the Department of Housing Preservation and Development could not investigate due to lack of access to the apartments, while a rat sighting complaint in 2020 resulted in identified violations requiring follow-up inspections.

Two illegal conversion complaints stand out: one from 2021 where inspectors could not gain access during the final attempt, and a more recent case from October 2023 that resulted in a Request for Corrective Action being issued in April 2025. The building's pest control history shows significant attention to rodent issues, particularly between 2019 and 2024, with a rat activity report in February 2020 being followed by a succession of passed inspections through 2024.

Interestingly, there have been no reported bedbug infestations during the most recent filing period from November 2023 to October 2024, and the building is currently in good standing with rodent inspections passing as of September 2024. The property, consisting of two stories and two units, has maintained a generally stable condition over recent years, though the combination of heating system access issues and conversion complaints indicates some areas requiring continued monitoring by residents and authorities.