144-53 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, NY 11354

The 4-story, 20-unit New Law Tenement building at 144-53 Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing, owned by Ronald Chen, has experienced recurring issues with building systems and maintenance over the past several years. The most recent cluster of complaints in April 2025 involved unsanitary conditions (pests), ceiling issues (paint/plaster), and a slow water leak, all of which were inspected by HPD and determined not to violate housing laws.

The building has a documented pattern of heating and hot water system problems, with multiple complaints between 2021 and 2024, though inspections generally found these issues had been resolved by the time of inspection. Significant maintenance concerns emerged during a 2024 inspection, including the need to replace concrete landing pads at the fire escape, repair defective self-closing doors at the street entrance, and address an open violation regarding an infestation of roaches in apartment 4E, which also had multiple maintenance violations related to ceiling and wall repair needs. The building's history shows consistent compliance with bedbug reporting requirements, with no reported infestations in the past three reporting periods (2022-2025).

Recent complaints and violations have focused primarily on building systems (heat/hot water, plumbing), structural elements (ceiling/paint, water leaks), and pest control. In addition to housing maintenance code violations, there was a complaint about excessive debris resulting in a partial stop work order in January 2025. While many of the building's problems appear to be addressed through HPD inspections, there are several open violations from 2023-2024 requiring attention, particularly concerning access control and pest management systems.