85-18 118th Street, Queens, NY 11415

The 48-unit, 6-story residential building at 85-18 118th Street in Richmond Hill, owned by Richard Podpirka, has experienced persistent heating system issues over the past two years, with multiple 311 complaints relating to lack of heat or hot water in the entire building. From April 2024 through January 2025, there were at least ten documented incidents of heating problems, with several requiring emergency responses from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

While some complaints were resolved with reported restoration of heat and hot water, others were closed due to lack of access for inspections. The building has also faced several safety-related issues that were addressed in 2023-2024, including concerns about fire escape access and door functionality.

Three Class C violations were recorded in April 2024 regarding self-closing doors and fire escape obstructions, all of which were certified as corrected by April 30, 2024. The building's elevator system was inspected in 2023, with no violations found, and there has been regular compliance with bedbug reporting requirements, showing no infestations in recent years except for one case in 2022 which was promptly resolved. The building's owner has generally complied with inspection requirements, as evidenced by the closures of several Department of Buildings complaints and violations, including two instances of failure to file energy benchmarking reports in 2023-2024, which were subsequently resolved.