281 Melba Street, Staten Island, NY 10314

The two-family house at 281 Melba Street in Emerson Hill, owned by Barry Altman and built in 1950, has experienced several significant maintenance issues over the past five years. The most pressing concerns have been related to heating and hot water systems, with multiple complaints filed with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) in 2021-2022, including emergency calls and instances where inspectors could not gain access to the apartments for verification.

In May 2021, a series of complaints marked as emergencies were filed regarding heat/hot water issues, safety concerns including smoke detector problems, plumbing issues, and multiple reports of wall paint/plaster problems. One set of violations from May 2021 specifically noted issues in Apartment 1, including missing electrical outlet covers and defective plastered surfaces in the foyer, though these were subsequently closed.

Additionally, there have been two complaints regarding potential illegal conversions of the property in 2020 and 2021, both of which resulted in access denial for inspectors despite multiple attempts to investigate. While some of these issues have been officially closed in the system, the recurring nature of heating system problems and the illegal conversion complaints suggest ongoing management challenges. The most recent documented incident was a heat/hot water complaint in March 2022, though this was resolved within 24 hours according to HPD records.