According to city records, the building in Morris Heights that partially collapsed on Monday,December 11, 2023, had been flagged for more than 100 violations.
Located at 1915 Billingsley Terrace in Morris Heights, more than 25 complaints were lodged against the apartment building the month before the collapse. Residents complained of strange odors and elevator outages that lasted days or weeks. Some residents felt the building was not structurally sound. “Multiple apartments in this building are overcrowded, and you can hear the building deteriorating,” said a complaint filed in 2017, according to the city Buildings Department.
In 2015, a resident complained that “the building is highly unstable,” adding, “You can hear it cracking and deteriorating from the inside,” according to city records.
The building had no open structural violations, according to Buildings Commissioner James Oddo. However, seven violations remain open.
When the building partially collapsed, firefighters frantically searched for trapped bodies under a pile of debris 12 feet high. The apartments and a convenience store were partly buried under bricks and wood.
The Red Cross and the city sought shelter for more than 100 displaced residents. Twenty-six families — including 79 adults and 22 children — accepted temporary housing.
