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TOWN OF EAST HAMPTON ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT

 

PUBLIC SAFETY DIVISION 

300 Pantigo Place, Suite 111A

East Hampton, N.Y. 11937 

Phone (631) 324-3858 Fax (631) 329-5899 

Elizabeth A. BambrickDirector of Ordinance Enforcement

August 5, 2015

Town Investigation Uncovers Overcrowded, Unsafe House; Owners Charged

This morning, the East Hampton Town Ordinance Enforcement Department — assisted by theTown Police Department and Fire Marshal’s Office— executed a search warrant to investigate

suspected overcrowding and Building Code violations at a house at 17 Ocean Boulevard.

Based on an investigation, including the execution of the warrant, the Town determined that the

house has been occupied illegally by 25 young adults, all of whom crammed into the house to

work as counselors at a local summer camp. The building owners and their representatives nowface 61 charges, including multiple counts of overcrowding and partial occupancy.

Most of the house had been altered without the required building permits or inspections, making

for a dangerous living situation. The house had eight bedrooms, twice the number it was legally permitted to have. Several bedrooms lacked the required emergency escape windows, and some

rooms had air conditioners installed in a manner that would prevent occupants from escaping in

the event of a fire. All the bedrooms contained bunk beds.

In addition, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were missing; the swimming pool was

improperly secured and filled with green, unsanitary water; and nine vehicles were parked in the

driveway and on the lawn. Town Code allows four vehicles, unless the house is owner occupied.Two of the camp counselors arrived during the inspection and acknowledged they were in charge

of the premises and the employees living in the house.

Inspectors issued appearance tickets to Doris E. Rosen, 60, of Jericho, and David S. Skolnik, 32,

of Plainview, charging them with the following:

  7 counts of overcrowding

 

4 counts of partial occupancy  3 counts of no smoke alarm

  6 counts change of use or type of occupancy

  9 counts of no building permit

  5 counts of no certificate of occupancy

  3 counts of no egress (blocked egress window)

  2 counts of no egress (railroad bedroom)

  1 count of water heater relief valve

  2 counts of removal of smoke detector

  2 counts of no carbon monoxide detectors observed

  2 counts of failure to label electrical panel

  1 count of multi-family occupancy

 

1 count of use single family to dormitory

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  1 count of property maintenance swimming pool

  5 counts of property maintenance — improper gates and enclosure

  1 count of property maintenance code no door alarm regarding swimming pool

  1 count of property maintenance code — grass over 10 inches

  1 count of failure to enclose pool equipment

  1 count of excessive vehicles in a rental

  1 count of failure to keep clean and sanitary conditions — garbage within residence

  2 counts of front and rear decks in disrepair

Inspectors also served appearance tickets to Mr. Rosen and Mr. Skolnik as representatives of the

company that owns the house, HCDC Holdings LLC. of 85 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove.They are directed to appear in Town Justice Court on August 17 at 12 p.m. to answer the

charges.

Town officials have also alerted the Suffolk County Waste Water Management Department, as

the sanitary system at this house is not designed to handle eight bedrooms.

“This investigation uncovered a host of unsafe living conditions in our community, ” said Betsy

Bambrick, the Director of the Ordinance Enforcement Department. “I praise my staff for taking

the self-initiative to discover potential violations and conduct the thorough follow-up necessaryto successfully obtain a search warrant and to ultimately carry out the investigation swiftly and

 professionally.”