A Brooklyn landlord is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he lied on city building paperwork, then oversaw demolition work at a Williamsbridge apartment building that left the structure so unstable tenants had to flee in the middle of the night.
According to officials, the partial teardown displaced a third-floor tenant living with eight children and grandchildren and also knocked out electricity in common hallways.
Indictment and Allegations
As reported by News12, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced the indictment of 31-year-old Joel Grunbaum of Brooklyn. Prosecutors say that while planning renovations in 2022, Grunbaum claimed on Department of Buildings paperwork that 716 East 215 St. was unoccupied.
Investigators allege that by misrepresenting the building’s occupancy, Grunbaum was able to secure a permit and begin demolishing walls and ceilings in vacant units. That work allegedly compromised the building’s stability and led the Department of Buildings to issue a vacate order on Nov. 6.
Department of Investigation Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata told investigators that the omission on the filings forced tenants, including children, out of the building in the middle of the night, according to the report.
Permit Filings and Property Records
Property records reviewed by PincusCo list the Williamsbridge building at 716 East 215 St. with owner Aryeh Mendlowic. The records also show that Grunbaum filed plans for demolition work on Feb. 22, 2023.
Those filings note two housing violations and roughly $450 in OATH penalties over the past year, reflecting recent enforcement activity at the property. Taken together, the filings and the indictment point to a case built around how the paperwork allegedly allowed work to begin without proper tenant safeguards in place.
What the Charge Means
Grunbaum is charged with offering a false instrument for filing. Under New York law, offering a false instrument in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor, while first-degree offering a false instrument, which requires an intent to defraud a government body, is a class E felony. See Penal Law §175.30 and Penal Law §175.35.
To determine whether the case reaches the felony threshold, prosecutors will need to establish what Grunbaum knew and intended when he submitted the permit application.
Precedent and Enforcement
City prosecutors have gone after similar conduct before, arguing that false DOB filings can be part of broader efforts to pressure tenants or strip apartments of legal protections.
In 2015, a Brooklyn District Attorney indictment accused several landlords of filing work applications that falsely claimed buildings were unoccupied during renovations, a pattern officials said could put residents at risk. That earlier crackdown highlighted how district attorneys and city agencies can coordinate when renovation tactics cross into alleged criminal behavior.
Grunbaum is scheduled to return to Bronx Supreme Court on Aug. 31, according to News12. The Bronx DA’s office noted that no one was injured, the investigation is ongoing, and that an indictment is an accusation, not proof of guilt.
