Residents unite to take on mega-landlord

Jersey City Together held a landlord protest against River Edge / Trendy Management on Sunday, March 26, 2017. The protest met at St Paul’s Episcopal Church and protesters walked over to 205 Monticllo Ave. in Jersey City. Pictured: Rev. Jessica Lambert of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. (Michael Dempsey | The Jersey Journal)

Owner of Jersey City building with rotting fire escape hit with 48 violations

Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey JournalBy Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal 
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on June 19, 2015 at 12:54 PM, updated June 19, 2015 at 4:05 PM

The owner of a Jersey City building where a rusted, rotting fire escape snapped beneath the feet of residents fleeing a fire Monday has been slapped with 48 fire code violations, Jersey City officials said.

The owner of 500 Garfield Ave., a management company in Clifton, was cited for failure to properly maintain fire escapes and for obstructing a means of egress due to a fire escape being blocked by a metal gate, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said.

The violations came to light after a 2-alarm fire at the four-story apartment building there at 5 a.m. Monday. Calls to the management company, 500 Garfield Avenue JC LLC, were not returned.

One third-floor resident said he fell through the steps and landed on the fire escape landing a floor below while fleeing the fire. Others said they had to hold onto the fire escape railings and do their best to slide down the fire escape using their feet minimally.

Firefighters responding to the 5:21 a.m. alarm found the fire in a first-floor apartment that spread to an adjacent apartment before being declared under control at 6:01 a.m.

The building owner was also cited for having multiple fire alarms that were either disabled or removed and for having a locked exit door, Morrill said.

Residents of the apartments involved in the fire not able to return due to fire damage, Jersey City pubic safety spokeswoman Carly Baldwin said at the scene that day.

Residents in eight additional apartments were also evacuated because of the lack of a second means of egress due to “the rotting fire escape,” Baldwin said.