City Hall recently celebrated a significant development involving a deceased Brooklyn landlord who had left behind three rundown buildings, loaded with over 1,000 property violations. Mayor Zohran Mamdani proudly claimed credit for this initiative, which is part of a broader campaign against poorly managed rent-stabilized properties.
In a press release issued Thursday, Mamdani announced that the late Rubin Dukler’s abandoned Crown Heights buildings were sold to Mark Schwartz. Schwartz is set to work closely with the Housing and Preservation Department to address the issues within the 88 units.
“The tenants of the Dukler Tenant Union have suffered from neglect and disinvestment for years,” Mamdani stated. “Today marks the start of a new chapter for these buildings.”
The Mamdani administration played a vital role in facilitating the sale through the HPD’s Alternative Enforcement Program. This program specifically targets dilapidated buildings with significant violations, which means the HPD will need to conduct emergency repairs at these properties.
An expert described this sale as a “genuine success story” for the tenants, who have rallied against Dukler for many years. However, they cautioned that it underscores Mamdani’s resolve to take strong action against private landlords of rent-stabilized buildings.
“This is a clear signal from the Mamdani administration that chronic neglect will face escalating enforcement,” noted Massimo D’Angelo, a real estate attorney from BlankRome.
D’Angelo also remarked that the city intends to actively facilitate the transfer of ownership of these buildings from non-compliant owners to a structure that allows for tenant ownership.
Dukler, who frequently appeared on the Public Advocate’s “worst landlords list,” passed away in 2022, after maintaining a portfolio with open violations dating back to before 2002. He had sold a 50% stake in his properties to Iris Holdings Group for $6.2 million in 2017, which led to a lengthy legal dispute over management responsibilities between the two parties.
After his passing, tenants were left without clear management for almost four years, prompting the creation of the Dukler Tenant Union in 2025 to push for the transfer of ownership away from Dukler’s estate.
Now, the HPD has stated it will keep collaborating with Schwartz and the building tenants to ensure the new ownership will “adequately invest” in necessary repairs and maintenance.
“We will work alongside tenants and the new owner to pave the way for stability for these 88 homes, reinforcing that every New Yorker deserves a safe, well-maintained, and stable place to call home,” Mamdani emphasized.
