Rockland County Inspectors Descend On Homes Next To Site Of Fatal Fire

NEW CITY, NY — The Rockland County Office of Buildings and Codes inspected 120 and 122 S. Lake Street in Spring Valley, next door to and owned by the same landlord who owned No. 118, where five people died in a fire Saturday.

The owner is Jacob Jeremias, who also owns 116 S. Lake St, which OBC inspected on Saturday, immediately after the fire, county officials said. Inspectors cited it for multiple violations including illegal conversions.

Investigators are still probing the cause of the fatal blaze, which also sent five people to the hospital. SEE: Five Die In Fatal Pre-Dawn Fire In Spring Valley

"Our joint investigation with the Spring Valley Police Department into the fire at 118 S. Lake Street, Spring Valley is still ongoing but preliminarily has been able to confirm that smoke detectors were present in the structure," said Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco. "The exact cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed but was very likely accidental and related to electrical issues within the structure."

Meanwhile, County Executive Ed Day directed the Office of Buildings and Codes to inspect all properties owned by Jeremias and had the Center for Rockland Codes Investigations look into prior violations at the properties as well.

"We are utilizing every tool at our disposal to protect residents," Day said.

All the properties involved are classified as single- and double-family homes; and as such, are not subject to required inspections under New York State law. However, all the tenants at 120 and 122 S. Lake St. allowed OBC inspectors to enter and inspect the properties for safety concerns on Monday, Rockland officials said.

OBC is still finalizing the number of violations found Monday at 120 and 122 S. Lake St. properties but can confirm numerous issues were discovered that include:

• single-room occupancies
• electrical issues
• missing smoke & carbon monoxide detectors

The County Office of Buildings and Codes assumed control of the Village of Spring Valley's Building Department as ordered by New York State Department of State a year ago (SEE: Taking On 'Ground Zero For Illegal Housing' In Rockland County) and in that time has not received any complaints about 116, 118, 120 or 122 S. Lake St., county officials said.

Under New York State law, 3-family homes and above, commercial, and places of assembly are subject to mandatory inspections, which fall under OBC’s jurisdiction.

A deeper investigation by the County of Rockland into 118 S. Lake Street revealed the Center for Rockland Codes Investigations had five prior complaint cases for the property from 2015 through 2021.

(RCI is a unique, first-of-its-kind, department investigating all sanitary health code violations, including allegations regarding single family dwellings, multiple dwellings, rental properties, and owner-occupied premises.)

All RCI cases for 118 S. Lake St. had been resolved, with landlords curing the violations, including the most recent case of violations being resolved in August of 2021 which included pests, missing smoke detectors, and missing CO detectors. All those cases were in response to complaints received from tenants.

RCI has not received any further complaints about the property which the county has confirmed changed ownership twice since the last visit in 2021.

RCI visits to 120 S. Lake St. included illegal rooming house complaints and an illegal daycare, with all issues abated. RCI’s only visit to 122 S. Lake Street was regarding feral cats in 2019.

"The only way we can investigate properties in Spring Valley that don’t fall under New York State required inspections is if we receive a complaint," Day said. "Our ability to rectify these issues is dependent on residents notifying us, which is why it is critical for anyone living in unsafe conditions report them to the proper authorities — whether it be your local municipality, our Center for Rockland Codes Investigations, or our Office of Buildings and Codes so we can take action.

"We will hold all property owners responsible for putting lives at risk and make sure egregious violations are remedied immediately," he said.

The Office of Buildings and Codes said you can submit complaints in Spring Valley by calling 845-364-3700 or emailing BuildingsAndCodes@co.rockland.ny.us.

Rockland Codes Investigations requests all Sanitary Code violations be reported to 845-364-2585 or by filing a report online.

Also on Monday, the Rockland County Department of Health’s Healthy Neighborhoods Program provided safety outreach and education to neighbors in the vicinity, including smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installations with the Red Cross.

The Healthy Neighborhoods Program offers free home visits to identify and discuss health and safety issues in the home for eligible residents including low-income residents, seniors, and at-risk families.

To schedule a free Healthy Neighborhoods Program home visit, a presentation for your organization, or for more information, please call 845-364-3292 or 845-364-3290.

SEE ALSO:

• Cited After Fire, UWS Landlord Sues Rockland Code Enforcement Office
• Site Of Apartment Fire Full Of Safety Violations: County
• Apartment House Fire Affects 90 In Spring Valley
• Rockland Enforcement Office Finds 19 Violations At 2 Businesses
• Rockland Reports 24 Living In Squalid, Hazardous House.
• Rockland: 30-Day Moratorium On Spring Valley Building Permits