The Nigerian-born landlord of a residential building that collapsed in Brooklyn, New York City, killing eight people, including two children, has come under scrutiny over his history of housing violations and unpaid debts.
Olufemi Falade owned the three-storey building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue, which collapsed on Wednesday, November 11, while construction work was ongoing at an adjoining site.
According to reports, Falade had appeared on the New York City Public Advocate’s annual Worst Landlords Watchlist six times over the past decade, raising concerns about his record of maintaining residential properties.
The New York Post reported that the landlord owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, unpaid water bills and property taxes.
His outstanding liabilities reportedly included approximately $115,000 in unpaid water bills, $113,500 in property taxes dating back to 2021 and more than $50,000 in personal income taxes owed to state and federal authorities.
Falade was also reportedly fined $170,000 by the city’s Department of Buildings in 2019 over improperly displayed signs.
In 2006, he was sentenced to 12 days in jail and fined $50,000 for civil contempt after failing to address more than 1,800 housing violations across 12 properties he owned in Brooklyn.
The violations reportedly included vermin infestations, exposed electrical wires and leaking pipes.
Collapsed Building Had 98 Housing Violations
Records cited in the reports showed that the collapsed building had 98 housing violations before the disaster.
The violations reportedly included a leaking roof, defective doors, bedbug infestations and exposed electrical wiring.
Falade purchased the property in 1999, while records reportedly showed that complaints about its leaking roof dated as far back as 1976.
The building’s troubled maintenance history has intensified questions about whether ignored safety concerns contributed to the deadly collapse.
Councilwoman Demands Full Investigation
New York City Councilwoman Farah Louis has called for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Reacting to the tragedy, Louis said: “A building does not simply collapse in the middle of a residential neighbourhood without warning signs or systemic failures.”
She also demanded an investigation into the structural inspection records, active permits, outstanding violations and maintenance history of the affected properties.
“If negligence or ignored safety complaints contributed to this fatal collapse – where children, pregnant women, and elderly New Yorkers were put in harm’s way – those responsible must be held fully accountable under the law,” she said.
The November 11 disaster claimed eight lives, including two children, while several others sustained injuries.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse to establish its cause and determine whether negligence or construction-related activities contributed to the tragedy.
