The Brooklyn property that collapsed Wednesday evening, killing eight people, is linked to a landlord with a long record of housing violations and unpaid debts.
Olufemi Falade, the owner of 1321 Flatbush Avenue, has appeared six times on the New York City public advocate’s annual Worst Landlords Watchlist.
The three-story building gave way while construction crews were working at a neighboring site, claiming the lives of eight people and prompting an investigation into what caused the disaster.
Records reviewed by the New York Post show that Falade has accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in New York fines. That total includes a $170,000 Buildings Department penalty issued in 2019 over improperly posted signs.
The property owner has also reportedly built up nearly $115,000 in unpaid water charges and has owed approximately $113,500 in property taxes since 2021, according to the Post.
He also owes more than $50,000 in personal income taxes to state and federal authorities, the newspaper reported.
Falade was sentenced in 2006 to 12 days behind bars and fined $50,000 for civil contempt after failing to address more than 1,800 violations across 12 Brooklyn buildings. The problems included vermin infestations and leaking pipes, according to the Post.
At the time, he was among the small number of landlords jailed over persistent housing violations.
Olufemi Falade owns the building that collapsed Wednesday and has appeared six times on New York City’s annual Worst Landlords Watchlist
Records reviewed by the New York Post indicate that Falade has incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in city fines, including a $170,000 Buildings Department penalty in 2019 over improperly displayed signs. The collapsed property is pictured
The building had 98 outstanding violations before it fell, including complaints involving a leaking roof and bedbugs, records showed.
The roof had reportedly been leaking since 1976, while Falade purchased the property in 1999.
The Post reported that the building’s deed was transferred from Femi Realty Corp to Isolag Realty Corp for no payment in 2024, a move allegedly made to avoid fines.
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Authorities have not yet determined what caused Wednesday’s collapse.
City Councilwoman Farah Louis, who represents the Brooklyn neighborhood, is demanding a comprehensive investigation. She said a building should not collapse in the center of a residential community “without warning signs or systemic failures.”
“I am demanding a full investigation of 2625 Bedford Avenue’s structural inspection records, active permits, open violations, and landlord maintenance history,” Louis said, according to the NY Daily News.
“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.”
Our News Outlet has contacted Falade for comment.
José Luis Caguana, 26, was among the eight people killed in Wednesday’s collapse
Officials said eight people died when the three-story building in Flatbush, Brooklyn, collapsed Wednesday evening, while search and recovery operations continued.
The youngest victims were identified as nine-year-old Nicole Daniela Rodriguez and 10-year-old Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez, according to The New York Times. The elementary school students were cousins.
The other victims were identified as Gabriel Siguencia, 22; Mamadu Barry, 23; Edgar Santiago Sapón Gutierrez, 26; José Luis Caguana, 26; and Juan Daniel Salvada Guzman, 31.
A 35-year-old man whose identity had not been released also died, the outlet reported.
Another 18 people were injured, including one person listed in critical condition, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. Four firefighters were among those hurt.
Mamdani also said that two of the six adults killed were construction workers present at the site when the building collapsed.
