Binghamton code enforcement reform: How new position addresses landlord accountability

The City of Binghamton is cracking down on negligent landlords, punishing those creating unsafe living conditions for tenants through increased fines and penalties, and in some cases, jail time.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Elisabeth Rossow is the city's code prosecutor, a job title which means she is the one actively going after negligent landlords in court. Rossow, who started in her position in August 2022, said after taking a few months to get the lay of the land, the past year has shown landlords the city means business.

Rossow said increases in fines and penalties have caused negligent landlords to fix problems significantly faster, and she believes the trend will continue.

Persistent problems with housing in Binghamton

In early 2022, Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham announced new reforms and improvements to the code enforcement process due to long-standing issues with negligent landlords in the city. That year, the Code Prosecutor position was created.

In December, Isaac Anzaroot, who Kraham called the city's "most notorious slumlord," was barred from participating in Binghamton real estate in a settlement which resulted in 26 of his properties being transferred to the City of Binghamton. Anzaroot, who resides in Brooklyn, owned hundreds of properties in Broome County, and had numerous code and housing violations.

That case is one among multiple similar scenarios in Binghamton, a plight that Kraham says will take time to fix. The work of the code department, alongside Rossow's prosecution, is critical in finding and holding landlords accountable.

How does Binghamton's code enforcement work?

The first step to fixing a code violation is identification. Code Officers or Inspectors will either observe code violations, or receive a complaint regarding housing code, which dictates rules and regulations for housing within the city.

After conducting an investigation, a notice of violation is given to owners. Owners have 14 to 30 days to correct violations, or they must go to court.

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Rossow said prosecuting negligent landlords often involves acquiring search warrants, and in many cases, tracking down out-of-town owners.

Depending on the circumstances, owners can be given more time to correct issues, especially if they show they are working to improve conditions. In other cases, Rossow said owners do not respond at all, meaning they end up in court.

Before taking matters to court, said Corporation Counsel Sophie Bergman, the city gives property owners time to fix any code violations, and is always willing to work with them until there is no option but to prosecute.

"The city is always happy to work with people to get their properties up to code," said Bergman. "Unfortunately, there comes a time where they are not compliant, or there is no meeting of the minds, and then we have to go to court. While we are willing to work with people, there is only so much we can do."

Rossow said her main focus is on properties where conditions are deplorable. Rossow referenced cases of raw sewage in bathrooms, pest infestations, broken windows and leaks among the problems tenants have had to deal with.

"I want to hold property owners accountable for what they've done," said Rossow. "If they are letting people live in deplorable conditions, I want to hold them accountable with heavy fines and jail time. There are no more slaps on the wrist for them."

Creating a better housing landscape in Binghamton

Kraham said no single agency or department can single-handedly fix all housing problems in the city.

"We are not going to code enforce our way out of a housing crisis," he said.

However, Kraham called code enforcement an incredibly important part of the equation, because it deals with dangerous, and potentially life-and-death situations. Kraham said aggressively prosecuting landlords who leave tenants in deplorable conditions is essential, because it sets a standard for housing conditions within Binghamton.

"We don't allow the worst offenders to do business in the City of Binghamton — that's not a place that they can set up shop. We are also actively prosecuting slumlords," said Kraham. "In addition, we have a very aggressive focus on obtaining state funding, being as active as possible to get funding to build new units and rehabilitate old ones for families to have housing. If you don't do both, you are still going to deal with these conditions — We have to deal with both simultaneously."

According to Kraham, a large reason for the creation of the Code Prosecutor position was a discrepancy between the work being done by Code Enforcement and negligent landlords actually facing repercussions. Kraham said the position allows for a smooth transition between code inspections finding problems and those problems ending up fixed, or owners being held accountable.

Rossow said that at the end of the day, the crux of the issue is safe housing for tenants.

"I care about standing up for people who don't have a voice," said Rossow. "Tenants are living with these conditions, and who else is going to help them? That is what we are doing here."

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: How Binghamton's code prosecutor aims to deter negligent landlords