New ceiling cave-in torment
A Brooklyn mom whose apartment was wrecked by a ceiling collapse told The Post that a public-housing official asked Thursday if she’d be willing to move to another borough — causing her to burst into tears.
Tricia Jeter said the out-of-theblue question came despite Mayor de Blasio’s promise Tuesday that her family would be offered its choice of New York City Housing Authority apartments in Brooklyn.
“They’re just trying to throw me anywhere and expect me to survive when my 83-year-old mother is living in Brooklyn by my apartment,” Jeter, 43, sobbed.
“It’s not fair. I didn’t cause this. I tried to avoid this by all means.”
Jeter’s husband, Daniel, also said leaving their neighborhood was impossible due to the devastating impact it would have on son Devante, 22, who suffers from autism.
“If we took him out of the area, it would be a major stress element. We have to make sure his mental health doesn’t get worse,” Daniel, 43, said.
Brooklyn is home to the largest number of NYCHA apartments in the city, with 58,447 units in 99 housing projects, according to the embattled agency’s latest fact sheet.
Tricia and Daniel, both school work- ers, had to flee NYCHA’s Weeksville Gardens complex in Crown Heights with their four kids after a bedroom ceiling caved in at 2 a.m. Sunday, injuring eldest son Daniel Jr., 24, and his girlfriend, Tytanisha Moulterie, 22.
The Jeters claim the collapse came after NYCHA ignored repeated complaints about overhead water leaks throughout their three-bedroom apartment since January 2017.
Arkady Frekhtman, a lawyer for Daniel Jr. and Moulterie, said he planned to file a notice of claim seeking $1 million in damages each.
The lawyer said he was shocked when he visited the apartment and took a peek in the attic above it.
“I saw a lot of mold and there was no vent . . . It’s a pretty bad case of negligence,” he said.
Frekhtman said he may also seek damages for mold exposure, based on the father’s claim that they’ve suffered worsening asthma problems.
NYCHA said the leaks in the apartment were caused by a busted steam pipe that has been repaired. City Hall said asking people where they want to live is a standard NYCHA question that’s part of a three-step application process to obtain an apartment.
Officials also said that staffers were inspecting several Brooklyn apartments that became available Thursday, and that the Jeters would be shown some no later than Saturday.