Building that collapsed in the Bronx had history of violations, pending fines: records

MORRIS HEIGHTS, The Bronx (PIX11) – The Bronx building that partially collapsed on Monday had a history of violations and pending fines, according to city records.

More than 150 people who lived in 1915 Billingsley Terrace were displaced as a result of the collapse, just two weeks before Christmas. Officials still haven't revealed the cause of the partial collapse.

There have been recent complaints about potentially dangerous scaffolding set up for facade work, city records showed. Some of the issues with unsafe scaffolding were not addressed by late November, according to records.

PIX11 News pushed the city on whether inspectors have done enough to deal with the issues. The mayor's office said it has been trying for a different fine structure so that potential problems, like the Bronx building collapse, don't continue.

"It is often difficult to collect those fines, so ensuring that we have escalating fines so that they go up higher and higher is really one of the primary ways we can make an impact," said New York City Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi.

The Red Cross is assisting families that have nowhere to go. Some told PIX11 News they're staying at hotels in Brooklyn and Staten Island.

City officials said it will take time to know if the ongoing facade and scaffolding issues caused or contributed to the collapse.