Residents say condemned Newburgh building left them without water and power; council urges legal help

At the City of Newburgh council meeting on May 27, residents identifying themselves as Naticia Williams and Antoine Williams said their building at 13'1/2 Liberty Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood was condemned and that city crews had cut off water and, later, electricity.

"We live at 13 Liberty in The Heights...we paid a licensed plumber $200 cash," Naticia Williams said while describing repeated visits by city staff, a subsequent termination of service at the main, and the family's continuing occupation of the building despite a condemnation decision. The couple said they have not been evicted through court proceedings and said they do not know who the landlord is; they reported missing communications about relocation assistance and said their building was being sold without their notice.

City codes staff responding at the meeting said the property had multiple major code violations and was condemned; water termination at the main was turned over to codes enforcement. The mayor and council urged the couple to seek legal representation. Council members and staff referred the Williamses to the Hudson Valley Justice Center and Legal Services of the Hudson Valley for tenant legal assistance; a council member said those organizations provide intake and basic legal advice for tenants and may help navigate court proceedings.

Mayor Harvey told the couple the mayor's office would follow up and suggested they provide contact information to staff to enable outreach. The meeting record shows city staff also said they will conduct internal information-gathering about whether any procedural failures occurred in the handling of this case.