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SAWHORSE
Building Inspector Charged in Fatal Facade Collapse
A 2-year-old girl was killed by terra cotta falling from the Upper West Side building
http://www.wsj.com/articles/building-inspector-charged-in-fatal-facade-collapse-1447810968
A building inspector was arrested and charged Tuesday for filing what city officials called false certifications for a Manhattan building where a piece of a facade broke loose and fell last May, killing a 2-year-old girl on the sidewalk below.
Maqsood Faruqi, 55 years old, pleaded not guilty in state Supreme Court in Manhattan to a charge of offering a false instrument, officials said.
Greta Greene was sitting with her grandmother on a bench when she was struck by terra cotta falling from the facade on a nursing home on West End Avenue on the Upper West Side, officials said.
Records show that Mr. Faruqi, who worked for a contractor, said he inspected the facade at 305 West End Ave. and found it to be safe in 2011, officials said. But investigators determined Mr. Faruqi never saw the building or its maintenance or facade-inspection records, officials said. A 2-year-old girl was killed by terra cotta falling from the Upper West Side building.
“Those allegations are going to be unsupported based on the actual evidence of the case,” said his attorney, Joseph Lo Piccolo. “My client followed all city codes and procedures and any reports regarding the inspection of the building are accurate based on the information he had in 2011.”
A piece of the building’s facade fell to the sidewalk in March 2014, officials said. A short time later, a private consultant inspecting a nearby building noticed significant cracks in the facade and emailed the city Department of Buildings, officials said. Despite the warning, building department officials didn’t address the cracks, authorities said.
A representative for the building didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
After the fatal incident, the city Department of Investigation investigated and found the building’s owners failed to meet the requirements for inspections, and the buildings department failed to enforce those regulations, officials said.
A representative for the building didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
After the fatal incident, the city Department of Investigation investigated and found the building’s owners failed to meet the requirements for inspections, and the buildings department failed to enforce those regulations, officials said.
“This case represents massive breakdowns in basic public safety rules,” said DOI Commissioner Mark Peters.
Officials with the buildings department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Farqui could spend up to four years in prison if he is convicted, officials said.
A 2-year-old girl was killed by terra cotta falling from the Upper West Side building
http://www.wsj.com/articles/building-inspector-charged-in-fatal-facade-collapse-1447810968
A building inspector was arrested and charged Tuesday for filing what city officials called false certifications for a Manhattan building where a piece of a facade broke loose and fell last May, killing a 2-year-old girl on the sidewalk below.
Maqsood Faruqi, 55 years old, pleaded not guilty in state Supreme Court in Manhattan to a charge of offering a false instrument, officials said.
Greta Greene was sitting with her grandmother on a bench when she was struck by terra cotta falling from the facade on a nursing home on West End Avenue on the Upper West Side, officials said.
Records show that Mr. Faruqi, who worked for a contractor, said he inspected the facade at 305 West End Ave. and found it to be safe in 2011, officials said. But investigators determined Mr. Faruqi never saw the building or its maintenance or facade-inspection records, officials said. A 2-year-old girl was killed by terra cotta falling from the Upper West Side building.
“Those allegations are going to be unsupported based on the actual evidence of the case,” said his attorney, Joseph Lo Piccolo. “My client followed all city codes and procedures and any reports regarding the inspection of the building are accurate based on the information he had in 2011.”
A piece of the building’s facade fell to the sidewalk in March 2014, officials said. A short time later, a private consultant inspecting a nearby building noticed significant cracks in the facade and emailed the city Department of Buildings, officials said. Despite the warning, building department officials didn’t address the cracks, authorities said.
A representative for the building didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
After the fatal incident, the city Department of Investigation investigated and found the building’s owners failed to meet the requirements for inspections, and the buildings department failed to enforce those regulations, officials said.
A representative for the building didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
After the fatal incident, the city Department of Investigation investigated and found the building’s owners failed to meet the requirements for inspections, and the buildings department failed to enforce those regulations, officials said.
“This case represents massive breakdowns in basic public safety rules,” said DOI Commissioner Mark Peters.
Officials with the buildings department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Farqui could spend up to four years in prison if he is convicted, officials said.
