How Should Town Address Illegal Apartments?

A Suffolk County District Court judge ordered an back to a single-family state last month after the town won a law suit against the landlord.

The judge appointed a reciever to collect rent from tenants in the three illegal apartments while the landlord performs the conversion. If the landlord won't or can't payup (which isn't clear), the receiver can ask taxpayers to front the money.

The illegal apartment was reported to the town in April 2011 by a neighbor. The town said that it often relies on such reports to suss out illegal apartments which are investigated by the Public Safety Department code enforcement division.

In the comments of our report on the Town lawsuit, readers said that illegal apartments seem common in some parts of the Town of Huntington and that the town isn't doing enough to combat the problem.

Have you ever reported an illegal apartment to the town? Did the town respond? Do you think the town is doing enough to report illegal apartments? What are the tolls of illegal apartments in the community? Is there a flipside?

Share your opinion in the comments.