Philadelphia senior living facility cited for dozens of violations

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An apartment building for seniors in Philadelphia's Wynnefield Heights neighborhood is on the verge of possibly being shut down, displacing more than a hundred residents.

Seniors living at the Brith Sholom House have been fighting the landlord for years about unsafe and deplorable living conditions.

When Action News visited resident Marquerite Byrd last month, she had no hot water.

"I got up this morning and I had to heat up water in order to wash my body," she said.

She called the Brith Sholom House deplorable.

Bryd showed us the second floor, which the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) deemed unfit for human occupancy.

Our cameras captured exposed electrical wire, leaking plumbing and sewage, and a frozen dam of water on the floor.

"Do you feel safe?" asked Action News investigative reporter Chad Pradelli.

"No, I hate to say that. I don't feel like I did when I first moved there," she replied.

City records show the building currently has 95 open violations. In court documents, the city called the building a public nuisance, unsafe, and a public danger.

Licenses and Inspections is fighting the owner of the building, Brith Sholom Winit LP, to make the building safe and to correct open code violations.

Violations include issues with fire suppression, an inadequate fire alarm system and evacuation plans, and electrical and plumbing hazards.

Byrd said the building also has a rodent infestation.

When we toured the complex we noticed the first floor was frigid. We also saw portable heaters in the auditorium.

Delmas Field says his unit hasn't had working heat for months.

"I got heat using a little radiator that you plug into the electric," he said.

Brith Sholom Winit LP is now in receivership after its bankruptcy petition was dismissed.

Bankruptcy court documents list Aaron Puretz as a responsible party for code violations. Puretz is also the president of Apex Equity Group, which is a holding company for properties nationwide.

Puretz also has a history of public safety issues in other states.

In 2022, the Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD also fined companies connected to Puretz for more than $1.2 million.

The Investigative Team has also learned that Puretz and other companies he is involved with are being sued for defaulting on a $29 million loan for a building a block away from the Brith Sholom House called "The Pavilions."

We went to Puretz's home in Lakewood, New Jersey for comment. He did not answer the door and later told us he had no comment.

We asked L&I whether residents should remain in the building given the slew of safety hazards. A spokesperson declined to comment due to ongoing litigation with the owners and declined an on-camera interview.

In November, a judge ordered the owners to immediately correct its outstanding violations.

Byrd said little has been done.

"We don't appreciate the fact that they lie to us," she said. "Don't tell us that you're going to fix something and then don't do it."

Stockton Real Estate Advisors Property Management, which is running operations for the receiver, told Action News significant progress has been made and work is ongoing and they respect the patience of residents.

Bryd said her heat was restored shortly after our visit, but Field still has to use a space heater for warmth.