Last week, Mayor Jared Kraham announced a significant victory in the New York State Supreme Court over the out-of-town owners of 11 Stone St. on the South Side of Binghamton.

The two-story structure on the property was the site of the murder of a 44-year-old man who was an alleged drug and heroin dealer in 2013. The man convicted of the murder is currently serving 25 years to life in state prison.

The site was abandoned by the owners, Jerry Einhorn and Endicott Properties, LLC, of Monsey, New York. The building has since fallen into disrepair and was cited for 20 code violations at the start of 2025, including “no heat or hot water, a collapsing ceiling, leaking pipes, broken and boarded up windows, a cracked porch support pillar, garbage, and missing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.” The building was condemned due to unsafe conditions for residents.

A reinspection by a city official found that the building’s condition had not adequately improved because some issues, such as the collapsed ceiling, had worsened. The city then pursued a court case against the owners for their negligence of the property in the state Supreme Court, a new move by Kraham and the city. Previously, housing code cases were only prosecuted in City Court.

On March 10, New York State Supreme Court Judge Oliver N. Blaise III signed a verdict stating that of the 20 code violations, the owners have failed to rectify 19 of them. The verdict included a $634,550 judgement per respondent and a $200 fine per violation per day that the violations remain unaddressed by the owners.

“This court victory is the latest example of how the City of Binghamton has changed the game for slumlords and problem properties, delivering real results for neighborhoods,” Kraham said in a press release. “The days of bad actors believing they won’t face serious consequences are over. This landmark judgement makes clear Binghamton will not tolerate landlords who subject families to unsafe conditions and let problem properties hurt our neighborhoods. Slumlords are taking note.”

This victory is part of Kraham’s push to hold property owners responsible. During his time as mayor, Kraham reformed the housing code and created a code prosecutor position, specifically dedicated to “[prosecuting] slumlords and repeat code offenders, with a focus on addressing unsafe housing conditions and persistent blight.” Attorney Elisabeth Rossow has filled this role since its creation.

“When I ran for this office, I pledged to hold problem property owners accountable,” Kraham said. “Through a new code prosecutor position, my administration is delivering and fighting back against the bad landlords who force families to live in unsafe housing and hurt entire neighborhoods. I appreciate the many hours of hard work by the City’s code prosecutor and Code enforcement officers to protect the integrity of Binghamton’s neighborhoods.”