As F+S Tire Shop Reopens, Many Questions Remain Unanswered

Update, 12:45 p.m.: A DOB spokeswoman contested Jean Joseph's account of a possible $25,000 fine, saying that the penalty for the one remaining violation in the agency's system — in regards to a support beam in F+S Tire Shop's cellar — had yet to be determined by the city's Environmental Control Board. 

The DOB spokeswoman also sought to dispel criticism over the second, more serious violation issued to the Josephs earlier this year involving the building's certificate of occupancy. Due to what the DOB rep called an "administrative error," that violation was never entered into the agency's system.

Community members joined Councilwoman Letitia James, D-Brooklyn, to help celebrate a "soft" reopening Tuesday of F+S Tire Shop on the Fulton Street retail strip in Fort Greene. 

Owned and operated for 26 years by the Joseph family, the store by the city Department of Buildings in March after an inspection that, even after a held last month, still raised more questions than answers.

However, on this sunny late-spring morning, lingering concerns about the city agency took a backseat to joy over the resurrection of a decades-old family-run business.

"Whoever was involved in the closure of the tire shop ... underestimated the power of community and our commitment to this tire shop," James said. "But more than that, it's really our commitment to this family and what they represent. Individuals who came to this country seeking opportunity. Individuals who came to this country and recognized the importance of hard work."

At the community event held in front of his reopened store, F+S co-owner Fequiere Joseph thanked his neighbors, including Schellie Hagan, who through the group Fulton Area Coming Together sponsored a pair of petitions to spread the word about the closure.

"Thanks to everyone who stood by me during our difficult times. Thank you, thank you all," Joseph said. 

Inside the store, the empty shelves once filled with tires were proof of how far the Josephs had come to reclaiming their livelihood — and how far they still had to go. 

On March 31, the DOB inspector gave F+S two hours to clear its merchandise or risk a $25,000 fine, according to co-owner Jean Joseph. That potential fine was on top of the $500,000 the agency's representative told the tire shop's owners it would take to bring the building — which the Josephs also own — into compliance.

F+S ended up giving away all of its tires, mostly to their competitors nearby, Jean Joseph said. 

But one thing F+S didn't seem to lack was support from its neighbors, many of whom came down to watch Fequiere Joseph rip off the city's vacate notice from the tire shop's front door. 

"They are always out here, looking out for people," said Fort Greene resident Robert Davis of the Josephs. "They aren't just here to make money and move on. They are part of this neighborhood."