Exposure to lead poisoning can have long-lasting health consequences, especially on our children, said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi. I hope this settlement serves to let all property owners know how seriously HPD and the attorney general take lead-based paint compliance and encourages them to find out more about how to properly comply.. However, the "Google Translate" option may assist you in reading it in other languages. 15 Cheap and Underrated Ideas For Spring Break in NYC, Gears to Grind: The State of Biking in NYC, Fort Greene Neighborhood Guide: The Chill and Family Friendly Neighborhood. However, the "Google Translate" option may assist you in reading it in other languages. The following day, a tester from the NYC Human Rights Commission inquired about the same apartment that the plaintiff has. Children under 6 years of age are more likely to be exposed to lead than any other age group, as their normal behaviors could result in them chewing lead paint chips; breathing in or swallowing dust from old lead paint that gets on floors, window sills, and hands; and can be found in soil, toys, and other consumer products. This action by Attorney General James holds those who have repeatedly violated housing codes accountable and protects the health and safety of our children., Lead exposure continues to be a very real problem across New York state, and our children are suffering long-term as a result, said StateSenator Tim Kennedy. Children under six are more likely to be exposed to lead than any other age group, as their normal behaviors could result in them chewing lead paint chips; breathing in or swallowing dust from old lead paint that gets on floors, window sills, and hands; and can be found in soil, toys, and other consumer products. Tens of thousands of rental properties in Buffalo that were constructed before 1978 contain lead paint which, if not properly maintained and managed, can cause lead poisoning. This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Abigail Katowitz and Patrick Omilian, Environmental Scientist Jennifer Nalbone, Investigator Joseph Kelly, and Project Assistant Isabel Murphy, all under the supervision of Environmental Protection Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic. The lawsuit, filed in October 2021, alleged that Kiggins and Endzone endangered the health of its tenants, primarily children, by repeatedly violating lead paint The refusal to accept the voucher came at a troubling time for Morrison, who had recently been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Throughout Plaintiffs employment, Defendants willfully failed to pay Plaintiff the overtime wages lawfully due to him under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the New York Labor Law (NYLL). CALL: 516-248-5550 The violations by the group, which has owned and managed more than 150 single- and two-family homes in predominantly low-income communities of color, has led to dozens of reported instances of childhood lead poisoning. Chestnut Holdings, Regulation. On February 6, 2018, Plaintiff Huggins filed a civil lawsuit in the United States District Court Southern District of New York against CHESTNUT HOLDINGS OF NEW YORK INC.; 1425 U LLC; and JONATHAN WIENER, individually, (collectively, where appropriate, as Defendants), alleging upon knowledge as to himself and his own actions and upon information and belief as to all other matters, as follows: Plaintiff Huggins worked for the Defendants, a family-owned real estate investment and property management firm, as a superintendent from 2009 until Defendants terminated his employment on May 11, 2018 in retaliation for filing this lawsuit in February 2018. 3145 0 obj <>stream agreement in her lawsuit against Chestnut Holdings of New York, Inc. (Chestnut Holdings), a property management corporation, over its failures to protect children from lead paint hazards in New York City, she reached a pre-suit agreement with A&E Holdings to ensure that children living in its NYC apartments are protected from dangerous lead-based paint. Some of the worst landlords in our city put the health and safety of New Yorkers at risk to protect their own profits, and Chestnut Holdings is near the top of my office's list, said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. The Office of Attorney General's website is provided in English. We see it in landlords big and small., Mallery Morrison, 39, is one of the plaintiffs in the case. Im thankful to the Office of the Attorney General for using its power to protect some of the most vulnerable children in our community, and I look forward to continuing to work with all of our partners to address this important issue., We thank Attorney General Letitia James for pursuing this important case, said Paul Ciavarri, community organizer, Legal Services of Central New York. We must continue to ensure that landlords are in compliance with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act and continue to promote this important law. Chestnut Holdings has recently come under fire for allegedly turning away tenants with housing vouchers. Additionally, Chestnut Holdings repeatedly certified, in new leases, that it had complied with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Acts turnover requirements, even though it had not done so. Attorney General James is continuing to pursue legal actions across New York to end the scourge of childhood lead poisoning by holding accountable landlords that allow lead paint-related hazards to proliferate in low-income rental properties. It is as immoral as it is illegal that a landlord would knowingly expose families to lead poisoning, which disproportionately threatens the health and development of Black and brown children, said Attorney General James. Lead poisoning is devastating for a childs future health, and I applaud Attorney General James for taking swift measures to ensure this never happens again., These settlement agreements are showing landlords who have generally acted autonomously for decades that they can no longer ignore their duty and continue to put the health and safety of our communities at risk, said New York CityCouncil Member Oswald Feliz. Chestnut Holdings manages more than 6,000 apartments in approximately 134 buildings, most of which are located in the Bronx. On 08/24/2021 Chestnut Holdings, Inc filed a Contract - Other Contract lawsuit against TH Exploration, LLC.This case was filed in U.S. District Courts, West Virginia Northern District Court. I applaud Attorney General James ongoing efforts to enforce the citys lead law and hold landlords that violate this law accountable.. Our Church has had a great relationship with our landlord, Chestnut Holdings, for over fifteen years. Visite 516abogado.com, Huggins v. Chestnut Holdings of New York, Inc.; 1425 U LLC; and Jonathan WienerCivil Action No. The group also consistently violated federal lead disclosure requirements by providing either no lead disclosure statement to tenants or false disclosures, which stated that the landowner had no reports of lead paint or lead paint hazards, when in fact there were multiple reports of lead paint and lead paint hazards regarding the residences. CHESTNUT HOLDINGS INC.; 1425 U LLC; and JONATHAN WIENER, Defendants. Lead poisoning in Onondaga County occurs predominantly within Syracuse, and disproportionately harms low-income communities and communities of color. Endzone has sold all the properties it owned and all of the properties it once managed are now under new management. OPINION & ORDER. This is extremely troubling for Black/African American communities because we know from national studiesthat Black children living below the poverty line are twice as likely to suffer from lead poisoning as poor white children. Google Translate cannot translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. A 2017 Reuters investigation revealed that several zip codes in the city of Buffalo were some of the most saturated lead-burdened communities in the country, which is why I cosponsor Dakota's Law in the State Senate. In 2013 Chestnut acquired the Shalom Aleichem Houses, three distressed properties made up of 15 buildings, in Van Cortland Village in the Bronx. The company was later dropped from the suit. In October 2000, partnerships comprising Lenfest and several other individuals involved in the Philadelphia real estate scene, along with a related entity We held a ceremony for the culmination of the six-month project and discussed with the students how the art reflected people and images in the Bronx community that were memorable to them. They neglect their properties with no regard for the families who live there, subjecting them to substandard housing and a substandard quality of life. The suit alleges that Chestnut Holdings has put the health of its tenants at risk by repeatedly violating the New York City Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, Loading Quotes Beginning in the 20th century, paint with dangerously high levels of lead was used on both exterior and interior surfaces of housing in the United States. This seems to be the case with Chestnut Holdings. The agreement also requires Kiggins and Endzone to pay $215,000 that will be used to prevent the exposure of children to lead paint within the City of Syracuse or Onondaga County, and/or to provide assistance to the families affected by lead poisoning. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. The rental housing operations addressed in the suit are controlled by Angel Elliot Dalfin. We have met with the staff personally to CHESTNUT HOLDINGS INC. Email | Print | Comments (0) No. In the lawsuit, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) identifies six specific Dalfin properties that serve as examples of the egregious and illegal lead hazard management practices used by the landlords and the poisoning of children in those properties. Last week, she reached a pre-suit agreement with A&E Holdings to ensure that children living in its NYC apartments are protected from dangerous lead-based paint. Students from P.S. Lead paint in residential housing has been a pervasive problem for decades, particularly in New York. One broker allegedly told a plaintiff, You wasted my time.I have been working with [Chestnut Holdings] for 30 years and they dont take voucher holders., Another broker told a plaintiff CityFHEPS applications never get throughtoo many people without programs apply and [Chestnut Holdings] always chooses them.. We need the ongoing assistance of every level of government to protect tenants from property owners who arent addressing lead hazards. Using shell companies to avoid complying with city rental registration requirements; Failing to comply with city and state property management and real estate broker licensing requirements; Conducting business in New York without authority to do so from the Department of State; and. The OAG has been active in holding landlords and property managers accountable for violating childhood lead poisoning prevention laws in New York. The agreement was jointly filed by Attorney General James and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) in the Supreme Court of New York, Bronx County for final approval. Chestnut Holdings is dedicated to visually and culturally enriching our Bronx neighborhood. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that in 2017, 715 children in Erie County under six years of age tested with blood lead levels between 5 and 9 g/dL, filed a lawsuit against Chestnut Holdings of New York, Inc., a property management corporation, for failing to comply with provisions of New York Citys lead poisoning prevention law. The Environmental Protection Bureau is led by Lemuel M. Srolovic. HONORABLE PAUL A. CROTTY United States District Judge. Lindo claims he attempted to rent a Chestnut apartment in 2019, but never heard back from his broker after revealing he would be paying his entire rent with a housing voucher. And we greatly appreciate the attorney generals willingness to pay attention to the call for action from local stakeholders, including Families for Lead Freedom Now, and to pursue a bright line against childhood lead poisoning in Syracuse.. I want to thank Attorney General Letitia James and her staff for taking swift action to hold our landlords accountable, and for ensuring they are in compliance with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Since 2017, OAG hasfound that the group violated the law in other ways, such as: The poisoning of children from lead paint in aging rental housing is an ongoing national public health crisis, but is of particular concern within New York, and especially the Buffalo region. This Google translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. Brian Zak/NY Post A group The landlord also falsely certified in new leases that it had complied with the New York City Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, the complaint alleged. Anyone relying on information obtained from Google Translate does so at his or her own risk. They have damaged the lives of countless children in our community. Children who have been exposed during critical stages of early development to even very low levels of lead are at risk for neurological and physical problems. Understanding Recent Changes to New Yorks Gun Laws, Repeated and Persistent Violations Result in Continuing Health Risks, Dozens of Reported Childhood Lead Poisonings. Endangering a child in the place they are supposed to feel most secure is the worst form of exploitation., We have been working hard to protect families from lead paint poisoning in Erie County and I thank the Attorney General for bringing this lawsuit against scofflaw landlords who refuse to do their part in the fight, said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. As a landlord to thousands of children and families, Chestnut failed to safeguard its tenants, but, today, we are ensuring their health will be protected moving forward. She is a courageous advocate for the children and families of Western New York., What these landlords did was monstrous, said Erie County Legislator Howard Johnson. I applaud Attorney General James for taking swift action to hold landlords and management companies accountable that put their tenants at risk. WebChestnut Holdings is a family-owned real estate investment and management firm with a strong track record as an owner-manager of properties throughout New York City. Our intention is to deepen our understanding and connection to nature and weave it into the daily life of our communitys residents. Exposure to lead paint in our aging housing stock puts children in grave jeopardy and our future at risk. Protecting the health and safety of our tenants should always be our number one priority., Attorney General Letitia James deserves high praise for this important victory protecting New Yorkers against lead poisoning, said New York CityCouncil Member Robert Cornegy. As we have seen with the tragedy in Flint, Michigan, lead can pose a serious safety issue with devastating effects on our most vulnerable populations. What we do have is the fact that the landlord, unfortunately, has not complied with the law and as a result of that, he again, it poses a threat to all of the children who are currently residents in this building, she says. This is the second time the property management company is being sued for housing discrimination. Understanding Recent Changes to New Yorks Gun Laws, AG James Takes Action to Protect Tenants from Lead Poisoning, Files Lawsuit Against Bronx-based Property Management Corp for Violations of NYC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. The Environmental Protection Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and is under the oversight of First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. Her and her husband were being evicted from their apartment after he fell off a scaffold and was no longer able to work his construction job. During this same period, at least 32 Endzone properties were flagged by the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County for chipping, peeling, deteriorating paint, and other conditions conducive to lead poisoning, which are prohibited by county and city laws. This matter is being handled by Attorney General James Environmental Protection Bureau by Assistant Attorney General Abigail Katowitz, Special Counsel of the Health Care Bureau Sara Haviva Mark, and Chief Scientist Jodi Feld, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Monica Wagner.
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