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Addressing the issue of lead in our community is one that my administration has made a top priority. Todays agreement, negotiated in partnership with Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse, permanently bans Kiggins and Endzone from managing or owning residential rental properties in the state of New York. NYC workers forced to strip as boss hunted for stolen cash, lawsuit says. Too many suffer from a lifetime of avoidable debilities here in New York City. NEW YORK New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced an agreement resolving her lawsuit against landlord John Kiggins and his company, Endzone Properties, Inc., for failing to protect children from lead paint hazards in Syracuse. hb```b``g`2@(@x*G78hvqiC]Vr M?3X0O;t; w8#?N9f-jY#cl ?'or: A+D5?-cuzF>g$]asy`MsrT `^a' 5~_A6OX9M9 E I_[EQ TyV)mt)H}Ri}+gE6I~_9*Ae`h`Mh DG8 ;:B fh``6X- u I commend Attorney General Letitia James for filing suit against landlords who have so flagrantly ignored the laws we have put in place to protect our children. James says at this point, there is no evidence of children being sick. Lead is a highly toxic metal that can cause serious and irreversible adverse health effects. 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. Veritas $450M loan default: A sign of things to come? In addition, since 2013, at least 63 of these houses have been cited by county and city inspectors for housing code violations, either for conditions conducive to lead poisoning, which are prohibited by the Erie County Sanitary Code, or for chipping, peeling, or deteriorating paint, which is prohibited by both the county and city. This is the second time the property management company is being sued for housing discrimination. The New York Public Library also joined to encourage attendees to sign up and visit their local branches. Anyone relying on information obtained from Google Translate does so at his or her own risk. The company was later dropped from the suit. WebCompany profile page for Chestnut Holdings Inc including stock price, company news, press releases, executives, board members, and contact information Children under the age of 6 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, windowsills, and hands; and lead can be found in soil, toys, and other consumer products. Whether it be our local executive order that withholds rent payments to landlords knowingly exposing their tenants to lead or investing millions of dollars in lead remediation just in 2022, Onondaga County is fully committed truly solving the lead issue plaguing our community, said Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. Exposure to lead paint in our aging housing stock puts children in grave jeopardy and our future at risk, James said in a statement. Chestnut Holdings will pay $300,000 to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for initiatives to protect children from lead poisoning and ensure that all of its more HONORABLE PAUL A. CROTTY United States District Judge. Young children are more likely to be exposed to lead than any other age group. The Bronx rental management company firmly denies the accusations, claiming they have hundreds of tenants currently paying for rent in vouchers. This seems to be the case with Chestnut Holdings. The futures of our children are at stake., As a pediatrician, when I see kids with lead poisoning its usually too late to prevent the worst effects on their developing brains, which is why people in public health have worked so hard to prevent lead exposure over the years,said Dr. Travis Hobart, MD, MPH, FAAP, medical director, Central/Eastern New York Lead Poisoning Resource Center. CALL: 516-248-5550 As Buffalo continues to have some of the highest rates of childhood lead poisoning in the country, my office will continue to hold bad actors responsible. Please click on the link below to access our payment processing portal- provided through ClickPay http://login.clickpay.com/chestnutholdings 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. 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. This is the second time the property management company is being sued for housing discrimination. Hopefully, legal actions like this one will send a message to others who might choose to ignore lead poisoning prevention laws that such behavior will not be tolerated. sued a group of Buffalo individuals and companies for repeated violations of city, county, state, and federal laws by illegally allowing lead paint-related hazards to proliferate in their rental properties. I thank Attorney General James and our partners at Onondaga County for helping us put a stop to the bad practices of John Kiggins and Endzone Properties once and for all, said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. Nathaniel Ari Weisbrot, Esq. This action is brought to recover unpaid minimum and overtime wages owed to Plaintiff and other similarly situated employees of the Defendants, in addition to damages for Defendants failure to provide required wage notices and statements. However, it is 2020 and we still have thousands of cases of New York City children that tested positive for lead poisoning, and it is children from low-income communities and communities of color, like those we represent in Northern Manhattan, that suffer the most. %%EOF 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 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. 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. New York State has the highest percentage of buildings built before 1950 in the nation. 9 mins read Chestnut Holdings Will Pay $300,000 for OAG Programs to Protect Children From Lead Poisoning, Ensure All Apartments Are Fully Compliant With The OAG also found that Kiggins and Endzone engaged in repeated illegal and fraudulent acts by either not providing federally required lead disclosures or providing materially false and deceptive lead disclosures to tenants and purchasers of Endzoneproperties. Residents of the Bronx took part in Claremont Park Day as Chestnut Holdings partnered with The Bronx is Blooming and The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation to engage the community through environmental stewardship and educational activities. Select a Language Below/Seleccione el Idioma Abajo. Our children deserve to live in safe and healthy homes, not dangerous and poisonous ones. On 04/29/2020 Avery, Mary filed a Property - Other Property lawsuit against 1560 GC LLC Chestnut Holdings of New York, Inc Wiener, Jonathan Rieder, Ben Department of Buildings Department of Housing Preservation and Development.This case was filed in Bronx County Courts, Bronx County Civil Court located in Washington, New Google Translate cannot translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. This particular plaintiff was forced to remain in a homeless shelter for seven more months after the incident with Chestnut. That same year, Erie County was the only county in New York in which children who tested with blood lead levels exceeding 45 g/dL were reported. Our Church has had a great relationship with our landlord, Chestnut Holdings, for over fifteen years. In New York City it has been found in 43 percent of all dwellings. 0 Chestnut Holdings is getting slapped 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. Wb\M1uELF QPT20}7CL3p9e iS&JV?` 0 q Chestnut also works to make a positive impact on surrounding neighborhoods by providing cleaner, safer housing options and reliable service to tenants at reasonable rental rates. When the tester revealed they would be paying rent with employment-based income, the broker promptly forwarded the necessary documents to get the rental process started. The art will continue to hang in the building lobby for all residents to enjoy. Understanding Recent Changes to New Yorks Gun Laws, Chestnut Holdings Will Pay $300,000 for OAG Programs to Protect Children From Lead Poisoning, Ensure All Apartments Are Fully Compliant With NYC Lead Laws, Second Major Action by AG James in a Week to Protect NYC Children From Lead Paint, Hold Bad Landlords Accountable. Lead poisoning in New York City is highest among children of color and children living in high-poverty neighborhoods. alleged that Kiggins and Endzone endangered the health of its tenants, primarily children, by repeatedly violating lead paint laws and failing to properly address related hazards. Lead paint in residential housing has been a pervasive problem for decades, particularly in New York. Understanding Recent Changes to New Yorks Gun Laws, Repeated and Persistent Violations Result in Continuing Health Risks, Dozens of Reported Childhood Lead Poisonings. In 2013 Chestnut acquired the Shalom Aleichem Houses, three distressed properties made up of 15 buildings, in Van Cortland Village in the Bronx. Children who have been exposed to even very low levels of lead are at risk for neurological and physical problems during critical stages of early development. 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. Buffalos residents deserve to live in homes that are safe, secure and stable, especially when so many of us have been forced to spend a greater period of time in our homes as a result of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. 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. A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page. Back in 2018, a woman sued Chestnut Holdings for failing to accept her Section 8 housing voucher. WebChestnut Holdings of New York is a family-owned real estate investment and property management firm with a long track record of successful, responsible and reliable Each plaque displays an artists hand drawing of the tree along with a brief written description that includes related botanical, practical and historical content. A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page. I look forward to continuing to work with the attorney general and our colleagues at all levels of government, to prevent these types of abuses going forward., Access to safe housing is a human right. According to the lawsuit, as many as 600 children who receive SNAP benefits were affected, Letitia James (Credit: Getty Images, iStock). Her commitment to investigating and identifying these individuals demonstrates her dedication and commitment to defending the most vulnerable members of our society., The fact that the city of Buffalo will be joining in this lawsuit as a co-plaintiff in this case is major, said Buffalo Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski. Specifically, the agreement requires Chestnut Holdings to: Chestnut Holdings will also pay $300,000 to the OAG to fund projects that help protect children from lead poisoning. In addition, no apartments Attorney General James thanks Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse for their partnership in this matter. 3145 0 obj <>stream Through the Mayors LeadFreeNYC initiative, we will continue to work with our partners on all levels of government to keep New Yorkers safe and drive lead exposure down to zero," said NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Louise Carroll. This Google translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. In September 2020, she sued a group of Buffalo individuals and companies for repeated violations of city, county, state, and federal laws by illegally allowing lead paint-related hazards to proliferate in their rental properties. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. Google Translate cannot translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. A firm managing more than 6,000 apartment units in New York City disputes allegations that it hasnt been complying with lead-paint regulations. 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. 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. Vivian Tejada is a freelance real estate writer from Providence, RI. ` *d * $4%Y1\ - Z:q;.&&c60e`tIrS*hd Elevated blood lead levels are also more prevalent in Buffalos low-income neighborhoods than high-income neighborhoods. But, far too many New York City landlords continue to ignore their obligations under the law and expose our children to wholly-preventable lead-based paint hazards. A group of eight New Yorkers is suing a Bronx real estate company for allegedly refusing to accept housing vouchers as rent payment. The Office of Attorney General does not make any promises, assurances, or guarantees as to the accuracy of the translations provided. This Google translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. The event brought out close to100 volunteers who enjoyed a great day of helping to beautify and restore Claremont Park. The vast majority of these dwellings were constructed before New York banned lead paint in 1970. 910 Franklin Avenue Suite 200 Garden City, NY 11530 Tel: 516-248-5550 Fax: 516-248-6027, 655 Third AvenueSuite 1821 New York, NY 10017 Tel: 212-679-5000 Fax: 212-679-5005, Copyright 2023 EmploymentLawyerNewYork.com |, Separation Agreements and Severance Packages, Marital Status Discrimination and Harassment, Sexual Discrimination and Harassment In The Workplace, Sexual Identity Discrimination and Harassment, Sexual Orientation Discrimination and Harassment, Civil Rights and Constitutional Law Claims, National Origin Discrimination and Harassment, Whistle Blower Protection and Retaliation, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, Borrelli & Associates, PLLC Reviews on ProvenCredible. The health code thus requires lead paint to be enclosed with a rigid surface, such as drywall. The Environmental Protection Bureau is part of the Division of Social Justice, led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux, and all under the oversight of First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. The residents in Broadway-Fillmore, and throughout the entire city, have been held hostage for decades by slumlords who have left housing stock uninhabitable and detrimental to the health, safety, and sustainability of our neighborhoods.