Since 2012, 87 percent of all lead poisoned children in Onondaga County were from Syracuse. This Google translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. James says at this point, there is no evidence of children being sick. No New Yorker should be exposed to the dangers of lead poisoning due to the negligence of their landlord. The case status is Pending - One project we have been working on cultivates environmental awareness by designating a specific tree or plant name and installing a custom made hand crafted bronze plaque on the property faade. Brian Zak/NY Post A group 95 Students Unveil Artwork in Sheridan Avenue Apartment Lobby , Supporting Art for Children in the Bronx Culturally and Financially . The landlords frequently allowed paint on their properties to deteriorate to the point of being a lead hazard instead of preventing deterioration of paint, as required by local and state building codes, and only addressed the lead hazard after a lead-poisoned child was discovered. The investigation was initiated in 2017, according to a source familiar with the matter. OPINION & ORDER. A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page. I thank our attorney general for putting our children first and ensuring that a message is sent to all landlords, that neglectful and dangerous behavior will no longer be accepted., Not only is New York Attorney General Letitia James holding criminally negligent landlords accountable for putting the health of our children at risk, but she is also using funds from these fines to protect other children from toxic lead poisoning, said Sonal Jessel, policy director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice. She writes SEO blogs for real estate, travel and hospitality companies. 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. The State of New York, its officers, employees, and/or agents shall not be liable for damages or losses of any kind arising out of, or in connection with, the use or performance of such information, including but not limited to, damages or losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy of any such information, or damages incurred from the viewing, distributing, or copying of such materials. %%EOF This group of landlords and property managers put low-income Buffalo communities at extreme risk, and today we are holding them accountable. In order to be truly successful, however, we need partners and Attorney General James has been a reliable partner in our fight against lead poisoning and holding landlords accountable. Lead poisoning is a serious and immediate problem, particularly in New York. The Judge overseeing this case is John Preston Bailey. This matter is being handled by the Environmental Protection Bureau of the New York Attorney Generals Office and is led by Assistant Attorneys General Matthew Eisenson and Patrick Omilian, Special Assistant Attorney General Marissa Lieberman-Klein, Environmental Scientist Jennifer Nalbone, Science Interns Meredith Seibold and Serena Labrecque, and GIS Intern Gregory Welter. 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. Attorney General James also thanks the City of New York and New York state's Homes and Community Renewal for their assistance with data collection during this investigation. Any future violation of the law by Chestnut Holdings will violate the agreement and subject the company to possible legal action by the OAG. The Office of Attorney General's website is provided in English. New York has some of the strongest lead poisoning prevention measures in the country, but without enforcement, families will continue to suffer. I thank the attorney general for pursuing justice and reaching this settlement on behalf of tenants who have faced dangerous conditions as a result of Chestnut Holdings' negligence, and am glad to see that, as a result, more children and families can be protected against hazards in their homes., I applaud Attorney General Letitia James for having taken infamous Bronx-based landlord Chestnut Holding to task and reached a settlement agreement that will make them fully comply with our city's existing childhood lead poisoning prevention laws, said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. Opp'n Ex. In New York City it has been found in 43 percent of all dwellings. Chestnut Holdings Lead paint has been found in approximately 43 percent of all of New York dwellings. In February 2020, Attorney General James 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. This administration has made it clear that landlords who disregard their responsibilities and put tenants in danger will not fly under the radar. NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL. 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. The company was later dropped from the suit. I am holding Endzone fully accountable for their deplorable and illegal actions, and I will continue to use the full force of my office to uphold the laws that protect our children from lead poisoning.. Lead paint exposure is a dangerous scourge on New Yorks communities that disproportionately impacts our Black and brown children, said Attorney General James. We are fortunate to have Letitia James in our corner as Attorney General. Bronx landlord sued for failure to protect tenants from lead 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. Attorney General James Shuts Down Syracuse Landlord The Office of Attorney General's website is provided in English. Lead paint in residential housing has been a pervasive problem for decades, particularly in New York. 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). The OAG will continue to work with them and other dedicated local partners to continue to make progress in combatting childhood lead poisoning in the region. Legal Services NYC, a non-profit offering free civil legal services to low-income individuals, claims that Chestnut Holdings brokers denied housing to eight New Yorkers after these tenants revealed they would be paying their rent with vouchers. 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. Chestnut Holdings, Regulation. Lead poisoning in New York City is highest among children of color and children living in high-poverty neighborhoods. The rental housing operations addressed in the suit are controlled by Angel Elliot Dalfin. The New York Public Library also joined to encourage attendees to sign up and visit their local branches. Our Church has had a great relationship with our landlord, Chestnut Holdings, for over fifteen years. I am proud to have the city be a partner in this suit with Attorney General James and our partners in the county, said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. All violations found in OAGs investigation, as well as all those flagged by the county and city, have been resolved in properties that are currently occupied. However, the "Google Translate" option may assist you in reading it in other languages. All New Yorkers in every city, village, and town across this state have a right to live in homes that dont make them sick, said Attorney General James. 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. All rights reserved. Exposure to lead poisoning can have long-lasting health consequences, especially on our children, said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi. The penalty amount is based on the extent of violations determined through the OAGs investigation. All New Yorkers deserve to live in a safe and healthy home, and this is a great step in ensuring that our tenants are protected from lead exposure., Lead is a serious public health issue that, if not properly addressed, can lead to life altering medical complications for young children and families living in New York City, said New York CityCouncil Member Vanessa Gibson. 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. We see it in landlords big and small., Mallery Morrison, 39, is one of the plaintiffs in the case. However, the "Google Translate" option may assist you in reading it in other languages. Loading Quotes Select a Language Below/Seleccione el Idioma Abajo. Veritas $450M loan default: A sign of things to come? quoteRotator.delay=5;quoteRotator.fadeDuration=1;quoteRotator.fadeoutDuration=2;quoteRotator.quotesInit(); At Chestnut Holdings, we value our relationships with our tenants and are dedicated to building and preserving our tenant communities. Select a Language Below/Seleccione el Idioma Abajo. Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Peter D. Lopez, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced today that the United States has entered into a Consent Decree settling a civil lawsuit against Chestnut Petroleum Distributors, Inc., and its affiliates Contact Chestnut Holdings - Chestnut Holdings Aaron Carr, whose tenant watchdog group Housing Rights Initiative is also suing Chestnut for deregulating apartments in buildings receiving tax benefits, said that James is proving to be the most proactive attorney general combatting unlawful real estate practices.. 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. 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 particular plaintiff was forced to remain in a homeless shelter for seven more months after the incident with Chestnut. 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. Chestnut Holdings is dedicated to visually and culturally enriching our Bronx neighborhood. The CDC recommends that children with blood lead levels higher than 5 g/dL undergo case management to prevent further exposure and to avoid reaching a level that requires medical intervention. Attorney General James thanks Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse for their partnership in this matter. 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 than 6,000 apartments throughout New York City are in full compliance with the law. Attorney General James thanks the City of New York and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal for their assistance with data collection during the investigation. 0 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. AG James Takes Action To Protect Tenants From Lead 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. The lawsuit, filed in February 2020, alleged that Chestnut Holdings put the health of its tenants, primarily children, at risk by repeatedly violating New York Citys lead poisoning prevention laws, which require landlords to take critical measures to prevent children under 6 years old from being exposed to paint with dangerously high levels of lead. Attorney General James thanks HPD for its assistance in this and other related ongoing investigations. Huggins v. Chestnut Holdings of New York, Inc.; 1425 U LLC; and 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. This matter is being handled by Attorney General James Environmental Protection Bureau by Assistant Attorney General Abigail Rosner, Special Counsel Sara Haviva Mark, Assistant Attorney General Samantha Liskow, Deputy Bureau Chief Monica Wagner, Chief Scientist Jodi Feld, Environmental Scientist Jennifer Nalbone, Environmental Science Intern Jeffrey Fralick, and Amanda Moody, Legal Assistant II, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic. The art will continue to hang in the building lobby for all residents to enjoy. WebChestnut and Bronx is Blooming . A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page. Follow her on Linkedin to learn more. Bronze in the Bronx- Visually and culturally enhancing the neighborhood with plaques, Chestnut Holdings and Dream Yard Project team up for Bronx Arts Festival, Chestnut employee featured in international magazine bringing acclaim to company Belong Magazine, Historic Sholem Aleichem Complex in the press- New York Times, South Bronx- A MAGICAL PLACE says Anthony Bourdain of CNN- New York Post, Volunteers and community cleanup Claremont Park Bronx Times. This case will help our call for stronger enforcement of the key provisions of the law that were designed to remove lead from the environment before people are exposed to this neurotoxin. AG Letitia James Sues Chestnut Holdings for Lead Poisoning - The Real Deal Attorney general sues Chestnut Holdings for lead paint According to the lawsuit, In fact, no safe lead level in children has been identified. The Office of Attorney General does not make any promises, assurances, or guarantees as to the accuracy of the translations provided. 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. WebPhone: (718) 543-8200. '' Chestnut fully complies with all lead laws and addresses any lead issues immediately. Harvey Lindo, 68, is another plaintiff in the case against Chestnut. 8 New Yorkers Sue Chestnut Holdings for Housing Discrimination Anyone relying on information obtained from Google Translate does so at his or her own risk. The Environmental Protection Bureau is led by Lemuel M. Srolovic. Visite 516abogado.com, Huggins v. Chestnut Holdings of New York, Inc.; 1425 U LLC; and Jonathan WienerCivil Action No. Lead poisoning persists as one of themost prevalent and preventable environmental diseases in New York, with thousands of children having blood leadlevels above the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions reference value. The refusal to accept the voucher came at a troubling time for Morrison, who had recently been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.