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NEW YORK New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced 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. Brian Zak/NY Post A group 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. 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. 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 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. 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. Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), and Peter D. Lopez, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced today that the United States has filed a civil lawsuit against Chestnut Petroleum Distributor, Inc., and its affiliates CPD Energy Corp., CPD The penalty amount is based on the extent of violations determined through the OAGs investigation. Chestnut fully complies with all lead laws and addresses any lead issues immediately. b``$@z'@ e1 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.. 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. The investigation was initiated in 2017, according to a source familiar with the matter. Our children deserve to live in safe and healthy homes, not dangerous and poisonous ones. 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 Office of Attorney General does not make any promises, assurances, or guarantees as to the accuracy of the translations provided. Understanding Recent Changes to New Yorks Gun Laws, Repeated and Persistent Violations Result in Continuing Health Risks, Dozens of Reported Childhood Lead Poisonings. Lead paint in residential housing has been a pervasive problem for decades, particularly in New York. 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. Thats what vouchers are there for.. 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 WebPhone: (718) 543-8200. '' 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 during critical stages of early development to even very low levels of lead are at risk for neurological and physical problems. 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. It is wrong and unacceptable. This matter was supervised by Environmental Protection Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic. 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. I commend the New York State Attorney General for taking this action, and thank my team at HPD, along with our colleagues throughout the city and state who work day in, day out to protect the people we serve., All New Yorkers deserve safe homes, free of the dangers of lead poisoning, said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. I am proud to stand with Attorney General Letitia James to fight for Bronx residents and to stand with all New Yorkers to demand that landlords and management companies treat their tenants with the respect and dignity they deserve., "Exposure to lead has devastating consequences for all those exposed, but it is particularly dangerous for young developing children, said New York State Senator Jos M. Serrano. 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. After revealing they had a CityFHEPS voucher, the plaintiff was told they would get a call back from the broker, but never did. This group of landlords and property managers put low-income Buffalo communities at extreme risk, and today we are holding them accountable. Follow her on Linkedin to learn more. 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. 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. 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. WebNEW PALTZ, N.Y. Chestnut Petroleum Distributors Inc. (CPD) debuted a new logo and branding for its Chestnut Markets through a partnership with GSP. This is the second time the property management company is being sued for housing discrimination. The Office of Attorney General does not make any promises, assurances, or guarantees as to the accuracy of the translations provided. On May 29, 2020, the Court conditionally certified this collective action pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"), 29 U.S.C. Chestnuts strong safety record speaks to its commitment to all of its tenants, its communities, and its neighbors, but most especially children.. This is the second time the property management company is being sued for housing discrimination. Lead poisoning in Onondaga County occurs predominantly within Syracuse, and disproportionately harms low-income communities and communities of color. The event brought out close to100 volunteers who enjoyed a great day of helping to beautify and restore Claremont Park. Cant Get Into the Infamous Rolfs Christmas Bar? This agreement with Endzone Properties is proof of that collaboration, and I thank the attorney general and her team for their partnership in this effort., The message is clear: Landlords who repeatedly put children and families at risk of lead poisoning are not welcome in the City of Syracuse. Chestnut 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 management. 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. Google Translate cannot translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. This gallery provides a glimpse of the beautifully renovated complex in recent months during both the Fall and Winter seasons. CHESTNUT HOLDINGS INC.; 1425 U LLC; and JONATHAN WIENER, Defendants. Veritas $450M loan default: A sign of things to come? This Google translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. 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. Initiating evictions of tenants in lead-poisoned houses in violation of New York law. 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. Chestnut is a hands-on owner-manager that acquires, manages and improves multifamily properties throughout New York City. Each plaque displays an artists hand drawing of the tree along with a brief written description that includes related botanical, practical and historical content. However, the "Google Translate" option may assist you in reading it in other languages. Lead paint has been found in approximately 43 percent of all of New York dwellings. Mehdi Bolour faces 25 criminal charges over illegally rented Hollywood building, More than 1,000 children in public housing have had high levels of lead since 2012, Landlord groups say lead poisoning laws will hurt affordable housing, Chestnut Holdings buys Bronx-centric 19-building retail portfolio, High Street, Daiwa bring resi to River Oaks, St. Charles revamp of torched resort takes center stage in local City Hall races, LIV plans massive resi project in Fort Worth, KBS deal to sell Union Bank Plaza to Joel Schreiber delayed for 9th time. 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. This seems to be the case with Chestnut Holdings. Todays complaint alleges that Chestnut Holdings engaged in repeated illegal acts under Executive Law 63(12) violating several provisions of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, including failing to inspect apartments to determine if a child under six lives there, failing to conduct complete annual investigations of apartments for hazards that are conducive to lead poisoning, and failing to take the necessary measures when an apartment turns over. 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. 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. If any individual is or has previously been an employee of the Defendants named in the lawsuit and/or has information that may be relevant to this case, please contact Borrelli & Associates, P.L.L.C. 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. Anyone relying on information obtained from Google Translate does so at his or her own risk. 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. 95 Students Unveil Artwork in Sheridan Avenue Apartment Lobby , Supporting Art for Children in the Bronx Culturally and Financially . Exposure to lead paint in our aging housing stock puts children in grave jeopardy and our future at risk. 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. This is the second major action that Attorney General James has taken in the past week to hold landlords accountable for failing to comply with New York Citys lead paint laws. 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. Addressing the issue of lead in our community is one that my administration has made a top priority. 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 Office of Attorney General's website is provided in English. 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. Unfortunately, tenants are often denied a fair chance at renting an apartment due to source-of-income discrimination, where housing vouchers are seen as less desirable forms of payment. A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page. 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. ` *d * $4%Y1\ - Z:q;.&&c60e`tIrS*hd In fact, no safe lead level in children has been identified. This is the second time the property management company is being sued for housing discrimination. Lindos case is similar to another one of the plaintiffs, who was living in a shelter at the time of their apartment search. %%EOF 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. According to a complaint her office filed today, Chestnut Holdings repeatedly exposed children to lead paint and fraudulently certified that it had complied with the law passed to prevent that. 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. 1037 (PAC). Google Translate cannot translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. The health impacts of lead paint in rental housing are particularly acute in the Buffalo region, where children who live in communities of color are 12 timesas likely than children who live in predominately white neighborhoods to be diagnosed with an elevated blood lead level. The Environmental Protection Bureau is a part of the Division of Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux, and all under the oversight of First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. AkH5tKl#'FM|X0'UH^F+y{OBhiOio+O| l5r(>Vb[NX+Y,. I thank Attorney General James for taking on one of the largest slumlords in Buffalo and holding them to account for their negligence., Recognizing that approximately 80 percent of Buffalos children with elevated blood lead levels live in rental singles and doubles, the Buffalo and Erie County Lead Safe Task Force has been linking arms with partners in the city, county and New York state to eradicate lead poisoning in many ways, said Cara Matteliano, senior director, Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, convener of the Buffalo & Erie County Lead Safe Task Force. We must prevent exposure to lead by taking bold and consistent steps to protect families., We thank New York Attorney General Letitia James for bringing this significant lawsuit," said Sonal Jessel, policy and advocacy coordinator, WE ACT for Environmental Justice. 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. We believe there is a policy and practice of this management company to not rent to people who have housing vouchers, said Jean Fischman, who is representing the eight New Yorkers involved in the second case against Chestnut Holdings. The rental housing operations addressed in the suit are controlled by Angel Elliot Dalfin. and one of the advocates who helped write the current New York City lead law. We acknowledge the hard work of the attorney generals legal team to bring this case to a swift and successful conclusion. 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. Inspect for and remediate any and all lead paint hazards when tenants vacate apartments. Plaintiff Huggins brings this action on himself and all similarly situated current and former employees pursuant to the FLSA and NYLL. If such properties are properly maintained, however, lead poisoning can be prevented. In the state of New York, its illegal for landlords to deny housing to voucher recipients. 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 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. Chestnut Holdings is getting slapped The New York City Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act requires owners of apartments and houses built before 1960 to take critical safety measures such as identifying apartments where children under six live, conducting annual investigations of those apartments for hazards that are conducive to lead poisoning, and remediating those conditions where they occur. Additionally, Chestnut Holdings has repeatedly certified in new leases that it has complied with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Acts turnover requirements, even though it had not done so. She writes SEO blogs for real estate, travel and hospitality companies. In the lawsuit, the Attorney General seeks injunctive relief requiring Chestnut Holdings to comply with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, including bringing all apartments into compliance with the Acts requirements, penalties for its repeated violations of the Act, and disgorgement of money it would have expended to comply with the Act. Every family deserves to live in a home free of lead hazards, and I will work to ensure that happens.. 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 2020, an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that over a period of more than six years, at least 18 children were poisoned by lead paint while residing in 17 of Endzones estimated 89 properties. The event brought out close to100 volunteers who enjoyed a great day of helping to beautify and restore Claremont Park. 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.