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BRONX TIMES R 40 EPORTER, MARCH 6-12, 2020 BTR
Landlord blasts AG over
lead paint violations claim
BY TODD MAISEL
AMNEWYORK METRO
A Bronx-based property
manager is being
sued by the state Attorney
General for failing
to comply with the provisions
of the New York
City’s lead poisoning prevention
law.
The company, Chestnut
Holdings of New York
Inc., are accused of “putting
the health of its tenants
at risk by repeatedly
violating the New York
City Childhood Lead Poisoning
prevention Act.”
The act requires property
owners to take several
measure to prevent
children under six years
old from being exposed to
paint with dangerously
high levels of lead.
In the lawsuit, Attorney
General Letitia
James is seeking ‘injunctive
relief’ requiring
Chestnut to comply
with the law, including
bringing all apartments
into compliance with the
Act’s requirements, penalties
for its repeated violations
an disgorgement
of money it would have
expended to comply with
the act.”
James held a press
conference with residents
of 1515 Macombs
Road, one of the buildings
run by Chestnut.
She said despite repeated
requests for data and confi
rmation of lead abatement,
Chestnut failed to
comply and ignored their
requests.
“They gave us no
choice but to fi le a lawsuit
to get them to comply
with the law,” James
said.
Chestnut Holdings
manages more than 6,000
apartments in about 134
buildings, most of them
located in the Bronx.
James joined Borough
President Ruben Diaz
Jr. and offi cials from the
NYC Housing Preservation
and Development,
including several inspectors
who were prepared
to take fi lings from tenants.
Some tenants requested
inspections for
other violations that had
been ongoing and not addressed.
“Exposure to lead
paint in our Aging housing
stock puts children
in grave jeopardy and
our future at risk,” she
said. “This highly toxic
metal causes serious and
irreversible harms and I
am committed to ensuring
that landlords follow
the laws ti protect young
children.”
Chestnut issued a
statement that reads:
“Chestnut Holdings
of New York, Inc. has
been one of New York’s
most reputable and honest
landlords for over
25 years. It has fully
and completely cooperated
with the Attorney
General’s Offi ce in its
lead-paint investigation.
It produced thousands
of pages of documents
and information,
and continued to offer
more evidence of compliance.
Chestnut fully
complies with all lead
laws and addresses any
lead issues immediately.
The building in front
of which the Attorney
General selected to announce
the lead lawsuit,
1515 Macombs Road, has
exactly zero lead violations.
“The lack of even a
single lead violation in
1515 Macombs Road may
explain Ms. James’ statement
today that ‘So, at
this point in time we
don’t have any evidence
of children being sick.’
Her statement casts signifi
cant doubt upon the
quality of the investigation.
“Any time Chestnut
becomes aware of lead
conditions, they are immediately
remediated.
All laws and regulations
are followed to the letter.
Chestnut exceeds any
reasonable standards
in inspecting its units
and trying to address
all safety concerns, especially
the presence
of lead. Sadly, the AG’s
press conference defl ects
responsibility from addressing
this city’s real
lead issues.
“Chestnut is considering
its options including
a possible lawsuit for
harassment and defamation.”
wrote Nathaniel
Ari Weisbrot, Esq.
In addition, no apartments
were available
to be seen by the media
with peeling paint.
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