Attorney General James Sues Syracuse Landlord for Failing to Address Building Conditions

Green National Failed to Retain an Independent Monitor and Correct Code Violations in a Timely Manner

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today sued Greenland Property Services, LLC and its related entities (Green National) for not complying with parts of an agreement made with her office earlier this year. Green National agreed to correct all its outstanding code violations in its buildings, abide by the city’s nuisance abatement order at the Skyline Apartments, and pay the state a $300,000 penalty. The agreement also required Green National to retain an independent monitor to review its code compliance procedures and submit monthly reports to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). Green National has corrected dozens of violations but has failed to retain a monitor and fix some code violations in a timely manner. As a result, Attorney General James is suing Green National to enforce the entire agreement and require Green National to install a monitor and pay civil penalties for non-compliance.

“Tenants deserve to live in habitable conditions and feel safe in their homes,” said Attorney General James. “Earlier this year, I pledged that if Green National did not clean up its act I would use the full force of my office and the law to put them in line and protect tenants. Today, I am making good on that promise and suing them for violating our agreement. Green National is shirking its legal responsibilities and failing to address issues at their buildings that are unacceptable for tenants. Green National must do more for its tenants and my office is determined to hold them accountable.”

“Green National cannot ignore its responsibility to our residents. As the company works to sell its properties in Syracuse, it must also live up to the agreement it made with the state of New York,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. “I thank Attorney General James and her team for their efforts to protect the hundreds of families and individuals who live in Green National properties in Syracuse.”

In February, Green National entered into an agreement with OAG that required them to fix all outstanding code violations within 60 days of when the agreement went into effect and fix new violations within the time period set by the city’s Code Enforcement unit. Green National corrected dozens of violations, such as repairing broken locks, repainting, fixing leaks, replacing broken toilets, addressing roach and mice infestations, and more. However, many of the violations were not corrected in a timely manner as required by the agreement. Some violations, like the non-functioning elevator at the James Apartment building, remain open. As a result, Attorney General James retained the full $300,000 penalty paid by Green National for failing to address violations in a timely manner and called on the company to install an independent monitor to oversee and report on the status of outstanding violations, as required by the agreement.

Green National has since failed to comply with the oversight and monitoring requirements of the agreement and has not hired an independent monitor or submitted monthly reports. As stated in the agreement, Green National is obligated to pay $100 per day for each violation of the agreement. As a result, Attorney General James is suing Green National for breaching their agreement and shirking their legal responsibilities.

Through her lawsuit, Attorney General James is seeking a court order requiring Green National to correct outstanding violations at its properties in a timely manner, hire an independent monitor, pay civil penalties, and provide monthly reports to OAG about the status and nature of violations.

Green National owns and manages more than 800 apartments in buildings throughout the Syracuse area. The tenants in these buildings are mostly people who earn modest or fixed incomes, people with health challenges, people receiving aid from government programs, and the elderly. The OAG started its investigation into Green National in March 2021 in response to reports of rampant crime, unsafe conditions, and unabated code violations at some of their Syracuse area properties, including but not limited to the Skyline Apartments, the Vincent Apartments, and the James Apartments.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Judith C. Malkin of the Syracuse Regional Office with assistance from Investigator Andrea Buttenschon. The Syracuse Regional Office is led by Assistant Attorney General in Charge Ed Thompson and is a part of the Division for Regional Affairs, which is led by Deputy Attorney General for Regional Affairs Jill Faber and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.