PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha has filed lawsuits against three Rhode Island landlords for noncompliance with laws intended to prevent lead poisoning among tenants.
The lawsuits were filed against the landlords of properties at Garden Street, Pawtucket, and Ward Street, Woonsocket, after two children living in the apartments suffered lead poisoning.
Landlords Chrystal Rivera, Gabriel Alicea and Sherry Alicea are accused of failing to remediate significant lead hazards identified by the R.I. Department of Health at their respective properties after repeated notices and directives from health officials andd and the R.I. Office of Attorney General.
Rivera owns a three-unit multi-family home on Garden Street in Pawtucket. A Department of Health inspection found lead hazards inside and outside of the building following the lead poisoning of a child living in one of the units. Rivera is accused of failing to remediate the hazards following two notices of violation issued by the Department of Health.
Gabriel and Sherry Alicea own a multi-family home on Ward Street in Woonsocket. A Department of Health inspection found lead hazards inside and outside of the building following the lead poisoning of a child living in one of the units. The Aliceas are accused of failing to remediate the hazards following two notices of violation issued by RIDOH.
Neronha is seeking a court order to halt further harmful conduct, to require the defendants to remediate lead hazards and provide adequate alternative housing during remediation, and to appoint a receiver if the defendants are unwilling to correct the lead violations. He is also seeking penalties of up to $5,000 for every day the violations have existed and continue.
“We will continue to take landlords to court who fail to remediate lead hazards in the apartments they rent following the lead poisoning of a child,” Neronha said. “The allegations against the defendants here, and against those in other cases we have brought, are that a landlord was notified multiple times that there is a lead hazard on their property, that a child living there was lead poisoned, and that they did nothing about it. These circumstances are unacceptable, the health consequences are serious, and strong action by this Office is warranted.”
Under state law, following a property inspection by the Department of Health, landlords are given multiple opportunities to correct lead hazard violations before the Office of Attorney General may file an enforcement action.
Special Assistant Attorney General Keith Hoffmann is litigating this case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.
