Home Economy Government Neronha to appeal Superior Court decision in lead paint lawsuit

Neronha to appeal Superior Court decision in lead paint lawsuit

By

PBN Staff

-

11/22/2024

Apartment — THIS PHOTO provided by the R.I. Office of Attorney General was taken by one of the tenants from inside one of Pioneer Investments LCC’s properties in Rhode Island. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced Friday he will appeal the R.I. Superior Court’s decision that halted his lawsuit against Pioneer for violations of state rental, lead hazard and consumer protection laws. / COURTESY ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE

PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced Friday he will appeal a Superior Court decision that halted his lawsuit against a major Rhode Island landlord for violations of state rental, lead hazard and consumer protection laws. Associate Justice Sarah Taft-Carter granted both sides motions for summary judgment on Thursday, ending the lawsuit against Pioneer

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PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced Friday he will appeal a Superior Court decision that halted his lawsuit against a major Rhode Island landlord for violations of state rental, lead hazard and consumer protection laws. Associate Justice Sarah Taft-Carter granted both sides motions for summary judgment on Thursday, ending the lawsuit against Pioneer Investments LLC in Superior Court. “With all due respect to the court, we have been repeatedly disappointed by the decisions in this case, and we believe the court got it wrong here for two major reasons,” Neronha said in a statement. “The court found that Pioneer’s behavior does not violate the DTPA because renters are not consumers, which is both contrary to law and probably seems absurd to anyone who has ever paid money in exchange for a product. Secondly, the court ruled that the Department of Health should exhaust all the tools at its disposal before my office can take action. "Needless to say, my office stands by the allegations in the complaint, and we will continue to vigorously pursue accountability here through appeals and other means," Neronha said. In the complaint filed in Providence County Superior Court in June 2023, Neronha accused Pioneer Investments LLC and its president, Anurag Sureka, of routinely ignoring lead hazard laws, landlord-tenant laws, housing code regulations and regularly engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices throughout the state. The lawsuit also claimed Pioneer’s properties have fallen into disrepair, pose significant health and safety risks, endangering renters, in particular the children who reside in these properties. Pioneer Investments owns and manages 175 residential units in Rhode Island. “I believe this has the potential to cause real, tangible harm to the people of Rhode Island in any case that involves public health,” Neronha said Friday. As part of the complaint, Pioneer tenants affirmed in sworn affidavits the presence of significant lead hazards, persistent rodent infestations, deteriorating buildings, cracking walls and windows and intermittent loss of water and heat in numerous Pioneer properties.