Nassau County seeks to recoup costs for housing seniors displaced by flood in Elmont co-op
Nassau County attorneys suggested in court Tuesday that the owners of an Elmont senior co-op building that burned down last month sell the property to repay the county’s $43,000 hotel bill for housing residents after their building flooded.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman filed an October 2023 lawsuit against the building manager and the co-op board, mostly consisting of elderly residents, after they were forced out of their homes by a Sept. 29, 2023, rainstorm that flooded the building’s utilities and fire alarm system.
Residents had moved into the co-op in 2011 after winning a 2009 lottery for affordable senior housing. The building was destroyed by a Dec. 14 fire and was demolished.
Attorneys for the county, the 60 co-op residents of 1888 Foster Meadow Lane and the building manager, Woods and Ruff, met online in Nassau Supreme Court on Tuesday for the first time since the county sued to recoup the housing costs.
The county paid to house about a dozen residents at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale for 11 days and claimed in the lawsuit that it spent more than $200,000 to feed and house the residents. In the suit, the county also demanded the building management make repairs so residents could return after the flood. The repairs were not made.
"I think the unfortunate developments regarding the fire and structure, perhaps opens an avenue for a settlement," Deputy County Attorney Matthew Rozea said during the hearing. "Presumably the board is going to want to seek some type of return on the property, whether by sale or otherwise, perhaps the board would accept some type of filing to secure the county’s financial interests for the amount of the hotel stay."
An attorney for the co-op residents, Dorian Glover, said he had not been aware the county had made a settlement offer.
"These are pennies in comparison to the loss. I was looking for a different position from the county in light of that," Glover said. "It’s something I could bring back to my clients, who don’t have any more to give at this point. It’s a total loss in light of that there was no insurance on the property. The value of the property being sold is all these residents will have."
Some residents were relocated to the county’s A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility after their Marriott stay. They were unable to return to their co-op for more than a year while the building remained uninhabitable. A frozen pipe also burst last year, causing new flooding and mold to fester in several units.
Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Mike Uttaro said the extensive damage of the building prevented investigators from making a determining the cause. Officials said the building was unoccupied and without power the night of the fire.
Nassau Supreme Court Justice Eileen Daly-Sapraicone asked an attorney for the building manager, Jjais Forde, if there was a monetary offer for a settlement.
"I have no offer," Forde said. "My client instructed me to determine if the county, in light of new developments, would consider discontinuing action against my client."
But county officials said the case against Woods and Ruff would continue while a settlement with residents was considered.
"We certainly don’t view Ms. Forde’s client as blameless in his matter," Rozea said.
The county's suit notes there were multiple fire code violations in the building, which badly needed repairs before the flood.
Glover said he hoped for a better settlement.
"I don’t want to appear at all, I want a decent offer," he said.
Nassau County attorneys suggested in court Tuesday that the owners of an Elmont senior co-op building that burned down last month sell the property to repay the county’s $43,000 hotel bill for housing residents after their building flooded.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman filed an October 2023 lawsuit against the building manager and the co-op board, mostly consisting of elderly residents, after they were forced out of their homes by a Sept. 29, 2023, rainstorm that flooded the building’s utilities and fire alarm system.
Residents had moved into the co-op in 2011 after winning a 2009 lottery for affordable senior housing. The building was destroyed by a Dec. 14 fire and was demolished.
Attorneys for the county, the 60 co-op residents of 1888 Foster Meadow Lane and the building manager, Woods and Ruff, met online in Nassau Supreme Court on Tuesday for the first time since the county sued to recoup the housing costs.
The county paid to house about a dozen residents at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale for 11 days and claimed in the lawsuit that it spent more than $200,000 to feed and house the residents. In the suit, the county also demanded the building management make repairs so residents could return after the flood. The repairs were not made.
"I think the unfortunate developments regarding the fire and structure, perhaps opens an avenue for a settlement," Deputy County Attorney Matthew Rozea said during the hearing. "Presumably the board is going to want to seek some type of return on the property, whether by sale or otherwise, perhaps the board would accept some type of filing to secure the county’s financial interests for the amount of the hotel stay."
An attorney for the co-op residents, Dorian Glover, said he had not been aware the county had made a settlement offer.
"These are pennies in comparison to the loss. I was looking for a different position from the county in light of that," Glover said. "It’s something I could bring back to my clients, who don’t have any more to give at this point. It’s a total loss in light of that there was no insurance on the property. The value of the property being sold is all these residents will have."
Some residents were relocated to the county’s A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility after their Marriott stay. They were unable to return to their co-op for more than a year while the building remained uninhabitable. A frozen pipe also burst last year, causing new flooding and mold to fester in several units.
Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Mike Uttaro said the extensive damage of the building prevented investigators from making a determining the cause. Officials said the building was unoccupied and without power the night of the fire.
Nassau Supreme Court Justice Eileen Daly-Sapraicone asked an attorney for the building manager, Jjais Forde, if there was a monetary offer for a settlement.
"I have no offer," Forde said. "My client instructed me to determine if the county, in light of new developments, would consider discontinuing action against my client."
But county officials said the case against Woods and Ruff would continue while a settlement with residents was considered.
"We certainly don’t view Ms. Forde’s client as blameless in his matter," Rozea said.
The county's suit notes there were multiple fire code violations in the building, which badly needed repairs before the flood.
Glover said he hoped for a better settlement.
"I don’t want to appear at all, I want a decent offer," he said.
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