Brookville sues owners of Queens church, alleges dumping on 2-acre plot

Brookville has filed suit against the owners of a Queens church for allegedly dumping debris and waste in a 2-acre plot in the village. 

The village filed the suit Dec. 25 in state Supreme Court against Living Water Victory Church, which is in Flushing; Chih Pyng Ho, a pastor of the church; and Min Chi Ho Pi, who is a trustee of the church. The two are a couple, according to court documents.

Attorneys for the village said in court documents that the property’s owners have been "conducting operations there tantamount to those of a junk yard."

The debris at the site includes old toys, construction materials, furniture and boats, according to photos submitted in the lawsuit. The village said it "made frequent requests to the defendants to remove the junk and debris" in 2019.

Multiple attempts to reach Ho and Pi were not successful. A number listed for the church was not in service. They did not have an attorney listed in online court records.

Court documents show Ho, Pi and the church were previously issued 48 violations for alleged infractions between December 2020 and late January 2021 before an additional 72 violations were passed down for allegedly disobeying the code between January 2021 and late March 2021. The code violations include not adhering to property maintenance and illegally storing vehicles.

In September 2021, a Village Justice Court judge found Ho, Pi and the church guilty of violating the code, and each was fined $120,000. Following an appeal, the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court affirmed the judgment, except for a single violation, and sent the matter back to Village Justice Court.

However, the village said a cleanup agreement signed in August of last year wasn’t carried out by the church and no fines have been paid. The village said it removed a boat from the property in September.

"As a final resort, the Village now seeks the equitable authority of this Court to end the continuing scorn defendants have expressed toward the Village, its officials, its Court and residents," attorneys for the village wrote in court documents.

Court records indicate the defendants purchased the plot, which includes a single-family home, in March 2019.

An attorney for the village did not respond for a request to comment.

The two sides are next due in court on Feb. 13.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ