SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)- A Liverpool man is now attempting to sell his rental properties after it was revealed that at least 16 children had received lead poisoning from his homes.
William D’Angelo , 76, reportedly offloaded several of his Syracuse rental houses, apartments, and units while he faced pressure from Attorney General Letitia James for over 300 lead-paint safety violations. According to the Attorney General, four of the eight homes that D’Angelo recently sold were cited for having lead-paint.
The Attorney General will now go to the state Supreme Court in attempt to argue that D’Angelo must fix his other lead violations before selling the rest of his properties. The AG is also seeking to guarantee that there will be a court-ordered individual to monitor the renovations. That argument will take place on February 8.
Back in July, James filed a lawsuit against D’Angelo for “repeatedly and persistently” breaking the safety laws at his properties. The lawsuit even alleged that when D’Angelo did attempt to renovate his homes, he opted to utilize the services of unqualified contractors.
Many of the landlord’s properties were in in Syracuse’s Southwest neighborhood. The area is largely low-income and bolsters one of the highest Black populations in Syracuse. D’Angelo owns properties on Davis St., Fitch St., Delaware St., and Merriman Ave. among others in the neighborhood.
The problem of lead has plagued the city of Syracuse for years. Earlier this week it was revealed that lead had been detected in three sinks at Roxboro Road Elementary School. NYS Department of Health regulations mandate that public schools must test lead levels in ant source of water that could be used for drinking or cooking.
Lead can be extremely detrimental to development of children. The mineral can negatively impact kids’ brain and nervous system, learning comprehension, physical growth, and much more.
