SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Greenland Property Services, LLC, and its related entities (Green National), has agreed to address all its housing-code violations at its New York properties within 60 days. Under the agreement, Green National will pay a $300,000 penalty, of which all but $50,000 will be suspended if all terms of the agreement are fulfilled […]
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Greenland Property Services, LLC, and its related entities (Green National), has agreed to address all its housing-code violations at its New York properties within 60 days.
Under the agreement, Green National will pay a $300,000 penalty, of which all but $50,000 will be suspended if all terms of the agreement are fulfilled within 60 days, the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a Feb. 22 news release. The other $50,000 will be paid, effective immediately, to the state, James’ office added.
Green National is a Skaneateles–based real-estate management company with several affordable-housing properties in Syracuse. Tim Green — attorney, former NFL player, standout football player at Syracuse University, and author — is partner in the company and his son, Troy Green, is the company’s CEO, per its website.
An investigation by James’ office confirmed evidence of unsanitary conditions, criminal activity, and repeated code violations at Green National’s Syracuse–area properties. Its properties include the Skyline Apartments, James Apartments, and Vincent Apartments.
James on Feb. 22 announced the agreement during a visit to her office at One Park Place at 300 South State St. in Syracuse. Several officials joined James for the announcement, including Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon.
“Thousands of tenants have endured years of dirty and dangerous conditions and they’ve lived without hope. And that ends today,” James said to open her remarks. “I’m here to announce to thousands of tenants of Green National … that your nightmare is coming to an end.”
CNYBJ requested a comment or statement from Green National in response to the announced agreement, but as of press time, the firm hadn’t responded.
Under scrutiny
Green National has owned and managed more than 1,000 apartments in buildings throughout the Syracuse area.
The tenants in these buildings are mostly people who earn modest or fixed incomes, people with health challenges, people receiving aid from government programs, and the elderly, James’ office said.
The attorney general’s office started its investigation into Green National in March 2021 in response to reports of rampant crime, unsafe conditions, and unabated code violations at some of its Syracuse–area properties, “including but not limited to” the Skyline Apartments, the Vincent Apartments, and the James Apartments, per the attorney general’s office.
“We have used every tool in our tool kit to hold Green National accountable,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said in his remarks. “We’ve cited them through codes. We’ve sent the police there. We’ve sent the fire department there. We’ve sued them.”
Walsh went on to say that the City of Syracuse earlier that day declared the Skyline Apartments unfit for human occupation.
Katrina Weston, president of the Skyline Tenants Association, said she’s doesn’t know if the agreement will work but she’s “hopeful.”
“I do try to communicate. I do try to talk. You get more bees with honey. I do try to be nice and have this conversation and make them aware [because] they always say that we didn’t know. We’re not aware. Yeah, you do. You know,” Weston said in her remarks. “You don’t want to talk. You call people morons. You treat the tenants like crap.”
Agreement terms
Under the terms of the attorney general’s agreement, Green National must correct all the outstanding code violations within 60 days.
Under the pact, Green National said it “will address all of the outstanding violations and that any new violations … they will immediately correct,” James said. “They also understand that security is a major issue and so they will have security guards.”
At the Skyline Apartments, Green National must continue to abide by the terms of the City’s abatement order and maintain “no loitering” signs in conspicuous locations outside the building, proactively monitor all activity on the premises through full-time roving security patrols, secure all the residential doors, and employ a full-time, around-the-clock security employee at the front desk by the main entrance.
Green National must respond to all tenants’ requests for repairs and keep a written record.
Additionally, prior to the sale of any of its New York properties, Green National must either correct all open code violations or include in any contract of sale a provision that requires the new owners to fix outstanding code violations. Within 14 days of selling any of its properties, the company must notify the attorney general’s office of the sale. Additionally, if Green National purchases any additional property in New York within the next five years it must notify the attorney general’s office.