Syracuse landlord settles for $310K over lead safety violations

Syracuse landlord settles for $310K over lead safety violations

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The New York Attorney General’s Office has reached a $310,000 settlement with Syracuse landlord William D’Angelo for repeatedly violating lead safety laws.

The settlement-in-principle with D’Angelo and his company Marpat LLC will force the landlord to pay $310,000, which will be used for a tenant relief fund that will provide payments to families of the children who were lead-poisoned in his properties.

The funds will also be used to identify and resolve all potential lead hazards at D’Angelo’s properties with a history of lead violations.

“William D’Angelo cut corners and failed to address serious lead hazards at his properties, putting countless children and their families in danger,” said James.

Instead of prohibiting D'Angelo from acting as a landlord, the state decided to keep D’Angelo as the landlord until he completed necessary repairs, at his own expense. Once lead-paint violations are addressed and confirmed by a third party, D'Angelo can then sell 22 of his properties.

The majority of his properties are two- or three-family homes built between 1840 and 1940 – before lead paint was banned – located in low-income neighborhoods and/or neighborhoods of color.

At least 16 children living in his properties suffered from lead poisoning due to lead-based paint. Eleven of them are children of color.

Lead poisoning can cause serious health implications, including developmental delays and behavioral problems.

Since 2016, there have been over 360 violations of lead safety laws at more than 20 of his properties. In July, AG James filed a lawsuit against D’Angelo for persistently violating lead safety laws.

As a result of the settlement, D’Angelo will also be barred from selling any of these properties without the OAG’s approval until all lead hazards have been resolved.

Lead-based paint in residential housing is a pervasive problem in Syracuse, where 81 percent of the housing stock was built before lead-based paint was banned in New York in 1970. In 2022, 510 children in Onondaga County had elevated levels of lead in their blood, and 90 percent of those children lived within the City of Syracuse.

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