Supervisor: Code Enforcement Crackdown; Residents At 'Severe Risk'

A property owner in East Hampton was slapped with 28 misdemeanor charges after a code enforcement crackdown, according to Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell.  

On Monday, Sydney Griffin, of 82 Northwest Landing Road in East Hampton was arraigned before Judge Steven Tekulsky in East Hampton Town Justice Court on 28 misdemeanor charges, related to building and zoning code violations.

According to Cantwell, a code enforcement action by code enforcement officers and town building department personnel on Jan. 24 came after complaints of "deplorable living conditions" at the property.

"The reported conditions at the property are simply outrageous,” Cantwell said. “Not only was the single-family house converted into four separate living units for four different groups of people, but there was no heat and there was refuse and food waste throughout the inside of the house."

In addition, the supervisor said, portable electrical heaters were found in each of the illegal units being run on extension cords  strung throughout the house.  

"Everyone, including the defendant, living in the house was at a severe risk of danger due to a possible fire," he said.

In addition, East Hampton Town Police also responded to the home when unsecured firearms were discovered at the scene, the supervisor said.  

A family member of the defendant voluntarily surrendered the firearms to police, according to Cantwell.

“The coordinated response by code enforcement and the building department, with an assist from the town police, is exactly what we expect from our public safety agencies. The town will not tolerate landlords putting people’s lives at risk in order to maximize their profits. This is a prime example of how coordinating the efforts of all of our public safety agencies to ensure safe and legal housing throughout our town will lead to improvement in the quality of life for all our residents,” Cantwell said.

The case  was adjourned until Feb. 24 to allow the property owner to bring the residence into compliance. 

Griffin also pleaded guilty to four charges in Nov., 2011 in regard to a case involving o28 other building and zoning code violations at the same property, officials said.