New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that she has won her lawsuit against River Valley Estates, LLC (River Valley) for years of mistreating residents and illegal rent increases. Judge Meagan Galligan of the New York Supreme Court in Sullivan County found River Valley and its owners George Levin and Gayla Sue Levin violated New York laws by failing to provide residents with consistent clean water for years and for charging illegal fees and rent hikes that cost residents hundreds of thousands of dollars. The judge’s decision held that River Valley and its owners have violated numerous New York laws meant to protect the health and safety of manufactured home park tenants, causing residents to endure raw sewage overflowing into their homes, regular water outages, polluted water, and other unsafe conditions in their community. In addition, the court ruled that River Valley has charged illegal fees and rent increases and entered into unlawful leases that failed to protect tenants’ rights.

“Every New Yorker deserves a safe place to live with access to clean water,” said Attorney General James. “Not only were River Valley residents forced to suffer through years of dangerous conditions in their community, but they were also charged hundreds of thousands of dollars in unlawful fees and rent hikes. This treatment is illegal and unjustified, and today’s victory is a major step toward securing true justice for River Valley families.”