Chelsea Hotel Residents Express Asbestos Worries

Tenants of a historic Manhattan hotel are bringing their landlord to New York City housing court because of safety concerns regarding a number of things, including asbestos products that have been disturbed during prolonged demolition work.

The Chelsea Hotel, which was built in the 1880s and has housed countless celebrities from Arthur C. Clarke and Mark Twain to Bob Dylan and Stanley Kubrick, has been undergoing renovations since 2011 and not accepting guests. However, residents of the building have been allowed to remain in their homes. However, many of those tenants have become angered with Joseph Chetrit, their landlord, because of hazardous conditions they claim have have become apparent since the renovations began. Among the dangers pointed out by the residents have been mold on walls, crumbling ceilings, and air shafts that contain loose asbestos fibers, WNYC reported.

Following four months of negotiations, 36 of the tenants recently announced that they would be taking Chetrit to housing court and asking for a judge to order the hazardous conditions be remedied.

“The landlord of one of Chelsea’s iconic buildings has done less than nothing to improve these conditions,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

The tenants also accuse Chetrit of delaying the asbestos and dangerous chemical removal as a bullying tactic to get them to move out of the hotel.

Most buildings built prior to the 1980s contain some type of asbestos products. If these products are damaged and release fibers into the air, those who inhale them have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma later in life.

If you or a loved one have developed mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure from an old building, call Sokolove Law today to learn more about pursuing a mesothelioma claim. Call us today at (800)-561-7154.

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