DOJ Sues Toll Brothers For Accessibility Issues At East Coast Apartments

48 North In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, One Of The Buildings Named In The Suit Against Toll Brothers.

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against residential developer Toll Brothers, alleging that apartment buildings it constructed aren't accessible to people with physical disabilities.

The lawsuit from the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York cites examples of 14 apartment complexes in Massachusetts, New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, D.C. and Virginia.

It found the properties had “excessively high thresholds” at entrances to buildings, common areas and individual apartments, common area bathrooms without grab bars, and insufficient bathroom floor space in apartments for people in wheelchairs — all of which it said violate the accessibility guidelines in the Fair Housing Act.

Toll Brothers didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Bisnow.

The DOJ is suing to make Toll Brothers retrofit noncompliant apartments and shared areas, compensate those who were discriminated against because of these inaccessible conditions, and create policies and practices that ensure the problem won't occur again.

The DOJ also filed a proposed consent decree with Lendlease, which worked on the design and construction of one of the New York buildings cited in the complaint. As part of the agreement, Lendlease would pay a $10K fine and take steps to prevent future violations.

The Toll Brothers lawsuit is the 19th filed by the Southern District of New York against developers and architects over allegedly inaccessible housing in its district. It has also sued Related Cos., Silverstein Properties and The Durst Organization.

“We appreciate Lendlease’s cooperation in taking responsibility for its actions so that more properties are more accessible to more people,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a release announcing the lawsuit. “This Office will remain vigilant in ensuring that developers and architects comply with the FHA and remedy inaccessible housing in this District.”

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's National Newsletters
Related Stories

Prolific South Florida Developer Nick Rojo Dies At 44

25 Years After 9/11, Lower Manhattan Is Finally Firing On All Cylinders

Davis Looks To Sell 16-Building Beacon Hill, Back Bay Portfolio

Tishman Speyer Seeks $92M Tax Break For Next Hudson Yards Office Tower

Former CBRE Exec Suing Brokerage Giant Over Age Discrimination, Whistleblower Complaint

Limekiln Sells Stake In Multifamily Lender MF1 To Berkshire Hathaway

D.C. Investor Behind The Stacks Swaps CEO For First Time In 25 Years

Starbucks Spending $1B To Turn Cafés Into Community Lounges

Stephen Curry Sells Planned HQ Site Near Warriors' Arena

Data Center Demand Has Made IOS An Institutional Capital Playground

Healey's New Data Center Rules Make Massachusetts A Tough Sell For Developers

Lender Requests Receiver For X Denver Apartment Building Near Coors Field