Letitia James faces scrutiny over property filing discrepancies

New York Attorney General Letitia James has gained attention for pursuing landlords and real estate fraud. However, an investigation has uncovered potential discrepancies in her own property filings that could lead to serious penalties if committed by regular property owners. Documents from the New York City Department of Buildings reveal inconsistencies concerning a Brooklyn property owned by James. Official records indicate that the property at 296 Lafayette Avenue is a five-family dwelling. James has, however, repeatedly filed building permit applications classifying the property as a four-family dwelling. This classification changes its regulatory requirements. These discrepancies are not isolated to a single filing. Multiple permit applications from 2020 inaccurately state that the building has only four units, contradicting the Certificate of Occupancy which confirms it has five units. Such a misrepresentation could allow James to benefit from less strict regulations or lower lending terms. The applications were submitted through a professional certification program, which requires an architect to affirm the legitimacy of the claims being made. This adds weight to the seriousness of the discrepancies, suggesting that this is not merely an administrative error. The implications of this issue extend to safety and occupancy laws, which vary significantly based on the number of units in a building. In New York City, five-unit buildings are subject to more rigorous safety regulations compared to four-unit buildings. If James' building has five units, as recorded, but is filed as having only four, it raises questions about legal compliance. An even bigger question arises: what happened to the fifth unit? If all filings continue to state the property has only four units, this could indicate either false information in James' filings or unpermitted changes to the property. The Department of Buildings (DOB) responded to a complaint about these discrepancies by dismissing them as a "minor error." This response contrasts sharply with how similar issues are typically handled for ordinary property owners, who face significant penalties for less serious violations. This situation not only raises concerns about regulatory compliance but also about the fairness of enforcement based on an individual’s position. As New York's chief legal officer, Letitia James faces demands for clarity and accountability regarding these irregularities.