Riverhead Town is for the first time going to state court against the owners of four allegedly overcrowded homes. The town will seek injunctions against “the illegal use or occupancy” of the homes.
The town board on Wednesday authorized the town attorney to bring lawsuits against the owners of 326 Fishel Avenue, 334 Sweezey Avenue and 1015 Parkway Street in Riverhead and 18 Tide Court in Wading River.
The four homes were chosen for injunctive actions because the town’s investigation into their use reached a stage where prosecution of the cases became possible, former deputy town attorney Dawn Thomas said. All four were determined by the town’s investigation to be overcrowded, Thomas said.
It is not clear how quickly the town will be able to bring the actions authorized last week due to a new vacancy in the town attorney’s office, created when Thomas was appointed to head the Riverhead Community Development Agency, filling the vacancy created there by Chris Kempner’s resignation.
Thomas, a longtime town attorney who left town government to work for a State Supreme Court judge, had been hired back by the town this year specifically to focus on code enforcement cases.
The town will now seek to hire another deputy town attorney to fill Thomas’ spot and take over code enforcement litigation.
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