Owners of a New Rochelle cooperative claim that a Servpro franchise failed to correctly fix their fire-damaged building.
Twenty-nine residents of the Trinity Cooperative at Union and Church streets accused Emergency Service Group Inc. of breach of contract, in a lawsuit filed on Aug. 4 in Westchester Supreme Court.
The Servpro franchise’s “actions, errors and omissions,” the complaint states, cost the owners “significant sums of money for alternative housing, storage, and other material expenses.”
Emergency Service Group also does business as Servpro of West Bronx, according to a New York corporate record, and it is linked to a Servpro franchise in Boynton Beach, Florida. Both are operated by Frank Valenti, of Boynton Beach, who also uses an Eastchester commercial property as his address.
The 29 plaintiffs were forced to evacuate their homes on Feb. 14, 2022 when a fire damaged their building. The cooperate, according to the complaint, hired Emergency Service Group Inc. to repair their apartments and rebuild the roof.
The Servpro franchise allegedly proceeded with the work without filing for permits, securing liability insurance for workers, or submitting proof of insurance to the cooperative.
Demolition work was done on all apartments, “regardless of whether they were damaged by the fire,” the complaint states, but Servpro failed to build a roof or cover the structure to protect it from the elements and prevent more damages.
While the Servpro franchise served as the general contractor for one year, the apartments remained uninhabitable and the owners were displaced, according to the complaint. On Feb 20, 2023, Servpro was terminated as the general contractor.
The owners accused the Servpro franchise of breach of contract and unjust enrichment for allegedly receiving “upwards of 8 figures” [$10 million] for work not done, unnecessary work, and work that caused more damages.
The owners are demanding unspecified monetary damages.
Valenti did not reply to an email that asked for his responses to the allegations.
