Rodney P. Seelig expected an “immaculate” country home when he paid $150,000 for a three month vacation rental, but he claims he got an uninhabitable property instead.
Seelig, of New York City, sued Rye Brook lawyer Vincent A. DeIorio, the trustee of the entity that owns the property, Aug. 17 in Westchester Supreme Court.
Seelig said he prepaid the entire $150,000 rent and a $40,000 security deposit to lease Evergreen Pines in Ancram, Columbia County, from June 2 through Sept. 8.
Evergreen Pines is owned by a trust established by Pat Armentano, founder of Paraco Gas Corp. of Rye Brook, who died in 2010. The trust is not named as a defendant.
The 91-acre property on Doodletown Road features a four-bedroom log chateau, four-bedroom guest house, entertainment barn, pool house and heated swimming pool, tennis court, bocce court, gazebos and a pond, two hours from New York City.
The landlord pledged to deliver the property “as is,” according to the complaint, and Seelig did a walk through on Jan. 29 with the landlord’s representative. Based on what he saw, he signed the lease on Feb. 16.
But when he arrived on June 2, he claims, the property had deteriorated dramatically.
The portico and porch were infested with nesting birds, the complaint states, and “abundant excrement” smeared the house, outdoor lights and window frames.
An office was allegedly blocked with junk, closets were filled with garbage, carpenter bees infested the front balcony and pool house, the pool was dirty and unusable, window blinds had been torn down, many lights had been removed or were inoperable.
Seelig says he was told that some of the conditions would be remedied after the representative spoke with the landlord. Then he received a letter from DeIorio framing the issue as Seelig’s choice not to occupy the property.
The security deposit was returned, the complaint states, and DeIorio promised to try to rent the property and credit Seelig’s account.
Seelig says the landlord has made insufficient efforts to rent the property. He demanded an immediate $150,000 refund, according to the complaint, but the landlord has refused to do so.
He accuses DeIorio of breach of lease and unjust enrichment.
DeIorio did not immediately respond to messages asking for his side of the story.
Seelig is represented by White Plains attorneys James K. Landau and Allegra P. Beals.
Evergreen Pines was put on the market in 2019 for $3.3 million, according to Zillow, and now the asking price is $2.75 million.
