Sixteen months after the DA charged Maria Hrynenko and several others for their role in the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion, the landlord is now claiming that her management company was "careless and reckless" in its work, according to court papers.
The New York Post first reported on this yesterday. Per the Post:
The landlord accused of wrongdoing in the deadly 2015 East Village gas explosion is blaming someone else.
A Manhattan management company hired to install gas meters in the basement of one of the three buildings owned by Maria Hrynenko was negligent in its work and failed to warn people about hazardous conditions, Hrynenko claims in a new lawsuit.
Andrick Management LLC was reportedly hired to install gas meters in the basement of one of the three buildings. (The Post did not have comment from Andrick.)
Hrynenko, 57, is facing charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and reckless endangerment.
Investigators have said that an illegal cost-cutting gas delivery system at 121 Second Ave. may have caused the blast that killed two men and injured a few dozen other people as well as destroyed three buildings — 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.
As we reported on Friday, a reader spotted a survey crew on the northwest corner of Seventh Street and Second Avenue. One of the workers said that they were surveying the site ... and said they were there representing the buyer of 119 Second Ave. and 121 Second Ave. In March, lawyers for some of the victims said that a sale of the empty lots could potentially jeopardize the settlements of the victims.
14 comments:
I hope there is a paper trail on this although I think it unlikely, "please connect an illegal line to save my tenant some money, signed building owner".
Landlords are happy to rake in the $$$, but when something goes wrong, suddenly it's "oops, it wasn't *me*; it was my managing company". What a crock, and I hope she is held responsible to the fullest.
I'd compare this monstrous hag to a snake, but that would be an insult to snakes. My God, how low can she sink?!
There is a long paper trail at the DOB because they had issued violations on the gas lines in the weeks before the explosion and had ordered a 10 day shutdown. There were also stories floating around about tenants being told not to discuss the gas issues. This is just another deflection by someone who doesn't want to take responsibility because doing so will send them all to jail for a very long time.
A desperate move to place blame on others. She is a small-time landlord. She knew exactly what was happening in her building.
This is still America. She will have her day in court. Her lawyers are setting up reasonable doubt. Stranger things have happened but by spreading the guilt around, she could mitigate her responsibility. The new building will be up before this case is settled.
Weren't her son and the contractor caught on surveillance video running out of the building right before the explosion?
From an earlier Post article:
"Singled out for particular blame were contractor Dilber Kukic, 40, and the landlord’s son, Michael Hyrnenko Jr., 30.
The two were caught on building surveillance video the day of the deadly blast and fire responding to a fumes complaint from the ground-floor sushi restaurant, then quickly running to fiddle with their hidden basement gas set-up — literally sprinting through the restaurant without warning a single patron, officials allege."
Is she going to throw her son under the bus, too?
@12:08pm: "The new building will be up before this case is settled." Yes, and this speaks to both the crappy nature of new construction AND the travesty whereby 2 people died, 3 buildings collapsed, but NO ONE will be held legally responsible for the better part of 6-10 years after the explosion.
IMO, this is NOT justice; it's just something horrible that allows the responsible parties to evade paying (by moving $$ overseas, declaring bankruptcy, etc.).
Hyrenenko & her ilk can afford to wait this out. The people who died are gone forever; the people who were displaced are screwed. Basically no one who suffered from this terrible event will ever be fairly compensated.
Here is a crazy idea--maybe someone should figure out what happened before assigning blame? Or would that mean we can't just go around making up punishments?
@5:27pm: Do you think people are just making up indictments, too? There's security cam footage, there are statements from people involved, there's ample evidence that what went on that day was just more of what typically went on in that building, etc.
I don't think Hrynenko and her son and the managing agent and the various contractors/plumbers involved were all pure as the driven snow, but perhaps you do!
BTW, it's pretty clear "what happened" - unless you've been under a rock for several consecutive years.
The court of public opinion has already decided who is guilty in this case and everyone knows who is on that list.. We don't need to wait for years for courts to make up their minds to assign responsibility. Our opinions are not prison sentences and do not get the victims any justice, that's up to a jury to decide. In the meantime we can wish on all of the people who are responsible for this horrific tragedy the exact same fate that met these buildings and victims: let them burn.
De Blasio use Eminent Domain and take the land and do 100% affordable housing.
@10:09am: Oh, no, b/c the mayor doesn't ever want to ruffle the feathers of his real estate buddies, the ones who fund his campaigns, etc. "Affordable housing"? Dream on.
"De Blasio use Eminent Domain and take the land and do 100% affordable housing."
Yes please.
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