Mayor Adams, who has focused heavily on rodent extermination efforts across the city, got a $300 ticket thrown out this week that alleged a rat infestation is persisting at his Brooklyn property.
Adams secured the dismissal after telling an administrative court officer in a virtual hearing Tuesday that the rat problems are actually at the Bedford-Stuyvesant property next door, the second time in the past year he has gotten a rodent infestation summons tossed for the same reason.
“[Adams] stated that the property next door to him … has an issue with rodents and that the inspector likely meant to issue the summons to that property,” Hannah Pinto, an Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings officer, wrote in a ruling obtained by the Daily News.
Adams provided security camera footage showing that the Health Department inspector who wrote up the summons never stepped foot on his Lafayette Ave. property on the day of its issuance in May, Pinto wrote.
“I find Respondent refuted the allegations that the issuing officer observed rat droppings and a rat burrow on his property,” Pinto wrote.
In November, Adams got another $300 ticket alleging a rat infestation at his Bedstuy home dismissed by making the same argument. The neighboring building, which is owned by an LLC, was slapped with a $300 rat infestation ticket on May 17, the day after the issuance of Adams’ summons. The LLC paid that ticket earlier this summer, records show.
A lawyer representing the LLC didn’t respond to emailed questions. Asked whether the mayor has spoken with the neighboring building’s owner about the rat issues, Adams spokeswoman Liz Garcia said he doesn’t share details about private conversations.
Adams, who has as mayor launched various city initiatives focused on killing rats, has since May 2022 been hit with five tickets connected to his Bedstuy pad. Four have been dismissed; Adams paid $300 to settle the fifth last March.
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