Two Syracuse landlords accused by state officials of maintaining 23 properties in serious disrepair, leading to the lead poisoning of several children, will have to pay more than $100,000 in restitution to families and property remediation costs, according to the New York State Attorney General’s Office. State Attorney General Letitia James announced in a Monday press release her office had reached a settlement with Brian and Harry Murphy, a father and son landlord duo that had been under investigation by the AG’s office since late 2023 for renting out properties with rampant property code violations.  The investigation conducted by James’ office found that at least seven children of families living in properties owned by the Murphys were poisoned by lead while living in said homes.  As part of the settlement, the Murphys will establish a tenant relief fund for the affected families of $35,000, as well as pay $80,000 to conduct lead inspections, risk assessments, and remediation work at the properties with a history of citations for lead poisoning hazards.  The AG wrote in the settlement that the properties owned by the Murphys are subject to annual lead hazard inspections, and that the landlord duo is expected to comply with all federal, state, and local lead safety regulations going forward. Failure to do so, James wrote, would result in additional fines of up to $80,000.  James’ office’s increased scrutiny on the maintenance of lead-safe housing comes at a time when Onondaga County is experiencing severe issues with housing disrepair and childhood lead poisoning. In Syracuse, almost one in every 10 children tested for lead poisoning in 2025 showed elevated levels of lead in their blood, according to Onondaga County Health Department data.  The World Health Organization deems lead a neurotoxin in children, noting that the chemical element attacks the brain and the central nervous system at high levels of exposure. This can lead to convulsions and even death, with other long-term effects such as intellectual disabilities and behavioral disorders. The city also has an old housing stock, meaning that it is likely a significant number of the homes in the city have been painted with lead-based paint at some point. James’ office estimates that 81% of the city’s homes were built before 1970, when New York banned lead-based paint. A study of housing conditions released by a consultant in 2023 also shows that a third of the city’s homes are in a state of “chronic disinvestment.” Over the years, the Murphys have owned and managed 78 rental properties with at least 153 individual rental units, all of them built before 1955, and many contain surfaces painted with lead paint, according to the AG’s Office. Between 2017 and 2025, at least 54 of their properties were cited for deteriorating housing conditions, resulting in at least 367 code violations, James’ office wrote in a press release.  “Lead poisoning is entirely preventable, yet too many New Yorkers are still exposed to toxic lead in their own homes because landlords fail to meet their legal obligations,” James said in a press release. “The unacceptable conditions my office uncovered in this investigation put children at risk of serious, lifelong harm.” James’ office also found that the Murphys have failed to adequately disclose the presence of lead poisoning hazards to renting families, an action required by federal law since 1992.  The Murphys are tasked with creating lead remediation plans for every property that a risk assessor deems as having lead poisoning hazards. The plans will follow guidance set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding lead remediation and abatement. The landlords will also retain a third party monitor who will supervise the work outlined in the plan.  Lead remediation work in the interior of all properties will need to be conducted within 90 days of receiving approval by the AG’s office. The exterior of every property will have to be remediated 180 days after receiving approval. The AG also wrote that the Murphys can access grant funding to pay for the $80,000 in lead remediation, but that they are not able to secure more than a third of the total costs, around $26,600, for remediation. Lead poisoning prevention advocates said the settlement is a good enforcement action to take as local leaders and community organizers continue to address lead poisoning issues in the county. “For years, our families have been crying out for help while our children — especially Black and brown children — were being poisoned in the very homes meant to protect them,” Oceanna Fair, the chair of Families for Lead Freedom Now, said in a statement. “This settlement is more than a legal action; it is a recognition of the harm our community has carried and a reminder that our children’s lives cannot be treated as disposable. Families for Lead Freedom Now stands with every parent who fought through fear, illness, and silence.” The post New York AG’s office levies $100K in penalties against Syracuse father-son landlord duo over lead violations appeared first on Central Current. ...read more read less