Penalty Amount
$352,250
Consumers Affected
300
New York Attorney General Letitia James settled with Brooklyn High Rise LLC for illegally denying housing to prospective tenants based on housing court records, a practice known as tenant blacklisting. The company also charged non-refundable 'good faith' deposits. Brooklyn High Rise will pay $352,250 in penalties and restitution and must end its unlawful tenant screening practices.
Brooklyn High Rise must pay $202,250 in penalties and $150,000 in restitution to affected applicants. It must end its practice of seeking housing court records, remove court history and criminal background questions from rental applications, train staff on fair housing laws, and publicly affirm compliance with tenant blacklisting laws. Applicants who were denied or withdrew between January 2020 and December 2025 can file claims for $500 or $750.
In-house legal teams at property management and real estate firms should review their vendor agreements with tenant screening bureaus to ensure they do not include provisions that allow the use of housing court records in screening decisions. They should also update rental application forms and leasing agent training materials to remove any questions about court history or criminal background. Additionally, they should review their deposit handling policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state laws regarding 'good faith' deposits, including timely refunds. Contracts with property owners and management companies should include clauses requiring compliance with fair housing and tenant blacklisting laws, and indemnification for violations.
Entity
Brooklyn High Rise LLC
Industry
Real EstateOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-stops-brooklyn-real-estate-firm-illegally-blacklisting
brooklyn high rise llc aod 2026
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/settlements-agreements/brooklyn-high-rise-llc-aod-2026.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
"Brooklyn High Rise LLC"
"pay $352,250 in penalties and restitution"
"New York Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA)"
"Real Property Law"
"illegally denying housing to prospective tenants based on housing court records"
"illegally charged applicants deposit fees to hold an apartment during the application process"
$2.6M
New York and Connecticut reached a settlement with Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its IT security provider, XTIUM, after a 2024 breach exposed private information of approximately 825,000 New York residents and 62,871 Connecticut residents. The companies will pay $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures; additional penalties are conditional on violating the settlement.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined 16 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass proposed legislation addressing the federal government’s release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records. The press release says DOJ has not fully disclosed the records required by the original law and that personal information of at least 43 victims was exposed in released files; this is a legislative advocacy announcement, not an enforcement action imposing a penalty or remedy.
$1.9M
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a settlement after an investigation found Dollar General stores routinely charged customers more than advertised or posted prices and issued confusing receipts. Dollar General must donate $1.875 million in food and personal items to Foodlink and implement pricing, receipt, training, and audit reforms.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released an updated guide warning voters that AI-generated election content and chatbots may provide misleading information. This is public guidance, not an enforcement action, and the release describes no penalty or privacy violation.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 39 other attorneys general filed a motion in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy, citing risks to children and sensitive user information and potential violations of state privacy laws. The coalition asks the court, the company, and any prospective buyer to require meaningful privacy and safety protections; no fine or final remedy is reported.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, the FTC, and six other state attorneys general asked a federal court to hold Martin Shkreli in contempt for allegedly trading pharmaceutical stocks and discussing pharmaceutical companies in violation of his lifetime industry ban. The requested sanctions include divestiture, an accounting of his trading, forfeiture of trading profits, and possible further fines or incarceration; the release describes a request to the court, not a new ruling imposing those measures.