Pinnacle hit with class-action suit

A class-action lawsuit that accuses controversial landlord Pinnacle Group NY and its CEO, Joel Wiener, of harassing rent-regulated tenants and evading New York’s rent regulation laws has been certified to proceed in federal district court. Pinnacle, which controls or owns more than 400 apartment buildings throughout the city, was also accused of violating the federal racketeering statute, RICO, and the New York Consumer Protection Act. An attorney for Pinnacle called the allegations “baseless” and said the company plans to appeal. This isn’t the first time Pinnacle has gotten into legal trouble. The company previously repaid more than $1 million to tenants after coming under intense pressure from the New York attorney general’s office. [Crain’s]