Merchants at the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market will have to start fresh they want to bring suit against the city over the lease and redevelopment of the facility, after a procedure hiccup, Crain’s reported.
The Bronx market, represented by Sid Davidoff of Davidoff Hutcher & Cintron, did not follow proper procedures when it filed suit in April with the city, alleging that the city hired a dishonest security firm to investigate the merchants’ business practices, Davidoff told Crain’s. However, the merchants did not provide the city the required 30 days’ notice before filing a complaint, and the merchants withdrew the complaint.
Now, the plaintiffs are planning to bring new action. The 41 merchants, who own the market as a co-op, had reached a stalemate in negotiations with the Economic Development Corp. regarding a new 30-year lease to redevelop the 113-acre site.
“We are essentially starting over with some new causes of action,” Davidoff told Crain’s.
“We cannot comment on the possibility of future litigation,” a spokesperson for the agency told the publication. “All we know is that they filed a lawsuit, we moved to dismiss and in response to our motion they discontinued their lawsuit.” [Crain’s] – Mark Maurer