Kingston Takes Legal Stand Against Billionaire Developer After 7 Lawsuits in 18 Months

Kingstons top lawyer has had enough.

 

After 18 months of nonstop lawsuits, demolished canopies, and over million in taxpayer costs, Corporation Counsel Barbara Graves-Poller is taking a stand against billionaire developer Neil Bender and his company.

 

On March 11, Graves-Poller filed a motion asking the court to sanction Bender and his lawyer William Hurst for what she calls a pattern of frivolous, resource-draining litigation targeting the city.

 

The Allegations

 

Graves-Pollers motion does not mince words.

 

She accuses Benders William Gottlieb Real Estate company of using lawfare to punish Kingston for refusing to bend to his will in development disputes.

 

Resource-consumptive litigation—not honest dispute resolution—is plaintiffs goal, her filing states.

 

The proof, she argues, is in the numbers: seven lawsuits filed in the past year and a half, all targeting Uptown Kingston properties Bender owns.

 

Two of those cases failed in Ulster County Supreme Court and again on appeal.

 

Another was dismissed by a federal judge.

 

Three more are still grinding through the courts, draining city resources with each filing.

 

The Canopy Controversy

 

The latest battle centers on a network of wooden canopies that once covered Wall Street in Uptown Kingston.

 

The city demolished them over the winter at a cost of ,056,000, then paid out another .27 million in settlements to 38 building owners for facade damage caused by the removal.

 

Bender was not among those receiving settlements.

 

Instead, he sued—claiming the demolition caused him personal humiliation, emotional distress and mental anguish.

 

His lawyer even alleged Bender feared potential political violence after Mayor Steve Noble encouraged residents to send postcards expressing their feelings about the issue.

 

Graves-Pollers sanctions motion asks the court to penalize Bender for what she argues is an abuse of the legal system.

 

Whether the court agrees remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: this battle between a small Hudson Valley city and a billionaire developer is far from over.