Owner of Hamptons party house settles over code violations

The owner of a Springs party house where promoters allegedly hosted events for celebrity brands and sold $5,000 poolside spots has agreed to pay $32,000 to settle charges brought by East Hampton Town over its illegal use.

Juan Figueroa, owner of the 10,000-square-foot glass and steel house at 145 Neck Path, and other parties named in a restraining order request filed in state Supreme Court by the town in July, have also agreed to abide town code as part of the settlement.

The home, which features two stories of floor-to-ceiling glass windows and concrete floors, was recently listed for $2,700 per night on an online rental website, although no time slots were currently available. It features six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, according to the listing.

Online advertisements described the house as being able to accommodate up to 20 overnight guests and as having a house manager and butlers on premise, according to the town. Promoters offered bus service to the home, with pickups and drop-offs in several metropolitan area locations.

A town ordinance inspector in an affidavit said a promoter told him on July 16 she hosted an event for Carrie Underwood’s fitness apparel brand during a party attended by the singer and paid Figueroa $24,250 to rent the property for four days. Another advertised party that had been scheduled for August was to have admitted only those guests who dressed in white swimwear, according to the town.

The town then took Figueroa and others to court to prevent further improper use in a residential zone. 

The Town Board approved signing off on the settlement during its Feb. 11 work session, and all code charges were dismissed in East Hampton Town Justice Court on Monday, said senior assistant town attorney NancyLynn Thiele. 

Figueroa did not respond to a comment request.

"The heavy fines levied in this case should serve as notice. The Town of East Hampton will continue to take action against those who misuse their properties, violating our town code and negatively impacting neighborhoods," East Hampton Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said. "Residents must be protected against those who seek to profit from commercializing residential areas or overcrowding houses and harming the environment."

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.