Tinder parties at compound prompt legal action from East Hampton
East Hampton officials said dating site Tinder violated town code by throwing large parties at a Montauk compound owned by Michael Hirtenstein, above, for promotional events without proper permits. Credit: Google Maps, Getty Images
East Hampton Town officials said they are pursuing legal action against dating app company Tinder after a group related to the corporate entity threw multiple large parties at a rented Montauk compound and violated noise codes.
Town Attorney Michael Sendlenski said Thursday that he is in negotiations with entrepreneur Michael Hirtenstein, the owner of 230-234 Old Montauk Hwy., and Tinder representatives after code enforcement officers cited them for multiple parties held the weekends of July 14 and 22.
Tinder employees moved out of the property Wednesday, two days before their lease was set to expire.
“It’s one thing for a family to have a party at their house. It’s another thing for a corporate entity to rent the house and use it exclusively for the promotional purpose of throwing parties,” Sendlenski said.
The party hosts did not have special-event permits, which are required for gatherings of more than 50 people, Sendlenski said. Town officials had denied their permit application — which they sought after code enforcement officers cited the house for two noise violations and not having a permit following the first party — but the group “continued to have the parties anyway,” Sendlenski said.
Officials at Tinder, which popularized swiping for mates on mobile devices, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Hirtenstein, a partner of restaurant and night life company EMM Group, could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
The 3.6-acre property — which Hirtenstein purchased for $13 million in 2013 — has “some of the most beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean anywhere in Montauk,” Sendlenski said.
The estate features a 5,000-square-foot house, 2,400-square-foot guesthouse, pool and outdoor shower, according to a prior real estate listing.
In a special meeting on Wednesday devoted solely to this subject, the East Hampton Town Board authorized Sendlenski’s office to seek injunctive relief against and settle with the parties that use and occupy the property.
Violators of noise code face fines of between $1,000 and $10,000 for each convicted offense; those violating public assembly code face fines of between $500 and $15,000 per convicted offense.
“To bring in commercial activity into a residential neighborhood destroys the fabric of the community, and the town won’t stand for it,” Sendlenski said.
Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news.
