Letter: Penalizing neighbors who sue
Mitch Pally, chief executive of the Long Island Builders Institute, on April 12, 2013. His organization is part of a home exposition Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Credit: Barry Sloan
I read that Long Island builders wish to extract penalties from those who challenge real estate developments in court ["Business group seeks pro-development law," Business, June 14].
I would ask them, will this proposal cut both ways? If they lose in court, will they also be penalized, or is this only "heads I win, tails you lose"?
More seriously, as an environmental activist trying to stop overdevelopment, I find it really rich that builders who have already overdeveloped much of Long Island feel they have any legitimate grievance. Courts only restrain (or delay) builders when they have a good legal basis to do so, and the litigators opposing development are often standing up for what local residents want.
It would be damaging and unfair to undermine the last-ditch option preservationists have in turning to the courts for help.
Richard Brummel, East Hills
