Landlord Holds Connecticut Hostage With Threat To Cut Off Heat, A/C To Agency Offices, Says State AG

A number of Connecticut state agencies have effectively been threatened with the loss of their homes, according to a press release from the office of the Connecticut Attorney General:

• Attorney General Richard Blumenthal [last week] sued TEN Companies, Inc. for threatening to cut off heating and cooling to 10 key state buildings -- effectively crippling large swaths of state government -- unless the state drops a separate lawsuit seeking $14 million that the company overcharged the state. [...] Because all but one of the 10 buildings have no independent heating or cooling systems, TEN's actions would effectively force a shutdown of vital state agencies, including the State Armory, the Emergency Operations Center, the Department of Environmental Protection and the State Health Lab.

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• "We must stop TEN's brazen, blatant extortion -- its thuggish threat to shut down state buildings and cripple critical services as we pursue taxpayer legal rights," Blumenthal said. "A court order must block TEN from holding us hostage. If we fight for $14 million TEN overcharged taxpayers, TEN is prepared to make our buildings uninhabitable and state services undeliverable. TEN's termination of heating and cooling would force shutdown of the State Armory, the State Emergency Operations Center, the State Health Lab, the Department of Environmental Protection and other key state agencies. This company's arrogant disregard for citizen safety and well-being is shameful and shocking. [...] The company's demand that we withdraw our overcharge claims and apologize for bringing them is the height of arrogance and disregard for citizen safety and health -- unfair, unethical, unconscionable and unacceptable."

For more, see Connecticut AG Press Release - Attorney General, DPW, DCP Sue, Seek Injunction To Prevent Cut Off Of Heat, Cooling To State Buildings.