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Case 25-23251-MEH Doc 47-1 Filed 01/05/26 Entered 01/05/26 16:34:06 Desc
Exhibit 1 - Declaration of Leonard A. Bennett Esq. Page 4 of 30
7. Under Mr. Weinstein’s control, the Seaview apartment building was egregiously
mismanaged and fell into dangerous disrepair. Despite collecting substantial rents and even nearly
half a million dollars in federal pandemic rental assistance, Mr. Weinstein invested almost nothing
back into the 15-story building. Basic upkeep and safety requirements were disregarded. The
property was cited repeatedly for serious health, safety, and building code violations. For example,
city inspectors documented issues such as inoperable elevators, a non-functioning fire suppression
sprinkler system, mold and moisture intrusion, insect and rodent infestations, failing electrical
systems, lack of heat and hot water, and other hazardous conditions. Mr. Weinstein cycled through
underpaid on-site managers and routinely rejected proposals for essential repairs as “too costly,”
opting instead for superficial “band-aid” fixes that ignored the underlying problems. These
practices violated state and local housing codes and created untenable living conditions for the
tenants.
8. The deteriorated condition of the building resulted in official condemnation orders
on multiple occasions. On or about June 29, 2022, the City of Newport News condemned the
Seaview Apartments building as unsafe, forcing all residents to vacate on very short notice.
9. Although Mr. Weinstein later performed minimal repairs that led the city to lift that
initial condemnation after several months, the relief was short-lived. Approximately one year later,
after Mr. Weinstein had rebranded the property as “Oceanside Tower,” a fire and continued safety
deficiencies led the authorities to condemn the building for a second time on or about August 30,
2023. Again, tenants were ordered to evacuate immediately for their own safety. As a result of
these two condemnation events, all remaining residents were permanently displaced from the
Seaview property. Many tenants lost most of their personal belongings, which had to be left behind
in the hurried evacuations and were later ruined or inaccessible. From August 2023 onward, the
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