May 13, 2015 By David Singer 2 min read

The state Attorney General’s office has sued Davin Gartley, 39, of 1093 Lakemont Drive, Mt. Lebanon, for violating consumer protection laws stemming from his rental properties that were deemed unsafe and unclean, after the Allegheny County Health Department issued evacuation orders in 2014 and ultimately condemned the buildings.

The suit filed in Common Pleas court May 12 says Gartley had been violating consumer protection laws since 2013 by “failing to maintain properties in a habitable manner” and failed to “provide water service to tenants and fail(ed) to return security deposits” to tenants. Gartley had previously been cited for his properties in Carrick, at 2500 Berg Place, where he used garden hoses from nearby Brownsville Road properties to supply water to tenants who were mostly Bhutanese refugees, and failed to clean up overflowing sewage that spilled into parking lots. According to the suit, Gartley owns nearly a dozen properties in Allegheny County.

The suit notes further violations were found, including unsafe levels of lead at the Brownsville Road properties; lack of fire alarms and fire doors, and was fined over $22,000. It calls for restitution to be paid to the former tenants, for Gartley to pay further fines, as well as prohibiting him from “advertising, offering for lease and leasing” of rental properties.

In addition to any fines, Gartley owes more than $400,000 in unpaid taxes on the properties, according Pittsburgh and Allegheny County real estate databases. Neither Gartley nor his attorney could be reached for comment.