IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A DESPERATE ATTEMPT to keep himself out of jail, a Utica, New York, slumlord has filed suit against the city and the fire chief claiming that it was their fault that four tenants died in an apartment fire this past September.
Timothy Klotz, owner of about eight ill-kept properties around the city, already had a long list of building and fire code violations for his properties when a fire broke out in his apartment house on James Street on September 20 of this year. The Utica Fire Department responded to the 1:30 am fire and found a massive life hazard and rescue problem facing them. The fire that kept them busy for 13 hours claimed the lives of four residents.
Read the Firegeezer video report on this FIRE HERE to see coverage of the fire and a partial list of Klotz’s code violations that he had ignored correcting. We also posted this video taken at the fire scene:
Now in a bizarre and brazen move, Klotz has filed a “notice of claim” against the city. WKTV describes the action:
According to the document filed, Klotz’s claim is for loss of property and rental income, demolition costs, defamation of character, negligence, pain and suffering, medical bills, and a violation of his Federal and New York State Constitutional rights.
Also in the claim, Klotz states Utica Fire Chief Russell Brooks failed and refused to take necessary and appropriate action to fight a fire at his James Street property. The claim goes on to state the fire department made no attempt to rescue tenants in the burning building.
The fire killed four of Klotz’s tenants.
The claim states that following the fire, the Utica Fire Department issued false and defaming statements to the media about Klotz’s character and the manner in which he maintained his properties.
WKTV also has this video report on yesterday’s action:
