Judge Rules Against River Valley Estates Owners in Sullivan County Lawsuit

LOCH SHELDRAKE — For the residents of River Valley Estates, it wasn’t just the water that ran foul — it was years of mismanagement, unaddressed repairs, and what the courts have now ruled were illegal rent practices that pushed many to the edge.

Now, a judge has sided with the tenants.

In a ruling filed in Sullivan County Supreme Court, Judge Meagan Galligan found that the owners of the mobile home park — George Levin and Gayla Sue Levin — broke multiple state laws by failing to provide safe living conditions and by overcharging residents with unlawful fees and rent hikes.

The park, formerly known as Foxcroft Village, has long been a source of complaints in Loch Sheldrake and beyond. For years, residents reported going without water for days at a time. Some lived with raw sewage in their yards or backing up into their homes. Others were forced to buy bottled water, install filters, or even rent second properties just to access basic utilities.

The Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against the Levins in October 2024, and in her recent ruling, Judge Galligan agreed with the state’s findings.

From faulty water systems and boil water advisories to unjustified fees and mid-lease rent increases, the court found that the park’s management routinely disregarded both the law and the wellbeing of its tenants.

“Every New Yorker deserves a safe place to live with access to clean water,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “This treatment is illegal and unjustified, and today’s victory is a major step toward securing true justice for River Valley families.”

Between 2019 and 2023, the park imposed more than 50 rent increases without proper lease renewals, failed to provide required tenant rights notices in over 600 leases, and charged hundreds of residents an illegal $39.50 garbage fee — all without proper notice. The court also found more than 700 late fees of $35 were charged, far exceeding what is allowed by state law.

Residents who paid rent by card were hit with an illegal 3% surcharge. Some tenants saw rent increases of more than 6%, despite the Emergency Tenant Protection Act capping annual increases at 3% unless otherwise approved.

According to the court, these violations were part of a pattern — not isolated mistakes.

Judge Galligan also cited over 100 New York State Sanitary Code violations and more than 200 citations from the Town of Fallsburg, many of which were still active when the state filed its suit.

The Attorney General is now seeking more than $2 million in restitution for residents, along with over $200,000 in penalties. The court is expected to review those requests in a future proceeding.

River Valley Estates, rebranded from Foxcroft in 2023, is still managed by the Levins, who operate the park from Florida. The on-site manager, according to court documents, often lacked the resources or authority to carry out repairs.

In one troubling case cited in the lawsuit, a resident was handed a stick by staff and told to push backed-up sewage into a drain. Residents reported unreliable water service during major holidays, and some spent years under boil water advisories — often without formal notice from management.

Town of Fallsburg Supervisor Michael Bensimon said last year that the park’s water and septic issues had reached a critical point.

“The water and septic situation is definitely on top of the list because that’s health, welfare, and safety,” Bensimon said. “People are bringing in their own bottled water because nobody there drinks the tap water.”

The court ruling follows a history of legal actions involving the park. In 2018, a previous suit by the Attorney General’s Office was discontinued after the Levins agreed to fix the water and septic systems. That agreement, the state now says, was not upheld.

The park also gained attention in 2022 after it filed a defamation lawsuit against two residents who had posted online about the poor conditions. That case was dismissed, with a judge ruling the residents’ posts were protected under the state’s anti-SLAPP law.

With this latest ruling, River Valley becomes the first manufactured home park in New York to be found in violation of the Emergency Tenant Protection Act.

The case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Justin Haines and Assistant Attorney General in Charge Vinita Kamath from the Poughkeepsie Regional Office, with additional support from legislative staff and student assistants.

The Levins have not commented publicly on the ruling.

Image: Exterior of River Valley Estates (Photo Credit: Patricio Robayo)