Residents sue motel on Staten Island due to bed bugs

Edward Reed and Juanise Rayford are among eleven residents who are suing the Midland Motor Inn, a motel on Staten Island, because of bed bugs. Staten Island Live reports that

The couple are among 11 motel residents who have recently sued the building owner, 630 Midmot Corp., in state Supreme Court, St. George.

The plaintiffs, who seek unspecified monetary damages, contend they have been “severely” bitten and sickened by “unabated” bedbug infestation.

Several of them have been diagnosed with scabies, a contagious skin infection, said their lawyer, Alan D. Levine of Queens.

“It’s made it impossible for them to sleep,” said Levine. “Many of them have had multiple visits to doctors or hospitals.”

It is important to note that bed bugs do not cause scabies, which is an unrelated skin disease caused by the scabies mite which burrows under skin.

However, the article also details allegations of bed bug bites and the presence of bed bugs (with photos of samples). New York’s Housing and Preservation Department inspectors cited bed bug violations in one room in May and June.

Some residents placed by Project Hospitality are being relocated to city shelters.

See: Suit says bedbugs infest motel on Staten Island – SILive.com.

Update (9/4/2009):

The Midland Motor Inn still has bed bugs, according to a story Friday in the Staten Island Advance. Councilman James Oddo has vowed to continue exerting pressure on the motel owner to solve the problem, the SI Advance reports:

“I pledge to you that on behalf of the beleaguered Midland Beach community, who have endured a diminished quality of life because of your lack of concern, my office will remain vigilant in working with the city agencies to do all we can to inspect, enforce and compel your compliance with all rules and regulations,” Oddo said in a letter to Patel.