Attorney General Neronha to appeal Superior Court ruling in Pioneer Investments case

Published on Friday, November 22, 2024

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha today issued a statement following the Superior Court’s decision in the Office’s case against Pioneer Investments, LLC granting both sides’ Motions for Summary Judgment, thereby ending the proceedings in the Superior Court.

“Last year, our Office took action to protect children from being lead poisoned in their homes -- suing a major Rhode Island rental corporation and its president for failing to comply with numerous state rental, lead hazard, and consumer protection laws that have placed the health and safety of hundreds of renters at risk. With all due respect to the Court, we have been repeatedly disappointed by the decisions in this case, and we believe the Court got it wrong here for two major reasons. The Court found that Pioneer’s behavior does not violate the DTPA because renters are not consumers, which is both contrary to law and probably seems absurd to anyone who has ever paid money in exchange for a product. Secondly, the Court ruled that the Department of Health should exhaust all the tools at its disposal (i.e. fines) before my Office can take action. I believe this has the potential to cause real, tangible harm to the people of Rhode Island in any case that involves public health. Needless to say, my Office stands by the allegations in the complaint, and we will continue to vigorously pursue accountability here through appeals and other means.

More broadly, I am tired of the feet-dragging when it comes to the health and development of our children. Our collective response to lead safety laws must be commensurate with the danger that lead poisoning poses, which cannot be overstated. Since the September launch of the Rental Registry, nearly 37,000 rental units across Rhode Island have been registered, a huge win for lead-safe housing. And yet, I have heard pushback from some landlords, via the media, about supposed issues they are facing in their attempts to comply with lead safety laws that have been on the books for more than 20 years. To me, these complaints ring hollow and demonstrate the need for an Attorney General’s Office that fights for the people of this state, using the laws that the General Assembly have enacted. We must all do our part to eradicate childhood lead poisoning. No more excuses, no more games.”

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