What to Know
- A Chelsea resident is suing a local sex shop after she says her home became uninhabitable due to a sewage leak
- The leak was caused by a backup of condoms, diapers and rubber gloves, she claims in her lawsuit
- A public record shows that a temporary restraining order was approved, restricting the defendants from causing further damage
A Chelsea resident is suing a local sex shop after she claims her home became uninhabitable due to a sewage leak caused by a build-up of condoms, diapers and rubber gloves.
Susan Haar filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Sexy Boutique, which is located at 155 8th Ave. She is seeking $2 million in damages after she says the repeated flooding wrecked the furnished basement of her townhouse.
According to the suit, sewage has occasionally risen above the baseboards, soaking into the walls up to a height of 6 feet. The walls, flooring and cabinetry are saturated in waste, which has resulted in an irreparable — and stinky — situation.
Haar, a playwright, purchased the townhouse at 304 W. 18th St. in 2010 at a foreclosure auction. She says has been struggling with intermittent flooding since last November, 10 days after she put her home on the market. Multiple times Haar has been forced to leave her home because of this, the suit says.
A camera probe conducted on Dec. 11, 2018 confirmed that the reason for the backup originated in the sex shop, according to the lawsuit.
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The lawsuit claims that despite reaching out, Sexy Boutique has not responded to her complaints.
Both Haar and her attorney at Newman Ferrara refused to comment on the case. However, a public record released Tuesday shows that the firm was able to secure a temporary restraining order that restricts the defendants from engaging in any activity in or around 155 8th St. that would continue to cause or continue to facilitate the sewage backups. This means that they are not allowed to use the bathroom inside Sexy Boutique.
Sexy Boutique did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
