Eviction hearing set for Skyline over alleged lease agreement violation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A month after the city of Providence moved to evict Skyline at Waterplace LLC over an alleged lease agreement violation, an eviction hearing has been set for later this month.

According to court records, the hearing is scheduled for May 22.

In April, the city claimed that the owners of Skyline failed to maintain the property by leaving trash, waste, furniture, and kitchen equipment outside.

Skyline is also accused of failing to provide documentation of all improvements, repairs, and maintenance made between Dec. 1, 2019, through the end of the lease.

“To date, your client has not provided the City with any of the required documentation,” Jillian Barker, senior assistant city solicitor, wrote in a letter to Micahel Lepizzera, the lawyer representing Skyline, last month.

Skyline had until May 4 to provide those documents. Court records indicate that documents were filed on May 2.

However, in a statement to ABC 6 News in April, Lepizzera countered by saying that the city’s claims are “flat out erroneous, wrong and form absolutely no legal basis to evict Skyline.”

He added that the city owes Skyline $54,134 for overpaid rent.

“Skyline [will] respond to the complaint by vehemently denying the frivolous allegations,” he said in part. “It will also be filing its own complaint against the City for the return of tens of thousands of dollars of overpaid rent.”