The owner of Charlestown-based Shipyard Quarters Marina has been ordered by a judge to halt any attempt to evict boats and take immediate steps to repair the structural integrity of the facility that has become a public safety and environmental concern for local residents and boat owners, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced.
"Shipyard Quarters Marina continues to suffer from serious structural problems placing the public at risk," Coakley said in a statement. "This latest action is another example of this owner dodging his responsibility to correct this dangerous situation for boat owners and the general public."
A lawsuit and request for a preliminary injunction against marina owner Martin Oliner of Lawrence, N.Y., Shipyard Quarters Marina L.L.C., and LDA Pier 9, L.L.C., were filed together in Suffolk Superior Court on Aug. 1. According to the complaint, Oliner was appointed as the trustee of the Shipyard Marina Trust and Shipyard Quarters in August 2005. He is now the sole manager of Shipyard Quarters Marina LLC and LDA Pier 9 LLC, which are also named as defendants in the Commonwealth’s complaint.
Last week, Judge Elizabeth Fahey issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), requiring the defendants to hire an engineer to assess the structural integrity of the marina. The order also effectively froze the financial assets of Oliner and his two companies.
Pending the inspections, the TRO required Oliner to make safe, if possible, a portion of the marina sufficient to accommodate remaining vessels until the end of the season. On Tuesday, however, Oliner gave boat owners 48 hours to vacate the marina. At a Wednesday hearing, the AG’s Office alleged that Oliner violated the terms of the TRO by issuing the eviction notices and requested that Oliner give owners a reasonable amount of time to locate alternative accommodations if an inspection reveals that no portion of the marina may be made safe. The AG’s Office also requested that Oliner pay their relocation costs and fully refund license fees paid for use of the marina facilities for the remainder of the season.
Fahey extended the TRO indefinitely on Thursday. Despite the order, the AG’s office learned that Oliner intended to move forward with evictions, and lock owners out early Friday morning. In response, the AG’s office filed an emergency motion Thursday to halt those evictions. That motion was granted Thursday afternoon pending the outcome of another hearing, which has been scheduled for Monday.
The court order postpones the use of the facility after Oct. 31 until renovations have been completed and continues the freeze on the financial assets of Oliner and his two companies.
The preliminary injunction filed would require regular inspections of the marina as work is performed and for the engineer to certify which sections of the marina are safe for vessels currently docked.
The complaint also seeks to fine Oliner $25,000 for every day that the marina’s condition violated state law, which could total millions of dollars.
The lawsuit follows inspections of the marina by MassDEP over the last year, which discovered numerous safety hazards at the marina including broken and nonexistent pilings and corroded electrical systems.
According to the complaint, the marina comprises piers 6 and 8 of the Charlestown Navy Yard and the section of the Harborwalk that runs on and between the two Piers. The complaint alleges that on pier 6, numerous "finger floats" and "vessel slips" used for docking boats are either twisted or missing pieces of their deck and were generally unsafe for use. On pier 8, the complaint alleges that many of the steel pilings that hold the docks in place are rusted through and that some of those pilings have already collapsed due to deterioration.
Furthermore, wooden beams and pilings that support pier 8 have allegedly suffered significant deterioration and are rotting, creating a serious safety hazard for the general public.
