The City of Taunton is suing the owners of a local hotel after inspectors found the establishment housing many more migrant families than are allowed under the building’s occupancy limits.
The suit seeking over $100,000 in overdue civil fines comes, according to legal filings, after the state made a contract with the operators of the Clarion Hotel to house migrant families in the city.
The problem first came to the attention of city officials last May, months before Gov. Maura Healey’s August declaration that a state of emergency existed in the commonwealth surrounding a historic influx of migrant families seeking shelter in the Bay State.
Massachusetts is alone among the 50 U.S. states guaranteeing a right to shelter for pregnant women and families with small children.
“On or about May 2023 the city of Taunton Administration and Building Commissioner Robert Pirozzi were made aware that the Clarion Hotel was operating greatly above its occupancy limits. The increased occupancy was as a result of the State entering into a contract for placement of families in need of housing,” the civil complaint reads, in part.
Through correspondence with the state, the city learned the hotel was housing nearly 450 people despite the fact it’s only allowed to sleep 350.
“The state and (the hotel owners) were in communication with the City as to the impact these residents would have upon municipal services and the need for potential police details on site. As a direct result of these communications, it became clear to City and Building Inspector Pirozzi that the hotel was well above its occupancy levels,” the complaint reads.
Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell told the Herald the city first learned they would welcome 18 migrant families on April 7, 2023.
“Shortly thereafter, the entire hotel was occupied by more than a hundred families and ceased operating as a hotel. Within a couple of months, the hotel had converted entirely to an emergency shelter and housed approximately 445 people at any given time,” O’Connell said.
Pirozzi issued the first fine of $100 on May 26, 2023. Since then, with continued violations carrying a heftier $500 per day price tag, the amount has ballooned to $114,600.
The Clarion Hotel, the city of Taunton’s only such business, is owned and operated, according to the complaint, by six different limited liability companies based out of Taunton, Lexington, Canton, Quincy and Ashland, New Hampshire.
According to corporate database OpenCorporates, the principal agents of those LLCs are Prakashkumar Patel, of Taunton; Nilesh Patel, of Quincy; Anil Patel, of Ashland, New Hampshire; Jigar Patel, of Canton, and Hitesh Patel, of Lexington. None of the agents could be reached for comment by presstime.
Nor have any of them responded to the city’s citations, according to the complaint, which says that “at no time did the defendants” appeal the fines, as is their right under state law, dispute the amount or make any payments.
According to the mayor, the city was shown documents by the hotel operator’s architect indicating it “may be compliant with elements of life safety despite the increased occupancy numbers,” which temporarily ceased the fines.
“However, when the hotel delayed in applying for a building permit and submitting a code review to alter the occupancy certificate, the fines resumed. Ultimately, the hotel was fined $114,600 from May 26, 2023 to September 18, 2023. No fines have been paid to date. The issue of the nonpayment of fines is now pending in Superior Court,” she said.
The presence of the migrants in the city, O’Connell said, has not been easy for Taunton.
The Clarion is the city’s only hotel, and business travel to Taunton is impacted by its use as a shelter, she said. Normally the business there provides $160,000 in annual taxes to the city. The mayor hopes the state reimburses Taunton for that lost revenue. Increased occupancy has resulted in more emergency calls, the mayor said, and it’s even putting a strain on the city’s school system.
“While we are not unsympathetic to migrants fleeing unstable conditions in other countries, we have limited resources available and many residents in need, including seniors and veterans, who require services and housing. We continue to call upon the federal government to provide assistance to our state and our city,” she said.
According to information provided by the Healey Administration, there are 150 migrant families housed in Taunton, and 7,514 families enrolled statewide. 3,874 of those families are housed in hotels in communities across the state.
According to the governor, all of them are in the country legally.
