New York Attorney General Letitia James, the self-proclaimed champion of holding the powerful to account, now finds herself on the receiving end of a pesky little summons for a too-tall fence at her historic Brooklyn home.
The New York Post reported that James is tangled up in a property dispute over a fence height violation at her 120-year-old brownstone in Clinton Hill Historic District, alongside a separate federal probe into alleged mortgage fraud tied to the same home and another in Virginia.
Let’s rewind to April 2025, when the drama kicked off with at least three anonymous complaints about the fence at James’ multi-family residence, perched between St. James Place and Grand Avenue.
The New York City Buildings Department wasn’t amused, issuing a summons on July 23, 2025, because the fence stands at a lofty 5 feet, 6 inches—well over the allowed 4-foot limit in the historic district.
James now faces fines of up to $500 unless she chops down the offending barrier or brings it to legal height by September 26, 2025.
She’s got a date with an administrative law judge on October 8, 2025, to sort out this backyard blunder, assuming the fence isn’t fixed by then.
Interestingly, locals on the block seem caught off guard by the rule violation, with one neighbor pointing out that James likely inherited the tall fence when she snagged the property back in 2001.
Another longtime resident noted that at least one other home nearby sports a similarly high fence but hasn’t been ticketed—raising eyebrows about selective enforcement in the neighborhood.
Could this be a case of bureaucratic nitpicking, or is the city finally playing fair by holding a high-profile figure to the same standards as everyday New Yorkers?
But wait, the fence fiasco is just the tip of the iceberg—since April 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice has been digging into allegations of mortgage fraud involving James, tied to this very Brooklyn brownstone and a co-owned property in Virginia.
The accusations claim she may have falsified records to secure better loan terms, including misrepresenting the number of units in the Clinton Hill home, which city records list as having a certificate of occupancy for five units around her 2001 purchase, despite other claims of four.
To add a cherry on top, James is also behind on a measly $13 annual property registration fee required by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development for the Brooklyn address—hardly a budget-buster for a top state official.
James has pushed back hard against the fraud claims, calling them “baseless” and tying them to her legal battles with President Trump as the supposed motive behind the scrutiny.
Yet, City Councilman Robert Holden isn’t buying the deflection, stating, “New Yorkers are 'tired of double standards,' and all public officials must follow the rules.”
His point stings—when progressive leaders preach accountability but dodge it themselves, it’s tough not to smell hypocrisy.
Holden doubled down, adding, “Attorney General Letitia James should bring the fence into compliance, pay any penalties, and be fully transparent.” If the rule of law is her mantra, shouldn’t she lead by example, or is that only for the little guy?