Wilmington landlord forced to pay for endangering tenants in landmark settlement

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

In May 2022, a wall collapsed at an Adam Street apartment complex in Wilmington, sending shock waves through the lives of dozens of tenants. In a matter of hours, their homes were condemned as uninhabitable by city officials. Families with children, elderly residents and pets were suddenly left with nowhere to go.

After an investigation, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings and the Department of Justice announced a landmark settlement with the apartment building’s landlord, Adolf J. Pokorny, during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Under the terms of the agreement, Pokorny must pay $150,000 and completely withdraw from the rental business within 30 months.

“Today, I am announcing a significant step toward justice for tenants who have suffered at Pokorny’s hands,” Jennings said. “The settlement ensures that Pokorny will completely exit the rental business within 30 months, putting an end to nearly 50 years of harm to Delaware’s residents. Crucially, the $150,000 monetary part of this settlement secures $125,000 in compensation for former tenants who lived in Pokorny’s condemned N. Adam Street apartments.”

The wall collapse in May 2022 came after years of chronic neglect and exploitative practices by Pokorny, whose misconduct spanned decades, the DOJ said. Investigators said he ignored critical repairs and made careless modifications to buildings — including removing sections of load-bearing walls.

“He repeatedly ignored essential repairs, risking tenants’ safety. He made careless modifications to buildings, including removing sections of load-bearing walls which contributed to the collapse of the wall in May of 2022,” Jennings said. “He violated a prior court order from 2002, showing a long-standing disregard for the law and for his tenants’ well-being.”