Those living at the properties on May 16, 2022 may be entitled to restitution

Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced February 28, 2025, that the Delaware Department of Justice is opening a 60-day claim window for former tenants and occupants of A.J. Pokorny’s North Adams Street Properties who may be entitled to funds from a six-figure settlement with the recidivist Wilmington slumlord.

“Imagine losing, in an instant, the home where you and your loved ones live and sleep — where you keep nearly all of your worldly possessions — through no fault of your own,” said AG Jennings.  “What would be a nightmare for any of us was a reality for the people living in A.J. Pokorny’s North Adams Street properties on May 16, 2022. Compensation for those residents has always been a primary goal of our resolution with Mr. Pokorny.  I am happy to say that we are now identifying Mr. Pokorny’s former residents so that they can participate in the claims process and receive compensation.”

A December 3, 2024, settlement between the DOJ’s Consumer Protection Unit and Pokorny, which will ultimately force Pokorny’s exit from the rental business, included $125,000 in restitution to residents of the North Adams Street properties who were displaced by the May 16, 2022 collapse of a load-bearing wall that Pokorny had failed to properly maintain.

In order to be eligible for compensation, former residents must (1) have lived in Mr. Pokorny’s North Adams Street properties on May 16, 2022, (2) complete and sign an claim form affirming, among other things, their tenancy at the North Adams Street Properties on May 16, 2022, and (3) return the claim form to the Department of Justice no later than April 29, 2025.

The claim form is available for download here. Former residents can also obtain a copy by contacting Special Investigator Robert Schreiber at (302) 683-8817 or Robert.Schreiber@delaware.gov no later than March 31, 2025.

The Department of Justice is aware of roughly 40 residents affected by the 2022 collapse and will be directly contacting them in order to help them through the claims process. Eligible residents not yet known to the DOJ should contact Special Investigator Schreiber before March 31, 2025, and may be required to provide additional documentation or participate in a brief interview with a DOJ Investigator.

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