A state Supreme Court judge has ruled that the foreclosure of the Hungerford Building can move forward.
Judge Daniel Doyle first authorized the foreclosure last September in a case brought by lender Elizon Transfer DB LLC against Staten Island-based owner Peter Hungerford. But Hungerford challenged the action, accusing the court-appointed referee of failing to provide evidence of the nearly $10.5 million that Hungerford allegedly owes the lender.
Doyle denied that claim last week, and removed all of the former building tenants from the list of defendants – clearing them of any financial responsibility.
Once a thriving hub for Rochester's arts community, Hungerford purchased the building in 2022, obtaining an $8.2 million mortgage. Hungerford is a distant relative of the building's namesake, J. Hungerford Smith, who built the complex in 1900 to manufacture soda syrups and other confectionaries. After reclaiming the family property, though, the building almost immediately began to fall into decay. Water damage, mold, and broken facilities were pervasive, leading to an exodus of tenants in the years that followed.
The building currently has 36 code violations, according to city property records. Those include leaking pipes, an uninspected elevator and broken doors.
