By: Nick Carraway

New York Attorney General Letitia James, already under federal investigation for alleged mortgage fraud, now faces a much smaller but very public problem: her Brooklyn fence.

As the New York Post first reported, James has been summoned to appear before an administrative law judge on Oct. 8 for violating city building codes. At issue is a black iron fence in front of her multi-family home in the Clinton Hill Historic District. Standing 5 feet, 6 inches tall, the fence exceeds the 4-foot limit — and could cost the state’s top law enforcement officer up to $500 in fines.

The city’s Department of Buildings issued the summons on July 23 after receiving at least three anonymous complaints since April, records show, according to the Post.

City Councilman Robert Holden, a Queens Democrat, told the Post that New Yorkers are “tired of double standards” and insisted James should be held accountable just like any other homeowner. “If the DOB summons and mortgage questions are accurate, Attorney General Letitia James should bring the fence into compliance, pay any penalties, and be fully transparent, because no one is above the law,” he said.

James can avoid the fine if she lowers or removes the fence by Sept. 26, according to the Post.

Neighbors on the leafy block, tucked between St. James Place and Grand Avenue, told the paper they had no idea James was in violation. One longtime resident insisted the attorney general inherited the fence when she purchased the 120-year-old brownstone in 2001. Others pointed out that at least one nearby home has a similar tall fence that has not been cited.

But the controversy over the fence is only part of James’s growing real estate troubles. The New York Post has reported extensively that the U. S. Department of Justice is investigating James over allegations she falsified records to secure favorable mortgage terms on the Clinton Hill property — as well as another home she co-owns in Virginia with her niece.

Federal investigators are probing whether James misrepresented her Brooklyn brownstone’s occupancy. According to the Post, she listed it as a four-unit dwelling, even though city records at the time of her 2001 purchase indicated a certificate of occupancy for five units.

The Post further revealed that James has also fallen behind on smaller obligations, such as an annual $13 property registration fee required by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

James has dismissed the mortgage fraud allegations as “baseless,” claiming they are politically motivated attacks tied to her history of legal battles with former President Donald Trump. But the federal inquiry remains ongoing.

For now, the fence dispute could bring more embarrassment to the state’s top cop. The Post reported that residents were surprised by the city’s enforcement, with some suggesting James is being unfairly targeted while others argued she should know better as the state’s chief legal officer.