To the Editor:

I wanted a chance to comment on your Jan. 6 article, “Stuyvesant Plaza is claiming squatter’s rights on ‘small parcel’”: I am one of the “land magnates” that is being sued.

In June of this year, my brothers and I were informed by Maynard, O’Connor, Smith, & Catalinotto that my grandfather (who passed in the 1980s) owned a quarter of an acre and we were the rightful heirs. The law firm wanted us to donate this property to Stuyvesant Plaza.

We assume this is related to a title search to support the WS Development proposal to pay multi-millions for the Stuyvesant Plaza location. We pushed back and they offered my three brothers and me $2,000 total for the parcel.

Upon reviewing the price of real estate in Guilderland, we requested $20,000 (although comparable property is worth $250,000 or more). As a note, we estimate that the mall has generated tens to hundreds of millions of dollars for the mall owners.

The law firm and Stuyvesant Plaza refused to negotiate and have now filed a suit against my brothers and me for $50,000, claiming “unjust enrichment.” My brothers and I are not rich men — we are all over the age of 65 and two of us are military veterans.

It is sickening to see a large ultra-rich company like Stuyvesant Plaza Inc. going against four upstanding citizens. Frankly, I do not know what we are going to do but I find it unconscionable that a large company like Stuyvesant Plaza can use its deep pockets to press an insane lawsuit against my brothers and me.

It is clear that our system of justice suffers as the rich lawyer up to shortchange the public that do not have their resources. And it is these types of actions by Stuyvesant Plaza and their attorneys that clog up our legal system with unnecessary and frivolous lawsuits.

Thank you for hearing me out — and let Stuyvesant Plaza know that this approach to dealing with senior citizens is unwarranted.

Scott Simmons

Windsor, Colorado

Editor’s note: Scott Simmons signed himself as a senior citizen and military veteran.