Stinging suit over an infested rental

The Water Mill house Manhattan dentist Alex Mikhailov rented from July 20 to Sept. 15 seemed perfect for him, his wife, Marina, and their 9- month-old daughter, Leah.

But there was a fly in the ointment. And wasps inside and out, said Mikhailov.

The house had at least a half-dozen wasps' nests, screens with holes and a landlord who threatened to charge Mikhailov's security deposit if he kept complaining, said the dentist, who filed a $1 million lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Manhattan.

At first, he said, the landlord sent an exterminator. Then another exterminator, paid for by the agent who took $93,500 for the summer rental. Then Mikhailov hired an exterminator on his own, who found wasps' nests in the rafters and in the nearby woods -- at least six.

Mikhailov said he never actually moved into the house at 847 Cobb Road West because he couldn't get the problem solved. In fact, the dentist said, it wasn't safe to set foot outside or to live inside, even with the EpiPen he bought as a precaution against a sting. The adrenaline autoinjector helps stave off potentially fatal reactions.

"They had a couple of nests removed when we got there," Mikhailov said. "I wasn't familiar with wasps and bees and all that. They swarmed around my head." Eliminating additional nests, he said, "didn't seem to rectify the problem. The exterminator said they were yellow jackets, and were even in the eaves of the house."

He asked for his money back from landlord Jeffrey Lignelli, who lives in Manhattan, according to the lawsuit. When Lignelli refused, Mikhailov sued.

John M. Churneftsky, Mikhailov's lawyer, said his client originally only wanted his rent money back, plus reimbursement for exterminating costs and getting furniture into and out of the house. "Once litigation became the only option, we decided to seek all necessary damages," Churneftsky said.

Lignelli could not be reached for comment, and a recording at his office in Manhattan indicated the phone mailbox was full.