A group of tenants has sued the company that manages an Elmhurst building that went up in flames last month.

The Legal Aid Society filed the suit on behalf of the tenants. They are asking the housing court to appoint a third-party building administrator to oversee the reconstruction process at The Martinique.

The April fire on 94th Street near 57th Avenue left nearly 200 people homeless. The fire marshal’s office arrested contractor Declan Mcelhatton for intentionally setting the fire.

Legal Aid lawyers say that people working on the building before the fire were negligent and shouldn't be trusted to fix it now.

“We can never make up for what they went through or the suffering or the agony of being out of your home or losing all of your possessions, but hopefully we can restore the apartments and get people back into their homes and back to a normal life,” said attorney Sateesh Nori.

In response, Algin Management says they've brought in a number of consultants to make the necessary repairs. They also say, “Efforts will continue to advance the process of rebuilding so that all residents who wish to return to their homes may do so as soon as possible.”

Here is the full text of the Align Management statement:

"Management has shared residents’ shock and dismay over this tragic incident and the fact that tenants have experienced incredible hardship. The owners have been deeply committed to this building over the past fifty years, and from the moment this incident occurred, management has been in contact with all residents to communicate verbally and in writing---both in correspondence and posted online for immediate public access---that it is committed to maintaining the tenancy of all who wish to keep their apartments. Any claims to the contrary are patently false. Leases are being preserved and apartments are being held for residents who wish to return when repairs are complete.

Every effort is being made to proceed in a way that will allow residents to return safely to their homes. Coordinating closely with the City and its inspectors and engineers, management has been working around the clock to determine which areas are safe to re-enter both for permanent re-occupancy of the unaffected wing of the building, and for the removal of personal property in the affected wing, which is set to undergo full interior construction and renovation. For this purpose, management has retained architectural engineers, mechanical engineers and environmental consultants, and progress is being made on the project, which includes major, time-consuming abatement work. Efforts will continue to advance the process of rebuilding so that all residents who wish to return to their homes may do so as soon as possible."