The acoustic ceiling tiles, which are used in commercial and residential buildings, are designed to be invisible and not interfere with sound.
However, they have been the subject of a number of lawsuits.
A federal court in New York has ruled in favor of the homeowners, ruling that the tiles were used for over a century without causing any injury or damage.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the case is a test case to see whether New Yorkers will allow the tiles to be removed, even after the city received complaints from residents.
The lawsuit filed last week alleges that in January 2016, the City of New York was notified that the tile was being removed and that the city had agreed to a $30,000 settlement.
The tile has been in use since the late 1800s and was first installed in the 1900s by an engineering firm called C.S. Guggenheim.
The tiles were installed by Gugenheim in the mid-1950s, but the company was sold to a private company in 2002.
The plaintiffs in the suit claim that they had complained to the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development about the tiles, and that when they got no response, they filed a lawsuit.
The city says that it was notified of the lawsuit in October.
The complaint also says that the City had been told by the Gugens that the homeowners would be able to continue to use the tiles even after they agreed to the settlement.
However, Schneiderman, a Democrat, said that Gugenhheim was not allowed to install the tiles in any new buildings for at least the next 30 years, and if they are not removed from public spaces, then the city has to pay for the cost of cleaning them.
The lawsuit also states that the lawsuit seeks $1.2 million in damages.
“The tile is a modern, highly effective, and inexpensive alternative to traditional soundproofing,” Schneiderman wrote in a statement.
“It is a necessary step to improve our public spaces and to ensure that the safety and privacy of our people are protected.”
The city says it has no plans to remove the tiles.