In October 2014, New York’s highest court heard arguments on three cases that raise the question as to whether tenants can pursue class action lawsuits against owners based on claims of unlawful deregulation while the buildings received J-51 tax benefits. In each case the Appellate...
The problem of mold recently got more dangerous for New York owners. Four years ago, a key appellate court decision in Manhattan blocked millions of dollars in legal claims for damages for the health effects of mold in buildings, saying that the scientific evidence that mold caused illness was...
On March 24, 2011, the NYS Court of Appeals ruled that the NYC Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) had the power to impose extra increases on long-term tenants of low-rent apartments. The issue dates back to 2008, when the RGB passed a measure in Orders Nos. 40 and 41 to allow owners of rent-stabilized...
A recent court decision could affect the ability of owners of former Mitchell-Lama buildings to convert thousands of apartments citywide to market-rate rents.
On Oct. 19, 2010, the Court of Appeals, New York's highest court, issued two decisions substantially weakening the “four-year rule” on overcharge cases. The rule prevents the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) from investigating rent overcharge complaints by looking...
As Stuyvesant Town gets ready for foreclosure, a judge recently ruled that current owner Tishman Speyer and past owner MetLife must pay back tenants retroactive rent rollbacks. In other words, the tenants are entitled to be reimbursed for years of rent overcharges on apartments whose rents were...
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 14 Penn Plaza LLC v. Pyett from earlier this year may have a significant impact on how you handle future labor disputes with your unionized employees. According to attorney William Hummell, a partner at Kucker and Bruh LLP, employers of union employees can now...
A Second Department Supreme Court judge recently declined to dismiss a case brought by the family of a toddler who was scalded during a kitchen sink bath. The toddler received first- and second-degree burns after he turned on a lever controlling the kitchen sink water while his mother was busy...
