In NYC Rent Stabilized tenants have many rights and are generally entitled to the offer of a renewal lease. However, there are certain circumstances where Rent Stabilized tenants may still be evicted, including nonpayment of rent. In addition a landlord may refuse to renew a Rent Stabilized... View More

Generally, tenants are jointly and severally liable for rent payments until the vacant apartment is surrendered to the landlord. In plain language this means that whatever agreement roommates may have between themselves regarding how the rent will be share the landlord can look to any of the... View More

When a co-owner refuses to cooperate in the sale of real property located in New York, a partition action may be commenced to compel the sale of the property at auction. In most cases, the parties reach a settlement regarding the sale before an auction is actually required.

A surviving spouse is entitled to inherit. The information provided by the NYS Unified Court System at this link should be helpful to you: https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp/whensomeonedies/intestacy.shtml

Generally, if a tenant who has been illegally locked out calls the police, the police will require the landlord to provide access. If this doesn't work, you can go to your local housing court and start an illegal lock-out case to regain possession.

It's very unfortunate that you are having these issues with the property you so recently purchased. You are describing a complex issue that will require the examination of the documents executed at closing as well as other records to properly guide you. Therefore, it is not the type of... View More

There are circumstances in which the owner of an LLC could have personal liability... particularly if it is alleged there was fraud. If you have been sued, you should immediately retain legal counsel as there are time limits to responding to litigation or a default judgment may be taken against... View More

Rent increases for Major Capital Improvements ("MCIs") relate only to rent regulated properties. In unregulated properties, landlords are not required to justify the reason for a rent increase. If a tenant has a lease for a specific term, the rent cannot generally be increased until... View More

Generally, landlord's are not required to provide any advance notice to tenants that a property is being sold. Instead the purchaser simply steps into the shoes of the seller in relationship to the tenants after the closing. If the owner is seeking to have non-rent regulated tenants move in... View More

If your aunts inherited the property, they would generally have the right to sell the property. However, the sale of the property does not result in your immediate eviction. Instead, as a tenant or an occupant in possession of the property for more than 30 days, the owners of the property would... View More

When an owner uses a building that has a Certificate of Occupancy for two (2) families for three (3) separate dwelling units, a defacto multiple dwelling is created. The law requires that any building in NYC used for three or more dwelling units must have a current Multiple Dwelling Registration... View More

If you own the fence and it is on your property, you can seek to hold your neighbor responsible for any damage caused by his/her unauthorized use of your fence. If the damage is less than $10,000 you may sue in Small Claims Court for money damages. However, if you also want an injunction... View More

Noisy neighbors are frequent problems for tenants and landlords. Depending upon whether the tenants causing the problem are rent regulated or free market can significantly impact the likelihood of the landlord's ability to address the situation. Withholding rent will likely get your... View More

The expenses of the estate are paid from Estate assets. The expenses associated with the property before it is transferred to the beneficiary are generally the Estate's responsiblity and not those of an individual beneficiary. The language of the Will may provide more guidance.

If you pay the money but don't feel it was just, you may commence a case in Small Claims Court to recover the money you believe was collected wrongly. However, if you owe money for rent arrears, the landlord may counterclaim against you.

If by "holding a mortgage" you mean you are the lender on the note secured by a mortgage against property owned by the 80 year old borrower, provided your mortgage is propertly recorded there should be no additional documents required to secure your loan. Regardless of age, the... View More

Security deposits are designed to provide the landlord with protection against the cost of damages or unpaid rent at the end of a tenancy. Therefore, landlords are not obligated to apply the security deposit towards rent while a tenant is still in occupancy.

Depending on when a building was constructed or modified, a certificate of occupancy may not be required. Testing is usually required to verify the presense of asbestos. If a security deposit was required, the landlord is not permitted to also collect last month's rent.

Tenants are generally responsible for damage caused by misuse of the rented premises/ However, the items you mentioned as needing repair could merely be the result of regular wear and tear for which the tenant is not responsible.

Unfortunately, real estate transactions between family members that are done informally without an attorney often result in disputes down the road. Therefore, it is important to obtain legal representation to properly document this proposed transaction and best protect yourself instead of asking... View More