Tenant Law question

Long time lurker here with finally a reason to write.
Several months ago my partner and I rented an apartment in a two family home. The other unit is rented out as well. We have had many issues since moving in and the landlord is very slow to fix things. He has been incredibly rude and displays behaviors that could be considered borderline harassment over the tiniest thing. It’s become quite an issue so we contacted our lawyer.

We recently found out via our lawyer that the home is actually SRO restricted still. It’s listed on several NYC websites this way. And it’s legally recognized as a one family home. It seems the landlord converted it to a two family illegally. We have approached him about this and he is denying it over and over (with nothing to back it up). Our lawyer told us to stop paying rent and now our landlord is threatening eviction over it. We are looking for a new home but any thoughts on how to handle this? I trust my lawyer but just want a second opinion for peace of mind.

Thank you
RJ

decorativeshutters12

in General Discussion 5 years and 11 months ago

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restorationcontractor | 5 years and 11 months ago

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Here is the attorney you should consult with;
Mel Krimco (718) 789-3410
592 Pacific St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Used him on a few occasions, he is an excellent L&T lawyer and very reasonable.

GreenThinker | 5 years and 11 months ago

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It’s an empty threat, no landlord ever gets a dime for early termination of lease, non payment, or what ever. The new laws also state that you have the right to move out with proper notice and the landlord simply has to list the apartment again.

decorativeshutters12 | 5 years and 11 months ago

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Oh I think you are both misunderstood. We aren’t interested in being evicted via housing court. We are moving out on our own accord and also are still paying rent. But Landlord is threatening immediate eviction (saying we have to be out in a week) and saying we are responsible for all remaining months in our lease (6 months rent), simply because we brought it up and asked for more details on the building to prove that it’s legal. My question was more surrounding how to verify this information beyond the landlord’s word. My partner and I have already talked to several lawyers who have all confirmed the same thing, but I’ve reached out here for a “second opinion” if you will. Next step I’m assuming is to go to the Department of Buildings for verification? My main concern is my landlord saying that he will go after us for the six months rent because if he “has to evict us,” it’s our fault.

decorativeshutters12 | 5 years and 11 months ago

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Oh I think you are both misunderstood. We aren’t interested in being evicted via housing court. We are moving out on our own accord and also are still paying rent. But Landlord is threatening immediate eviction (saying we have to be out in a week) and saying we are responsible for all remaining months in our lease (6 months rent), simply because we brought it up and asked for more details on the building to prove that it’s legal. My question was more surrounding how to verify this information beyond the landlord’s word. My partner and I have already talked to several lawyers who have all confirmed the same thing, but I’ve reached out here for a “second opinion” if you will. Next step I’m assuming is to go to the Department of Buildings for verification? My main concern is my landlord saying that he will go after us for the six months rent because if he “has to evict us,” it’s our fault.

yudashasom | 5 years and 11 months ago

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Agree w/ Cate 100%

What are you trying to accomplish?

As Cate said, many buildings have a mix of Class A and Class B units. I’ve also seen buildings that have been legally converted, and city records not updated. It could be legal – is there a CO? What does HPD have it listed as?

You won’t want to have an eviction on your record – even just your name being on housing court records alone will be a problem for you.

Get a new lawyer.

cate | 5 years and 11 months ago

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Sounds like you’ve been getting some very questionable advice. Is your attorney an experienced landlord tenant lawyer or a friend in some other law field? What is your goal? Do you want your landlord to fix something, do you want to move, or do you want to live there and not pay rent? It’s perfectly possible the house could contain SRO units yet you are still a legal tenant in a legal unit. However, it’s not possible the home is “legally recognized as a one-family home” AND is also SRO restricted. It cannot be both. We would need to know more about the specifics of why you are withholding rent, but this approach is almost never a good idea — legally, morally or practically.