Back in January we posted about a New York City landlord who was himself facing eviction after some “deadbeat” tenants were refusing to pay rent. Now, according to the NY Post, another NYC landlord is unable to evict an alleged deadbeat tenant due to the state’s pandemic-inspired eviction moratorium and recently enacted housing regulations.
The property owner says she’s been forced to sleep on the couches of friends & relatives whenever she can, and in her four-door Toyota when she can’t, after fighting and failing for months to evict the tenant from the two-family property. Interestingly, the Post points out that, according to court documents, the tenant allegedly owes $14,700 in back rent on the two-bedroom unit and bought a new car during the pandemic.
Obviously, there may be some additional details and perhaps complicated plot twists going on with this situation.
“Thanks to the state’s pandemic-inspired eviction moratorium and recently enacted housing regulations, Patterson has until at least May 1 before any New York housing court would even consider a case against her. That’s because she checked a box on a “hardship declaration” form, claiming she’s been financially impacted by COVID-19 and is unable to move. Under the new rules, New Yorkers had until Feb. 26 to fill out the form, which automatically pauses their evictions.”
“…the city Department of Social Services recently told Eccles that Patterson has rejected its offers of rental assistance so she could find a new apartment, the landlord claims…”
The case “highlights a terrible lack of balance between the rights of landlords and tenants in New York City, and is a prime example of the state government’s failure to properly address the housing situation,” said Eccles’ lawyer…”
He said small landlords are in “truly unfair and untenable situations.”
Click here to read the full story at the New York Post.
