ADM. REVIEW DOCKET NO.: AL 410032 RT

                                  STATE OF NEW YORK
                      DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL
                            OFFICE OF RENT ADMINISTRATION
                                     GERTZ PLAZA
                               92-31 UNION HALL STREET
                               JAMAICA, NEW YORK 11433

          ------------------------------------X 
          IN THE MATTER OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE :  ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW
          APPEAL OF                              DOCKET NO.: AL 410032 RT  
                                              :      DRO     DOCKET     NO.:
                LAWRENCE MENTZ AND               AA 400390 R
                BARBARA MENTZ   PETITIONERS   :  Owner: Wonforo Associates 
          ------------------------------------X  c/o  Murray  Cooper,  Agent
                          
            ORDER AND OPINION GRANTING PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW


               On December 10,  1986,  the  above  named  petitioner-tenants
          filed a Petition for Administrative Review against an order issued 
          on November 24, 1986, by the Rent Administrator  at  Gertz  PLaza,
          Jamaica, New York,  concerning  housing  accommodations  known  as
          Apartment No. 2-B at 140 West 86th Street,  New  York,  New  York,
          wherein the Administrator terminated the proceeding instituted  by
          the tenants' overcharge complaint, finding no overcharges.

               The Commissioner has reviewed all  of  the  evidence  in  the
          record and has carefully considered that  portion  of  the  record
          relevant to the issues raised in the administrative appeal.  

               This proceeding was  originally  commenced  on  December  31,
          1985, by the filing of a  complaint  of  rent  overcharge  by  the
          tenants.

               The owner submitted an answer in response to the complaint.  
          With that answer, the owner submitted documentation in support  of
          its allegation that it had  mailed  the  tenants  a  copy  of  the
          initial registration statement on June 25, 1984.

               In the order below the Administrator found that the owner had 
          served the tenants with a copy of the 1984 rent  registration  and
          the  tenants  had  not  filed  a  timely  objection  thereto.  The
          Administrator further found that  using  that  initial  registered
          rent as a base for calculating all future Guidelines increases, no 
          overcharges had been collected.  

               In their Petition, the tenants deny that no timely  objection
          to the initial registered rent was filed and they note  that  they
          had filed both a rent overcharge complaint and  Fair  Market  Rent
          Appeal (FMRA) in  March  of  1984.  The  tenants  note  that  said
          proceedings as  of  the  date  of  their  Petition  had  not  been
          determined.  The tenants therefore ask  that  the  Administrator's
          order be revoked.    




               Although afforded an opportunity to do so, the owner has  not
          interposed an answer to the tenants' Petition.






          ADM. REVIEW DOCKET NO.: AL 410032 RT

               The Commissioner is of the opinion that the  Petition  should
          be granted and that the Administrator's order should be revoked. 

               The Commissioner finds that the Division's records show  that
          on March  13,  1984,  the  tenants  had  filed  both  a  FMRA  and
          overcharge complaint with  the  New  York  City  Conciliation  and
          Appeals Board (CAB, the agency formerly charged with enforcing the 
          Rent Stabilization Law).  The Commissioner further finds that  one
          docket number, Docket # L- 3115008 R/T had been assigned  to  both
          of those proceedings; that on  September  19,  1984,  the  tenants
          filed a timely objection to  the  initial  registration  statement
          indicating  that  their  objection   constituted   an   overcharge
          complaint and FMRA; that Docket  #  30624  was  assigned  to  that
          Objection; and that by an order  issued  on  June  17,  1986,  the
          Administrator merged the proceeding assigned Docket 30624 into the 
          proceedings assigned Docket # L-3115008 R/T and that  on  December
          28, 1989, the Administrator issued an order denying  the  tenants'
          FMRA, finding that commencing with the tenants' July  1,  1981  to
          June 30, 1984 renewal lease, the owner had overcharged the tenants 
          and directing  the  owner  to  refund  $2,350.59  in  overcharges,
          including treble damages from April  1,  1984.   The  Commissioner
          notes that the owner filed a PAR (which was assigned Docket  #  EB
          410004 RO) against that December 28, 1989 order; and  that  at  or
          about the time of the issuance of the instant order  and  opinion,
          the Commissioner is issuing  an  order  and  opinion  denying  the
          owner's PAR under Docket # EB 410004 RO.      

               The Commissioner therefore  finds  that  the  Administrator's
          order of November 24, 1986 was  issued  in  error  and  should  be
          revoked. 

               THEREFORE, pursuant to the Rent Stabilization Law  and  Code,
          it is

               ORDERED, that this  Petition  be,  and  the  same  hereby  is
          granted; and that the  Administrator's  order  be,  and  the  same
          hereby is revoked in accordance with this order and opinion.

          ISSUED:








                                                                        
                                          ELLIOT SANDER
                                          Deputy Commissioner