EE110384RO, EE110201RT
                                  STATE OF NEW YORK
                      DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL
                            OFFICE OF RENT ADMINISTRATION
                                     GERTZ PLAZA
                               92-31 UNION HALL STREET
                                  JAMAICA, NY 11433




          ------------------------------------x
          IN THE MATTER OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE          ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW
          APPEALS OF                                   DOCKET NOS.:
                                                       EE110384RO,
                                                       EE110201RT
               G.K.J. Subraj & Barbara Merritt,
                                                       RENT ADMINISTRATOR'S
                                                       DOCKET NO.: 
                                                       DH110199OR
                                   PETITIONERS
          ------------------------------------x

           ORDER AND OPINION GRANTING OWNER'S PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE
                  REVIEW IN PART AND DENYING TENANT'S PETITION FOR
                                ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

          On May 6, 1990 and May 9, 1990, the above-named petitioner-owner 
          and tenant filed petitions for administrative review (PAR) of an 
          order issued on April 23, 1990, by the Rent Administrator, 
          concerning the housing accommodation known as 88-05 Merrick 
          Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, Apt. 4-K, wherein the Administrator 
          determined that the owner should be granted restoration of the rent 
          effective May 1, 1990, based on a finding that certain services had 
          been restored.

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

          The issue herein is whether the Rent Administrator properly 
          restored the rent of the subject apartment, effective May 1, 1990.  

          The owner commenced this proceeding by filing an Application for 
          Rent Restoration on July 27, 1989, stating that the tenant has 
          unreasonably refused to permit access to the owner to restore those 
          services that were the basis of a rent reduction order issued by 
          the Administrator on July 24, 1987, under Docket No. AL110407S.

          A DHCR "no access" inspection, scheduled for February 2, 1990, 
          found that the owner failed to complete all repairs and a second 
          inspection scheduled for April 9, 1990, found that the owner 
          completed all repair work.
          In the appeal, under Docket No. EE110384RO, the petitioner-owner 
          asserted, in pertinent part, that the effective date of the 












          EE110384RO, EE110201RT


          appealed order should be September 1, 1989, rather than May 1, 
          1990.  The tenant's PAR, under Docket No. EE110201RT, stated that 
          the owner's repairs were either incomplete or done in  an 
          unworkmanlike manner.

          The petition under Docket No. EE110384RO, was served on the tenant 
          on July 2, 1990.

          The petition under Docket No. EE110201RT was served on the owner on 
          May 9, 1990, and on June 25, 1990, the owner filed an answer to the 
          petition stating that two DHCR inspections corroborated his 
          contention that all repairs and services were properly restored.

          After a careful consideration of the entire evidence of record the 
          Commissioner is of the opinion that the owner's administrative 
          appeal should be granted in part and the tenant's administrative 
          appeal should be denied.

          With regard to the owner's PAR, and the issue of the effective date 
          of rent restoration ordered by the Administrator, the Commissioner 
          notes that it is the policy of the DHCR to order rent restoration 
          for rent stabilized tenants effective the first rent payment date 
          following service of the application on the tenants.

          A review of the record shows clearly that the application for rent 
          restoration was served on the tenant on November 6, 1989.

          The record contains substantial evidence indicating that the tenant 
          prevented the owner from gaining access to make repairs.  The owner 
          served the tenant with many access request notices from January to 
          April, 1989, which were unanswered; thus necessitating the 
          scheduling of the two "no access" inspections.

          The Commissioner finds, therefore, that the Rent Administrator's 
          determination that the rent should be restored, effective May 1, 
          1990, was in error, and that the rent should have been restored, 
          effective December 1, 1989.

          With regard to the tenant's petition under Docket No. EE110201RT, 
          the only issue raised is whether the owner restored services in a 
          workmanlike manner.

          A review of the record reveals that the DHCR inspector gained 
          access to the subject apartment on February 2, 1990 and April 9, 
          1990 and that the last inspection showed that the owner restored 
          all services.

          Accordingly, with regard to Docket No. EE110201RT, the Commissioner 
          finds that the Administrator properly determined that the owner had 
          restored all services based on the evidence of the record, 
          including the results of the on-site inspections of the subject 






          EE110384RO, EE110201RT


          apartment.
           
          THEREFORE, in accordance with the provisions of the Rent 
          Stabilization Law and Code, it is

          ORDERED, that the petition under Docket No. EE110384RO, be, and the 
          same hereby is, granted in part and that the Administrator's order 
          be, and the same hereby is, modified to reflect an effective date 
          of December 1, 1989 and it is further

          ORDERED, that the petition under Docket No. EE110201RT, be, and the 
          same hereby is, denied and that the Rent Administrator's order be, 
          and the same hereby is, affirmed as modified above.
             
                


          ISSUED:






                                                                     
                                             JOSEPH A. D'AGOSTA
                                             Deputy Commissioner  






    

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