FF 110422-RO
           
                                  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
          APPEALS OF                              DOCKET NO.:   
                                                  FF                  110422-RO
                GRENADIER REALTY CORP.,                               
                                                  RENT          ADMINISTRATOR'S
                                                  DOCKET NO.: 
                                  PETITIONER      FD 110184-S
          ----------------------------------x


            ORDER AND OPINION DENYING PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW   
                                          

          On June 25, 1991 the above-named petitioner-owner filed  a  Peti-
          tion for Administrative review against an order  issued  on  June
          17, 1991 by a Rent Administrator concerning the housing  accommo-
          dations  known  as  247-13  76th  Avenue,  Bellerose,  New  York,
          Apartment 2, wherein the Administrator determined that the  owner
          had not maintained services and accordingly reduced the rents.

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

          The tenant originally commenced the proceedings on April 9,  1991
          by filing a complaint of a decrease  n  apartment  services  com-
          plaining that the owner had failed to maintain adequate heat  and
          that there is a gas leakage from the tenant's kitchen stove.

          The owner's answer requested additional time to make  the  neces-
          sary repairs.  It acknowledged  that  the  tenant  needed  a  new
          stove.  The answer also stated that a new one had already been 
          ordered, and that the owner  would  install  it  as  soon  as  it
          arrived.  It concluded that the Administrator would  be  apprised
          of the situation.
           
          The record below contained no other communication from the owner.




          An inspection of the subject apartment was conducted on  May  30,
          1991 by a  Division  of  Housing  and  Community  Renewal  (DHCR)
          inspector who confirmed that the kitchen stove had  a  gas  leak.
          The inspection report had no heat  reading  because  it  was  not
          during the heating system.

          In Docket Number FD 110184-S issued June 17, 1991,  the  District
          Rent Administrator  determined  that  the  owner  had  failed  to
          maintain services based on the inspector's report,  and  directed







          FF 110422-RO
          the owner to reduce the rents of the  subject  apartment  to  the
          former level in effect,  prior  to  the  most  recent  guidelines
          increase, effective May 1, 1991, and to refund to the tenant  the
          amount of such increase since the effective date of the order.

          The owner's petition states that, although the owner had  already
          ordered a new stove - which the DHCR had been informed of in  the
          owner's answer - the tenant agreed on May 6,  1991  to  have  its
          stove repaired, after having refused two reconditioned ones.   It
          also states that a letter was sent to the tenant on May  20th,  a
          copy of which is enclosed with the petition, requesting that  the
          tenant call the office to arrange a time  for  the  repair  work,
          but that the tenant did not do so.  Also enclosed is a letter  to
          the DHCR dated May 21, 1991, summarizing the events  as  of  that
          date.  Finally, the owner encloses a letter  to  the  DHCR  dated
          June 12, 1991, and a postal receipt stamped with a delivery  date
          of June 17, 1991, the date of issuance of the order, stating that 
          all repairs had been made.

          In answer to the petition, the tenant states that she  filed  the
          complaint after a new stove she received in early 1991 proved  to
          be defective in that it emitted a gas odor.  She asserts that the 
          maintenance men came to her apartment and agreed that there was a 
          smell of gas.  She concedes that she refused delivery of t o  re-
          conditioned stoves because they were filthy.  She says  that  two
          repairmen came in May 1991 and made  some  adjustments  but  they
          were not effective and the gas odor persists.   She  denies  that
          she ever refused access.

          The owner replied that the tenant refused a  reconditioned  stove
          and refused to permit the repairmen to enter until June 12,  1991
          when no evidence of a gas leak was found.

          After careful consideration of the evidence of recor ,  the  Com-
          missioner is of the opinion that the petition should be denied.





          Section 2523.4 of the Rent Stabilization Code authorizes  a  rent
          reduction based on  a  finding  that  the  owner  has  failed  to
          maintain required services.  Section 2520.6(r)  defines  required
          services as that space and those services  which  the  owner  was
          maintaining or was required to maintain on  the  applicable  base
          date plus any additional space or services provided  or  required
          to be provided thereafter by applicable law.

          In the instant case the tenant's allegation of gas  leakage  from
          the stove was confirmed by the Division's physical inspection  of
          the apartment on May 30, 1991.  The owner's allegations regarding 
          a denial of access were not submitted to  the  Administrator  and
          are therefore beyond the scope of review of  this  administrative
          appeal.  Moreover, the owner's  claim  of  denial  of  access  is
          disputed by the tenant and is not supported by any evidence  such
          as appointment letters sent by regular and certified mail  and/or
          affidavits of repairmen stating that access was refused.








          FF 110422-RO
          The owner is advised to file for restoration of the rent when the 
          gas leakage problem has been repaired, which the tenant stated in 
          her answer of August 6, 1991 was not yet done.


          THEREFORE, in accordance with  the  Rent  Stabilization  Law  and
          Code, it is,

          ORDERED, that the owner's petition be, and the  same  hereby  is,
          denied and that  the  Administrator's  order  be,  and  the  same
          hereby is, affirmed.


          ISSUED:


                                                                           
                                                JOSEPH A. D'AGOSTA
                                                Acting Deputy Commissioner


                                          
    

External links are for convenience and informational purposes, and in some cases, might be sponsored
content. TenantNet does not necessarily endorse or approve of any content on any external site.

TenantNet Home | TenantNet Forum | New York Tenant Information
DHCR Information | DHCR Decisions | Housing Court Decisions | New York Rent Laws
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

Subscribe to our Mailing List!
Your Email      Full Name