ADM. REVIEW DOCKET NO.: FK420464RT


                                 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.: FK420464RT

                                                  DISTRICT RENT
               ARLENE BRANDON                     ADMINISTRATOR'S DOCKET
               C/O DAVID ROZENHOLC                NO.: DL420004BO
                                                       (BL428225BR)
                                   PETITIONER
          ------------------------------------X

          ORDER AND OPINION GRANTING PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW AND
                       REVOKING ADMINISTRATOR'S ORDER IN PART

               The above-named tenant filed a timely petition for 
          administrative review of an order issued concerning the housing 
          accommodations known as 255 West 88th Street, Apt. 7E, New York, 
          N.Y.

               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 petition.

               The issue before the Commissioner is whether the 
          Administrator's order was correct.

               The Administrator's order being appealed, DL420004BO was 
          issued on September 27, 1991.  In that order, the Administrator 
          revoked the finding of BL428225BR issued December 1, 1989, that the 
          owner be denied eligibility for a 1988/89 Maximum Base Rent (MBR) 
          increase, due to the owner's failure to meet the violation 
          certification requirements necessary to the owner's being granted 
          an MBR increase.

               Relying on evidence the owner submitted at Challenge, the 
          Administrator determined that, contrary to the Administrator's 
          finding below the owner had timely cleared the requisite number of 
          violations from the subject premises, thus gaining the owner 
          eligibility to raise MBRs at the subject premises for 1988/89.  
          Among this evidence was evidence submitted by the owner as to 
          clearance of two specific violations, as well as evidence submitted 
          by the owner in the form of an Affidavit from the superintendent of 
          the subject premises, in which Affidavit the affiant testifies to 













          ADM. REVIEW DOCKET NO.: FK420464RT



          the clearance of various violations, said Affidavit dated May 30, 
          1991.  The Administrator additionally relied on the report of a 
          DHCR inspector who inspected the subject premises on September 11, 
          1991.  The inspector used a copy of a New York City Department of 
          Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) report of an HPD 
          inspection of the subject premises made on June 4, 1991 as 
          reference as to which violations were to be inspected.

               On appeal the tenant states that "Landlord has not corrected 
          any violations that I have observed."

               The Commissioner is of the opinion that this petition should 
          be granted.

               Pursuant to Section 2202.3(h) of the New York City Rent and 
          Eviction Regulations an owner, in order to gain eligibility to 
          raise MBRs at a given premises, for a given cycle must certify to 
          the Administrator that, by six months before the effective date of 
          the eligibility order all rent-impairing and 80% of all non rent- 
          impairing violations of record at the subject premises one year 
          before the effective date have been removed.

               In the instant proceeding the owner had the duty to certify to 
          the Administrator that, by July 1, 1987 all rent-impairing and 80% 
          of the non rent-impairing violations of record at the subject 
          premises as of January 1, 1987 had been cleared.  A List of Pending 
          Violations (LPV) discloses that as of January 1, 1987 there were 
          one rent-impairing and 11 non rent-impairing violations against the 
          subject premises.  Thus, the owner had the duty to certify to the 
          removal of the one rent-impairing violation as well as nine (11 X 
          80% = 8.8) of the non rent-impairing violations.

               An examination of the record reveals that most of the evidence 
          the Administrator relied on in granting the owner eligibility (the 
          Affidavit and the DHCR inspection) is dated 1991.  The Commissioner 
          is thus of the opinion that this evidence is at the most, 
          indicative that the violations were cleared in 1991-four years 
          after the July 1, 1987 "deadline" (the June 4, 1991 HPD inspection 
          relied on by the DHCR inspector discloses that, of all the 
          violations listed on the LPV, only one non-rent impairing violation 
          had been cleared by the date of the HPD inspection).

               The Commissioner additionally notes that the HPD inspection 
          discloses that the one rent-impairing violation of record at the 
          subject premises had not been cleared, despite additional evidence 
          submitted by the owner below attesting to its clearance.










          ADM. REVIEW DOCKET NO.: FK420464RT

               THEREFORE, in accordance with the provisions of the Rent and 
          Eviction Regulations, it is 

               ORDERED, that this petition for administrative review be, and 
          the same hereby is, granted and that the order of the Rent 
          Administrator be, and the same hereby is, revoked in part, to the 
          extent that the Commissioner finds that the owner is not eligible 
          for 1988/89 MBR increases from the petitioner-tenant only.  No 
          other tenants at the subject premises are affected by this order.  
          The owner is directed to adjust any and all subsequent MBR 
          increases accordingly, and to serve the petitioner-tenant and the 
          Administrator with any amended form(s) informing them of such 
          adjustments.  The owner is directed to refund to the tenant any and 
          all excess rent collected pursuant to DL420004BO over a period not 
          to exceed thirty (30) days.

          ISSUED:






                                                                           
                                             JOSEPH A. D'AGOSTA
                                             Deputy Commissioner          






    

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