Hi, I have currently been renting a room for over 4 years. My rent has been paid and is paid up. I need to explain the situation so you understand the issue - my roomate is an elderly lady who I've been very close with since just about when I moved in. Her son passed away last year, he had ALS. Prior to him passing away I was heavily involved with assisting him with the nurses aids that were there (They would send different ones who had no idea what they were doing) And I would help him with things like getting him to bed, getting him out, giving him medicine, fixing his ipad which had disability apps on it etc. At the current time I have no issues with the the roomate either. Her family namely her son and daughter (Who do not live here) were very friendly with me during this time. I knew it then but they didn't really want to be bothered with helping out their brother - they visited 2 or 3 times a year tops..and that was just for major holidays. They often expressed appreciation for me helping out - even regarding me as family a lot of the time.
Again, the son (who had ALS) passed away last year and recently the mother has taken ill. This is a rent controlled apartment. Now both that son and daughter who "thought" of me as family all of the sudden has been pushing me to move out. Not the mother (roomate) them. I even talked to her yesterday and she said take all the time I need and then the son calls me and tells me I have to be out at the end of the month. My guess is they want succession rights to the apartment. I met someone who works in land lord tenant court at a party last week and they brought this up as to why they may be trying to push me out. Keep in mind at the moment no legal action has been taken, the mother even made me soup because I have a bad cold so I know she's not mad at me...I just want to know if there is anything I can do legally to keep her son from harassing me. He texts me at least once a week asking when I'm moving, even lying to me telling me she has relatives coming to visit..when I asked her she didn't know what he was talking about. I'm not just some border here, I'm on good terms with the building management and the super and even have a key to the mailbox..as I have had for 4 years. I'd appreciate any advice - I'm looking up attorneys but I don't know if that is over kill or not, thank you in advance. - LN
P.S. The apartment is in Manhattan, upper west side near Columbia university - my guess is the son and daughter want to get succession rights asap and dont want to have to wait to rent it if I'm still living here after she passed. (Which I hope isn't soon - I don't want succession rights - I'm hardly home and work all the time so i'm hardly here anyway)