I am withholding my rent. Due in court later this month

[Robert Fortune]

Ke aloha no:
(Greetings)

What can I, as a tenant in an SRO in Manhattan, now that I have finally decided to withhold my monthly rent payment as of 04/01/2005?
I have the money in my bank account and have the rent check on my person, but due to a long running series of problems with the building owner (I refuse to refer to this party as any type of "lord" over me) I have had enough BS from these morons.
I've lived here for 25+ years and have all of my paid in full rent reciepts for those entire 25+ years which I paid in full each month of those 25+ years.
I am due in NYC housing court on 4/21/2005 on 2 other issues that I filed with that court yesterday 04/04/2005 just to get the court involved since many years in trying to work this out with building owner(s) has proven to be complete BS. any feedback appreciated. Aloha. Peace.

[Anna]

Your question is unclear but ask the HP Action judge if you can deposit your rent into court until the LL finishes the repairs. Judge might say that the request is beyond his authority to grant, but at least you'd get the subject on the table. Tenants without lawyers usually just keep the money in their checking accounts or set up a seperate savings account for this.

Please note that by withholdong rent you are inviting your LL to sue you for eviction for non-payment of rent.