Hello,
I am a tenant in a rent-stabilized apartment in Manhattan where I have lived for 5 years. I am two months behind on rent - it is the 6th of the month and I owe for this month as well as last month. The landlord has 1 month's rent as security deposit. I am not withholding rent, I just can't come up with it. Between rent stabilization increases and a Major Capital Improvement, the rent has increased by $400 since I first moved in and unfortunately my modest salary increases haven't kept up. I have recently found a second part-time job, and I also received a small raise at my full-time job. Going forward, I should be okay but I can't come up the two months I currently owe the LL. I have been sending one months' rent at a time but at this rate, I'll be two months' behind forever. Tomorrow I will apply for a temporary rent arrears grant but I doubt I will receive it as I am single and employed and my full-time salary is well above the poverty line.
That is the sob-story part of my message, I have some questions about my imminent eviction:
1. The LL left a message on my voice mail saying something along the lines of he's sending my papers to the lawyer... it was hard to make out as he has a thick foreign accent. I assume he's going to start eviction proceedings. Based on my research on this site, I should see a 3-day notice posted to my door. But I don't know if that means I have only 3 days to come up with the back rent or else I will be evicted? Or that I have to appear in court within 3 days?
2. If I can't come up with the rent in 3 days, is there any chance I could get an extension?
3. Are installment plans ever an option to avoid eviction? I could afford to pay the current months' rent plus, let's say, $500 a month, then it would take about 6 months to pay my back rent. If the courts propose this solution, can the landlord reject it and pursue eviction anyway?
4. Finally, I can't afford a lawyer, and I would not be eligible for a pro bono from the Legal Aid Society or any other organization due to my middle-class income. Will I be doomed to eviction without a lawyer? Or is it possible to navigate housing court pro se?
Thanks for your help.