TenantNet Forum

Where tenants can seek help and help others



Legislation on primary residency during COVID pandemic

NYC Rent Regulation: Rent Control/Rent Stabilized, DHCR Practice/Procedures

Moderator: TenantNet

Legislation on primary residency during COVID pandemic

Postby backhoe » Thu Aug 27, 2020 12:14 pm

Senator Brad Hoylman and Assembly member Linda Rosenthal Have introduced legislation that would prohibit landlords from evicting tenants on primary residency grounds during the pandemic. I haven't seen any press attention on this and I don't know if it is going anywhere. We should write our legislators to ask them to push it. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bi ... mendment/a
backhoe
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:56 pm

Re: Legislation on primary residency during COVID pandemic

Postby TenantNet » Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:09 pm

Well, the practical answer is that most bills introduced in Albany - thousands of them - never make it out of committee, and for many different reasons.

I haven't looked at this bill. On it's face, it seems OK. But is it needed? Are the courts offering flexibility on this issue? Does it deal with a very narrow issue (yes) rather than a broader set?

Would the bill be able to get out of committee and pass a vote in each house? That it seems stuck in the Assembly is telling, where pretty much anything has some level of movement. As the saying goes, in the NY Assembly, a ham sandwich (or choose your metaphor) can make it to the floor for a vote.

Some bills won't move because the tenant groups kill it. Yes, you heard that right. Over the years many good bills have been killed by the "leading" tenant groups because they are not part of their agenda. The fake tenant leader, Mike McKee often does this. He is used by the Democrats to provide political cover when they do something bad, and in return, he falsely paints them as being progressive.

Big question is, would the governor sign it if passed. Several bills since the start of COVID have been stuck for this reason. Early on, in March, Sen. Gianaris introduced a 3-month rent forgiveness bill that seemed promising. Cuomo didn't like it and since then nothing has happened.

I would be very suspect on any bill from Sen. Hoylman. His most recent bill, the tenant Safe Harbor Act, is in our opinion, a gift to landlords and does little to really help tenants.

This bill was introduced in May and since then it's been sitting in committee.

We had extensive discussion of your situation in the other thread. I would say shore up your own position first. Even if a bill like this gets through, it would be some time before that happens.
The Tenant Network(tm) for Residential Tenants
Information from TenantNet is from experienced non-attorney tenant
activists and is not considered legal advice.

Subscribe to our Twitter Feed @TenantNet
TenantNet
 
Posts: 10306
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2002 2:01 am
Location: New York City

Re: Legislation on primary residency during COVID pandemic

Postby backhoe » Thu Aug 27, 2020 6:44 pm

True, and even if the legislation passed, there's not a single law bad landlord don't break.
backhoe
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:56 pm


Return to NYC Rent Regulated Apartments

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 37 guests