First off I want to say that this is a great web site, and I have learned quite a bit by reading some of the threads. I am gathering as much info so I won't end up looking and sounding like an idiot.
Any helpful advice would be great.
I live in Queens. My current lanlord has sold his home and My wife and I thought that we were going to stay on as tenants with the new landlord. At least that is what the new landload led My wife and I to believe. Then I get a knock on the door at 6:00am in the morning and someone hand me a sheet saying that the current landlord wants us out in 30 days. My wife and I call up the new landlord and ask him what's up? The new landlord says something to the effect that his sister is going to live up satairs, blah, blah, just total bullshit. Obviously he want us out for what ever the reason.
Well My wife and I feel that 30 day just isn't enough, so we plan to stay as long as possible until we find a place. The current landlord has two months of our rent or "security deposit" which we will never see, so for the month of July they have there rent. We also plan on staying in August and so on until we find someplace to live.
So far, I have contacted a lawyer an basiclly he advised that I not pay the rent, since the current landload has two months security, and sometime around in the middle of August that I will receive court papers and to send it to him, where I guess he will proceed to do what ever he is going to do. I was told that the courts in Queens are backed up for two or more months, and hopefully we would be out by that time.
Is this correct? Has any body out there experienced this delay?
Second, by reading some of the threads here on the site, I decided to get a tape recorder and hook it up to my phone, in case the landlord decided to get stupid, say something illegal, like a threat or a violent threat. At least I could take it to my lawyer.
Just got a question though about the tape. Is it illegal to record someone on the phone?
I also read on this website about getting the police involved at one point or another? When do I do that?
I am purchacing the book "Tenant Rights in New York" to get more educated on the subject so that I at least know what I am talking about.
Is there anything else that anybody can offer as far as advice? Any possible "gotchas"?
I also have a young child, and possibly another on the way, and even though I really hate to do this I have to think for my family. 30 days is just not enough and as far as I am concerned I am backed into a corner.
Again, thank you for your time and for listening and any advice would be much appreciated.