Owning property in New York is no longer a duck walk. The Price Index of Operating Costs (PIOC) of the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) severely understated the increase in operating costs at only 3.4%. This increase was less than last year’s PIOC of 4%. While the erratic cost of heating fuel impacted the overall PIOC, the importance of considering the increases in real estate taxes, utility costs and continuous double-digit waste and sewer rates is something that the Rent Guidelines Board needs to be made aware of.
Call a New York City Landlord Attorney
At the Law Offices of Effie Soter, PC we make it our job to understand your interests and the problems landowners face owning property in New York. The New York Landlord lawyers at The Law Offices of Effie Soter, PC offer free appointments to discuss your rights and options. Whether you need a business consultation, help clearing violations, property management assistance, or are having tenant problems, we have these areas covered and more. Call an attorney at 646-504-7384 or contact us online to learn more about what we can do to assist you and your property needs.
Housing Court
When it comes to Landlord and Tenant issues, I always recommend that owners retain counsel to represent them in Housing Court before commencing any legal proceedings. However, if owners are familiar with the Housing Court process, and the information that is required to commence a summary proceeding, owners can help to streamline the process.
One of the resources available to owners to help them navigate Housing Court is the website maintained by the New York State court system. The website was designed for litigants who are not represented by counsel. However, there is a lot of information on the court website that is relevant for owners regardless of whether they are represented by counsel, much of it in both English and Spanish. There are also links to other websites that provide useful information for owners. The resources for owners and their location on the court website are summarized below.
The “Welcome Page” is the portal for information on the Housing Court. A column on the left contains links to the various resources.
The “Legal Information” page contains links to the individual web pages:
- Information on Nonpayment Proceedings
- Information on Holdover Proceedings
- Housing Court Forms
- Directives & Advisory Notices
- Locations & Phone Listings
- Definitions
The “Legal Information” page where owners can find information on how to bring eviction proceedings, relevant court procedures and the locations and hours of the courthouses in each of the boroughs. The court hours are subject to change due to State budget cuts.