New York City is fast-tracking some of its most serious housing cases, giving tenants facing unsafe building conditions a faster path into court.
Under the new system, qualifying cases will be assigned to a judge the very same day they are filed. Once the opposite side has formally received the court papers, the parties must appear within five days, according to the New York City Mayor’s Office.
This option is available to cases involving widespread loss of essential services, major orders to vacate, and total elevator outages. It may also be available to some buildings with conditions serious enough that either tenants or the city itself is seeking a court-appointed manager. Otherwise, the Mayor’s Office says, those cases can take months—even years.
Landlord groups do agree that Housing Court moves too slowly. However, they want to see cases involving unpaid rent receive similar speedy attention.
Some of the Worst Cases Will Go First
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The new process does not apply to every repair. A vacate order has to affect at least one-third of a building’s apartments or the entire building to qualify, according to the Mayor’s Office.
A case can also qualify if at least one-third of the apartments have an open hazardous violation for one of the following conditions: loss of heat, hot water, electricity, gas, or water overall. Buildings or sections with all elevators out of order may also qualify.
There will also be more options available for whenever tenants or the city seek a court-appointed third-party manager. The Mayor’s Office says the court system is expanding the pool of judges who can handle those cases.
The requirement that parties appear within five days does not mean a case must be decided within five days, notes News 12; it primarily just gets the parties in front of a judge more quickly so the case can begin moving through the system.
Landlords Want Their Own Fast Track
Landlord groups argue the city is speeding up one side of Housing Court while leaving another branch in the dust.
The New York Apartment Association wants comparably speedy treatment for cases when tenants are at least a year behind on rent, News 12 reports. The group says long delays in collecting unpaid rent can leave building owners without money to cover necessary repairs.
Small Property Owners of New York Board President Ann Korchak likewise called the new system “another one-sided, anti-landlord policy.” She argued that drawn-out nonpayment cases can contribute to financial problems for smaller landlords, according to 6sqft.
Housing Court Supervising Judge Jack Stoller said the new process focuses on urgent conditions already documented by city agencies. He also stressed that landlords will still have an opportunity to make their case, according to the Mayor’s Office.