On January 3, 2012, the New York State Court of Appeals will hear argument in the Terrace Court LLC v. DHCR v. Katel, et. al. case. In that case the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (“DHCR”) ruled that, after a facade MCI, apartments still experiencing leaks were permanently exempt from the MCI rent increase. The Supreme Court and the Appellate Division affirmed, agreeing with the DHCR and the tenants. The landlord is arguing that such exemptions can never be permanent but that landlords should always be given another chance to complete the work long after the MCI application has been filed. I drafted an amicus brief in the case on behalf of the New York State Tenants & Neighbors Coalition and Metropolitan Council on Housing. I argued that if a facade MCI is not completed when the application is filed that not only should tenants whose apartments still experience leaks be permanently exempt but that no tenant should have to pay the MCI rent increase.
Samuel Himmelstein
