Firm News
THE LATEST FROM THE NYS LEGISLATURE THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY EVICTION AND FORECLOSURE PREVENTION ACT OF 2020
On December 28, 2020, the New York State Legislature passed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 (CEEFPA) with the stated intention of protecting the public health, safety, and morals of New Yorkers from the dangers of the COVID-19 and to avoid as many evictions as possible for those people experiencing financial hardships and for those who are unable to move due to an increased risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19.
Court Declines to Award Abatement Sought Due to Mold, and Requires Extensive Proof for Protection Under the Safe Harbor Act
Nikolaos Preponis, of Kucker Marino Winiarsky & Bittens, LLP, successfully defeated a tenant’s claim seeking a 100% abatement on over $50,000 due in back-rent. Tenant claimed landlord had breached the warranty of habitability as a result of there being mold in the...
KMWB Wins $1.4 Million Judgment in Federal Court Trial for Client Engaged in Domestic and International Business.
In the Complaint which KMWB’s William D. Hummell filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Elof Hansson USA Inc., a New York corporation whose business includes supplying building materials in international trade, including steel...
Governor Cuomo Extends Response Window for Tenants
Governor Cuomo signed a new order on November 3rd creating a 60-day window for tenants to answer eviction filings to avoid default judgements. Of more than 17,000 residential nonpayment cases filed since June 22, 15% of tenants had answered as of October 29. The...
Tenant Attorneys Fear Default Judgments
The latest executive order pausing default judgments is set to lift on November 4th, and tenant attorneys fear that nearly 15,000 cases will be lost by default. Concerned that the courts have not appropriately warned tenants about default judgments, they are calling...
Governor Cuomo’s New “Half-Measure” Just Pushes NY Housing Closer to the Breaking Point
Governor Cuomo signed a new executive order on Tuesday broadening the scope of the Tenant Safe Harbor Act, a bill allowing tenants to use financial hardship brought on by COVID-19 as a legal defense in some eviction proceedings. Tenant attorneys expressed frustration...
NY Courts Say They Won’t Expand Eviction Bans
New York's Office of Court Administration effectively extended New York eviction bans, set to expire on June 20, through September. Now, however, they say that they will not continue to extend the holds on evictions. Despite the Court calling on the other two branches...
KMWB Partner Quoted in Attempt for City Officials to Consider Landlord’s Interests
As the statewide eviction moratorium ends August 5th, fears are mounting about whether New York City is set to "go over a cliff" with housing. While advocates and elected officials have called for stronger relief measures for tenants, like cancelling rent, KMWB's...
Court Grants Summary Judgment Against Commercial Tenant for $2.2 Million and Rejects Tenant’s Defense that it Surrendered and Terminated the Lease
KMWB’s Catherine Helwig successfully cross-moved for summary judgment on a tenant’s breach of a commercial lease and the Hon. Nancy Bannon awarded the landlord damages in the sum of $2.2 million dollars based on a rent acceleration clause in the lease. The Judge...