Eviction Rules Fluctuate
Eviction rules fluctuate between the counties of New York State. There has been an increasingly high volume of calls from landlords who live in one county but have rental properties in another county. This causes issues where the landlord has one understanding of the eviction procedure for where he lives, but that procedure differs significantly from the procedure in the county in which their rental property is located. These differences run along a wide variety of topics including whether or not the landlord should be present as the sheriff or marshal executes a warrant of eviction. Not knowing the rules for the county in which you are planning on litigating in, can lead to penalties that range from fines to jail time. It is always advisable to speak with an attorney before commencing legal action. As always, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns involving evictions in your county at (516) 858-2620!
Long Island Landlord Tenant Attorneys
We proudly assist residents of Long Island: Nassau county, Suffolk county, New York City: Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan with their landlord tenant matters. Call (516) 858-2620 to arrange a FREE consultation with a Landlord Tenant attorney!
Squatter or Holdover
Figuring out if the occupant is a squatter or holdover tenant is easier than you would think. Recently we have received a lot of phone calls regarding situations where landlords are having difficulty with people in their rental properties that they have never signed a lease with. In this situation, the first thing that seems to come to the minds of most people is that they are dealing with a squatter. A quick reference is to look to the amount of time that the intruder is on the property for. If they are on the property for more than 30 days, then the easiest way to remove them from the premises is via a holdover proceeding. If the intruder is there for less time, then they may be ejected as a squatter. Often times, a holdover proceeding seems to give the landlord a more guaranteed approach to recovering their property. The tradeoff is that with a holdover proceeding, the time to evict is often a little longer.
If you have questions regarding your landlord or tenant and whether or not the situation in which you are involved should be dealt with as a holdover or ejectment, then feel free to call the Law Firm of Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC at (516) 858-2620!
Recently we have run into some questions regarding service in Landlord Tenant actions. Proper service of legal papers is required in order to preserve your constitutional rights. In order to dispute service of papers commencing an action, either before a default judgment is entered or after a judgment has been entered, the disputing party should appear in court on the appearance date of their contesting motion. The appearance is necessary to give direct testimony and provide the evidence necessary to win a traverse hearing. If you have questions concerning any aspect of such a challenge, feel free to call our office at (516) 858-2620!
So, you want to evict your tenant.
Is there a lease? Has it expired? Month-to-month? Rent stabilized/controlled? Legal/illegal apt? Section 8 tenant? Multiple family dwelling? Which County?…..all important questions.
Generally, you will be bringing a Non-payment or Holdover proceeding:
Lease exists, but tenant not paying
In a Non-payment action the Landlord needs to make a “rent demand” (usu. 3 day notice and can be made orally, but see what the lease says). Landlord can file the petition and notice of petition for non-payment if no rent paid by day #4. You will have to have the tenant(s) properly served with the petition and notice. Usually, if tenant pays, tenant stays!
Expired lease or month-to-month tenancy
In a Holdover action you may have to have the tenant(s) properly served with a “30 day notice to quit.” This can be tricky . You will file a holdover petition and notice of petition and have tenant properly served with same.
The above is far from complete. We are just trying to give you some insight. Hope it helps. Good luck!
Visit our Landlord-Tenant category to learn more about Landlord-Tenant issues.
As always, The Long Island Landlord-Tenant Law Firm of VAUGHN & WEBER, PLLC is here to assist you. We are conveniently located in the heart of Nassau County, Long Island, at 217 Willis Avenue in Mineola, NY 11501. Contact us at (516) 858-2620 to arrange a consultation with a Landlord-Tenant attorney.
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