Bill Text: NY A09702 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to the termination of leases when a domestic violence victim obtains an order of protection or signed affidavit.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-02 - referred to housing [A09702 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A09702-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9702 IN ASSEMBLY February 2, 2018 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to the termination of leases when a domestic violence victim obtains an order of protection or signed affidavit The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1, 2 and 3 of section 227-c of the real prop- 2 erty law, subdivision 1 as added by chapter 73 of the laws of 2007 and 3 subdivisions 2 and 3 as amended by chapter 616 of the laws of 2007, are 4 amended to read as follows: 5 1. In any lease or rental agreement covering premises occupied for 6 dwelling purposes, a lessee or tenant for whose benefit any order of 7 protection has been issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, or such 8 lessee or tenant who has obtained a signed affidavit from any lawyer, 9 mental health professional, affiliated care manager on staff of an 10 organization serving victims of domestic violence, elected official, 11 police officer or duly sworn officer of the peace shall be permitted to 12 terminate such lease or rental agreement and quit and surrender 13 possession of the leasehold premises, and of the land so leased or occu- 14 pied pursuant to the provisions of this section and to be released from 15 any liability to pay to the lessor or owner, rent or other payments in 16 lieu of rent for the time subsequent to the date of termination of such 17 lease in accordance with subdivision two of this section. 18 2. (a) A lessee or tenant for whose benefit any order of protection 19 has been issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, or such lessee or 20 tenant who has obtained a signed affidavit from any lawyer, mental 21 health professional, affiliated care manager on staff of an organization 22 serving victims of domestic violence, elected official, police officer 23 or duly sworn officer of the peace may, on ten days' notice to the 24 lessor or owner of the premises occupied by such person, and to any 25 co-tenants of such lessee or tenant, seek an order of the court that 26 issued such order of protection, or any other court of competent juris- 27 diction, authorizing such lessee or tenant to terminate such party's EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13313-02-8A. 9702 2 1 lease or rental agreement. Provided, however, that if the lessee or 2 tenant for whose benefit any order of protection or signed affidavit has 3 been issued is co-tenants with the person covered by such order of 4 protection or signed affidavit, such notice need not be provided to such 5 co-tenant. Such court shall hear any such application at any time that 6 the order of protection remains in effect, or at any other time as 7 determined by the court, whether or not the action in which it was 8 issued remains open. 9 (b) The court shall issue such order only if the applicant lessee or 10 tenant establishes to the satisfaction of the court that: 11 (i) notwithstanding the existence of an order of protection, or a 12 signed affidavit from any lawyer, mental health professional, affiliated 13 care manager on staff of an organization serving victims of domestic 14 violence, elected official, police officer or duly sworn officer of the 15 peace, there continues to exist a substantial risk of physical or 16 emotional harm to such person or such person's child from the party 17 covered by the order of protection if the parties remain in the premises 18 and that relocation will substantially reduce such risk; 19 (ii) the lessee or tenant attempted to secure the voluntary consent of 20 the lessor or owner to terminate the lease or rental agreement and the 21 lessor or owner refused to permit termination; and 22 (iii) the lessee or tenant is acting in good faith. 23 (c) The court shall condition the granting of the order on the follow- 24 ing terms: 25 (i) All sums due under the lease or rental agreement through the 26 termination date of such lease or rental agreement are timely paid; 27 (ii) That upon termination: 28 (a) the premises are delivered to the lessor or owner free of all 29 tenants and occupants and in accordance with the terms of the lease 30 relating to delivery of the premises at the termination of the lease, 31 provided that the applicant shall not be responsible for ensuring that 32 the person covered by the order of protection, or the person covered by 33 a signed affidavit from any lawyer, mental health professional, affil- 34 iated care manager on staff of an organization serving victims of domes- 35 tic violence, elected official, police officer or duly sworn officer of 36 the peace, is not present; or 37 (b) if there are also tenants on the lease other than the applicant 38 tenant and the person covered by the order of protection, or the person 39 covered by a signed affidavit from any lawyer, mental health profes- 40 sional, affiliated care manager on staff of an organization serving 41 victims of domestic violence, elected official, police officer or duly 42 sworn officer of the peace, the court shall not, except upon consent of 43 such additional tenants, terminate the entire co-tenancy, but the court 44 may sever the co-tenancy, in which case the applicant tenant shall 45 vacate by the termination date; and 46 (iii) That adjustments be made through to termination date for any 47 rent or other payments made in advance or which have accrued by the 48 terms of such lease or rental agreement. 49 (d) The order shall specify the termination date which shall be no 50 earlier than thirty days and no later than one hundred fifty days after 51 the due date of the next rental payment subsequent to the date such 52 order is served on the lessor or owner. 53 (e) The order shall be served on the lessor or owner and any co-ten- 54 ants by the court or in the manner directed by the court. 55 3. The lessor or owner and any co-tenants shall be afforded an oppor- 56 tunity to be heard by the court and express opposition to the issuanceA. 9702 3 1 or terms of a termination order. If the court is not satisfied that 2 there has been adequate notice of the application to the lessor, owner, 3 or any co-tenants, it may briefly adjourn the matter or take other steps 4 to provide for such notice, but shall not direct that the applicant 5 lessee or tenant make personal service of the application, or of a 6 termination order, upon a co-tenant covered by the order of protection 7 or a co-tenant covered by a signed affidavit from any lawyer, mental 8 health professional, affiliated care manager on staff of an organization 9 serving victims of domestic violence, elected official, police officer 10 or duly sworn officer of the peace. 11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.