Bill Text: NY A10195 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to special proceedings to convey title to abandoned real property to cities, towns or villages.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-10 - referred to judiciary [A10195 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A10195-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         10195
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     May 10, 2012
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. SCHIMEL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
         tee on Judiciary
       AN ACT to amend the  real  property  actions  and  proceedings  law,  in
         relation  to  special  proceedings  to  convey title to abandoned real
         property to cities, towns or villages
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The  article heading of article 19-A of the real property
    2  actions and proceedings law, as amended by chapter 573 of  the  laws  of
    3  1982, is amended to read as follows:
    4                    SPECIAL PROCEEDING TO CONVEY TITLE TO
    5                     ABANDONED [DWELLING] REAL PROPERTY
    6                          TO CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE
    7    S 2. Section 1970 of the real property actions and proceedings law, as
    8  amended  by  chapter  593  of  the  laws  of 1983, is amended to read as
    9  follows:
   10    S 1970. Applicability. The department or agency of  a  city,  town  or
   11  village,  responsible for [the enforcement of the multiple dwelling law,
   12  the multiple residence law, or any other law, code or ordinance  govern-
   13  ing the occupancy and maintenance of residential property] ENFORCING THE
   14  MUNICIPALITY'S BUILDING CODE (hereinafter in this article referred to as
   15  "the  department")  may  institute  a  proceeding in accordance with the
   16  provisions of this article for a judgment vesting in the city,  town  or
   17  village  title to [a dwelling] REAL PROPERTY which has been abandoned by
   18  the owner. This article shall not apply to a  one-family  or  two-family
   19  dwelling occupied by the owner thereof.
   20    S 3. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 1971 of the real property actions
   21  and proceedings law, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 529 of the laws
   22  of 2008 and subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 496 of the laws of 1983,
   23  are amended to read as follows:
   24    1.  The  department may make a finding that [a dwelling] REAL PROPERTY
   25  is abandoned if:
   26    (a) In the case of an occupied dwelling, the owner has  failed  for  a
   27  period of at least three consecutive months either to collect rent or to
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD15665-01-2
       A. 10195                            2
    1  institute summary proceedings for nonpayment of rent, and the department
    2  finds that the dwelling has become a danger to life, health or safety as
    3  a  result of the owner's failure to assume his OR HER responsibility for
    4  its  condition.  Such  failure  may be shown by such facts as an owner's
    5  failure to provide services including, but not limited to,  the  failure
    6  to make repairs, supply janitorial service, purchase fuel or other need-
    7  ed  supplies,  or pay utility bills. The appointment of an administrator
    8  pursuant to article seven-A  of  this  chapter  shall  not  prevent  the
    9  department from making a finding that a dwelling is abandoned; or
   10    (b)  In  the  case  of  [a] vacant [dwelling] REAL PROPERTY, it is not
   11  sealed or continuously guarded as required by law or it was sealed or is
   12  continuously guarded by a person other  than  the  owner,  a  mortgagee,
   13  lienor or agent thereof, and either of the following facts exists:
   14    (i)  A  vacate  order  of  the department or other governmental agency
   15  currently prohibits occupancy of the [dwelling] REAL PROPERTY; or
   16    (ii) The tax on such premises has been due and unpaid for a period  of
   17  at least one year; or
   18    (III)  THE  PROPERTY  HAS  HAD A ZONING, HOUSING, BUILDING OR PROPERTY
   19  MAINTENANCE CODE VIOLATION WHICH HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY  OUTSTANDING  AND
   20  NOT  REMEDIATED  FOR  A  PERIOD  OF  AT LEAST ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE THE
   21  ORIGINAL ORDER TO CORRECT OR NOTICE OF VIOLATION  WAS  SERVED  UPON  THE
   22  PROPERTY  OWNER  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED
   23  EIGHT OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES IF  THE  OWNER  IS  A  NATURAL
   24  PERSON,  OR  PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED TEN, THREE HUNDRED TEN-A,
   25  THREE HUNDRED ELEVEN OR THREE HUNDRED ELEVEN-A OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW
   26  AND RULES IF THE OWNER IS A  PARTNERSHIP,  LIMITED  PARTNERSHIP,  CORPO-
   27  RATION OR LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY, OR
   28    (c)  In  the  case  of  a building for which an administrator has been
   29  appointed pursuant to article seven-A of this chapter.
   30    (i) no motion for the termination of the judgment entered pursuant  to
   31  article  seven-A  of  this  chapter  has  been granted by the appointing
   32  court;
   33    (ii) no mortgagee or lienor has commenced foreclosure proceedings; and
   34    (iii) at least six months have passed since the granting of a judgment
   35  appointing an administrator pursuant to article seven-A of this chapter.
   36    2. When the department finds that [a dwelling] REAL PROPERTY is  aban-
   37  doned  within  the meaning of this article, it shall make and file among
   38  its records a certification containing such finding  and  the  facts  on
   39  which it is based. Further, it shall immediately affix to the [dwelling]
   40  REAL PROPERTY in a prominent and conspicuous location, a notice that the
   41  [building]  PROPERTY  has been found to be [an] abandoned [building] and
   42  that it is a crime to take, remove or otherwise damage  any  fixture  or
   43  part of the PROPERTY OR ANY building OR structure LOCATED THEREON.
   44    S  4. Section 1971-a of the real property actions and proceedings law,
   45  as added by chapter 496 of the laws of  1983,  is  amended  to  read  as
   46  follows:
   47    S   1971-a.   Destruction  of  abandoned  [dwellings]  REAL  PROPERTY.
   48  "Destruction of [an] abandoned [dwelling] REAL PROPERTY" occurs  when  a
   49  person,  having no right to do so or permission of the department or the
   50  owner to take, remove or otherwise damage the fixtures or the  structure
   51  of the building, nor any reasonable ground to believe that he OR SHE has
   52  such  right  or permission, intentionally removes or damages any fixture
   53  or part of the structure of a building which has been certified as aban-
   54  doned in accordance with the  provisions  of  section  nineteen  hundred
   55  seventy-one of this chapter.
       A. 10195                            3
    1    S  5.  Subdivision  2 of section 1972 of the real property actions and
    2  proceedings law, as amended by chapter 573  of  the  laws  of  1982,  is
    3  amended to read as follows:
    4    2. The department shall serve upon the owner of the [dwelling] PROPER-
    5  TY,  a copy of the certification. Service shall be made personally or by
    6  posting in a conspicuous place upon the [dwelling] PROPERTY and  mailing
    7  a  copy  by registered or certified mail to the last known owner at such
    8  owner's last known address. In the case of a  dwelling  subject  to  the
    9  provisions of section three hundred twenty-five of the multiple dwelling
   10  law, such mailing may be made to the last registered owner at his OR HER
   11  last registered address. The copy of the certification shall be accompa-
   12  nied  by a notice stating that proceedings pursuant to this title may be
   13  instituted unless the owner notifies the department  that  the  property
   14  has  not  been  abandoned.  Such notification shall be made by a showing
   15  that the conditions upon which the findings in  such  certification  are
   16  based  do  not  exist or have been corrected. Such showing shall be made
   17  not later than thirty days after the date of such notice.
   18    S 6. Subdivision 1 of section 1973 of the real  property  actions  and
   19  proceedings  law,  as  amended  by  chapter  593 of the laws of 1983, is
   20  amended to read as follows:
   21    1. After all provisions of section  nineteen  hundred  seventy-two  of
   22  this  article  have  been  complied  with, the department may commence a
   23  proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction in the county  in  which
   24  the [dwelling] PROPERTY is located, to vest title to the property in the
   25  city, town or village.
   26    S 7. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 1974 of the real property actions
   27  and proceedings law, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 573 of the laws
   28  of 1982 and subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 593 of the laws of 1983,
   29  are amended to read as follows:
   30    1.  If  any party to the proceeding contests the issue of abandonment,
   31  the burden of proving that the [dwelling] PROPERTY is abandoned shall be
   32  upon the department, and the court shall make a  finding  based  on  the
   33  facts before it.
   34    3.  Upon  a finding by the court that the [dwelling] PROPERTY is aban-
   35  doned, the court shall enter a final judgment in favor of the  petition-
   36  er.  The fact that an administrator has been appointed pursuant to arti-
   37  cle seven-A of this chapter shall not prevent the court from entering  a
   38  final  judgment  in  favor of the petitioner upon a finding by the court
   39  that the [dwelling] PROPERTY is  abandoned.  The  final  judgment  shall
   40  direct such officer of the city, town or village in which the [dwelling]
   41  PROPERTY  is located as may be designated in the judgment to execute and
   42  record a deed conveying title of the  premises  to  the  city,  town  or
   43  village  thirty  days  after  entry  of judgment. Upon the entry of such
   44  judgment the city, town or village shall be seized of an estate  in  fee
   45  simple absolute in such land and all persons, including the state of New
   46  York,  infants,  incompetents,  absentees and non-residents who may have
   47  had any right, title, interest, claim, lien or equity of  redemption  in
   48  or  upon  such  lands shall be barred and forever foreclosed of all such
   49  right, title, interest, claim, lien or equity of redemption.
   50    S 8. This act shall take effect immediately.
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