You are reading

New York to Ban Most Evictions, Aims to Protect Tenants Facing Hardship

Photo Stock Unsplash

Dec. 28, 2020 By Christian Murray

The New York State legislature is set to pass a bill Monday that would block the eviction of struggling New Yorkers until May 1.

Elected officials are convening a special session to pass the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act that aims to help residents remain in their homes and help small landlords.

The legislation would provide tenants with the ability to file a form attesting to economic hardship that would prevent a landlord from filing an eviction until May 1.

Tenants would have two months to make the “hardship declaration,” where they must state that they are unable to pay rent due to lost income, unforeseen heath costs or other financial problems stemming from COVID-19.

The form, once signed, would prevent a landlord from filing an eviction until May 1, 2021,

Any pending eviction proceeding–or any commenced within 30 days of the effective date of the legislation–would be stayed for at least 60 days. This would give tenants an opportunity to submit the hardship declaration.

The bill would also protect homeowners and small landlords—with 10 dwelling units or less– from foreclosure and tax lien sales. They, too, would be required to make a hardship declaration and would file the form with their mortgage lender, local assessor or a court.

Credit reports would also not be affected if the property owner falls behind on mortgage payments due to a hardship stemming from COVID-19.

“The bill advanced by the Senate Majority will help ensure New York tenants, homeowners, and small landlords will not have to fear being kicked out of their homes if they’ve been impacted by this pandemic and economic crisis,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said.

The bill has the backing of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and is being sponsored in the assembly by Jeffrey Dinowitz from the Bronx.

This legislation, according to Senate and Assembly Democrats, is the strongest bill in the nation that blocks eviction proceedings.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign the bill.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Broad Channel bank robber sentenced to 15 years in prison for putting senior woman in chokehold during Glendale heist while on parole: Feds

A Broad Channel man was sentenced in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday to 15 years in prison for committing a violent robbery of a Ridgewood Savings Bank branch in Glendale while on parole in April 2023.

Gerald DeRosse, 55, pleaded guilty to the charge in May and is described as a serial bank robber by federal prosecutors, who choked and threatened to kill a senior woman to get cash from a bank teller during the heist. DeRosse ran off with just $205 in cash.

Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca, legendary St. John’s basketball coach, dies at 99

The St. John’s University community will gather to mourn legendary basketball coach Lou Carnesecca on the Hillcrest campus he loved with all of his heart Friday morning for his Funeral Mass at St. Thomas More Church, where he will be remembered not just for building a dynamic program, but for the way he did it. The beloved coach died peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Saturday, Nov. 30, at age 99 and just five weeks shy of his 100th birthday.

“Throughout his long life, Coach Carnesecca represented St. John’s with savvy, humility, smarts, tenacity, wit, integrity and grace,” SJU President Rev. Brian Shanley said. “He was the public face of our University, and he embodied the values of our Catholic and Vincentian mission. We thank God for his legacy.”