Legal Aid Society files lawsuit against State and City, landlords to stop displacing rent-stabilized tenants
After the apartment burned down, landlords illegally changed the layout of plaintiff’s apartment, circumventing legal procedure
SUNSET PARK — The Legal Aid Society, a nonprofit organization in the city, filed a lawsuit against the city Department of Buildings (DOB) and the state Department of Homes and Community Renewal (DHCR), as well as some individual landlords themselves, to prevent the illegal displacement of tenants at a building in Sunset Park.
The lawsuit has been filed in the New York State Supreme Court. Complainants are seeking to change DOB’s policies and prevent the agency from circumventing the DHCR in the future.
After a fire that occurred on Nov. 3 of 2021, tenants at 4228 5th Avenue were displaced and their landlords created plans to change the layout of the units and reduce the number of bedrooms, overall decreasing the amount of space for families and children. The landlords submitted the plans directly to the DOB without taking any legal approval process required to change he buildings. Under Rent Stabilization Code rules, landlords are required to obtain approval to reconfigure apartments from DHCR before the DOB can approve. The DOB approved the landlords’ submitted plans and issued permits without DHCR’s approval – a clear violation of the Rent Stabilization Code.