Congregation Netzach Yisroel v. Santana

32 Misc. 3d 555
CourtCivil Court of the City of New York
DecidedApril 12, 2011
StatusPublished

This text of 32 Misc. 3d 555 (Congregation Netzach Yisroel v. Santana) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Civil Court of the City of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Congregation Netzach Yisroel v. Santana, 32 Misc. 3d 555 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2011).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

George M. Heymann, J.

Can the petitioner, a religious corporation, recover rent-stabilized premises for the purpose of establishing a Yeshiva, for charitable and educational purposes, on a not-for-profit basis?

Factual Background

On March 18, 2010, the petitioner, a religious corporation, purchased the subject premises, located at 4219 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219, for the purpose of relocating its Jewish parochial school, known as Yeshiva Tal Torah. The premises is a 12- family-unit apartment building. According to the petitioner, seven of the apartments are presently vacant and empty, two apartments are preparing to move out and three are currently occupied and in litigation with holdover proceedings.

Since 2005, petitioner has operated Yeshiva Tal Torah, at 1370 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. The property was rented by petitioner until a more suitable location could be found. Having purchased the premises in question, the petitioner now seeks to recover the remaining occupied apartments in order to renovate the entire building to accommodate its approximately 70 students. Petitioner states that the plans call for a study hall on the first floor; a library on the second floor; classrooms and administrative offices on the third floor; and a dormitory for the Yeshiva students on the fourth floor.1

On April 29, 2010, the petitioner served a “Notice of Intention to Terminate Tenancy and Not to Renew Lease and Intention to Commence an Action or Proceeding” informing the [557]*557respondents that pursuant to section 2524.4 (b) (1) of the Rent Stabilization Code (9 NYCRR) (RSC) their leases would not be renewed because the owner “desires to recover possession of the apartment premises for its own non-residential use in connection with its charitable and educational purposes.” The notice further states that its Yeshiva will be relocated to “occupy the entire premises that it purchased for use as a school building and educational institution. The entire premises will be converted to school facilities.”

In October 2010, the petitioner commenced the instant holdover proceedings. On January 6, 2011, the respondents moved to dismiss the proceedings, which were consolidated for the purposes of these motions. On April 8, 2011, the court heard argument on said motions and reserved decision.

Applicable Statute2

2524.4 reads, in pertinent part, as follows:

“The owner shall not be required to offer a renewal lease to a tenant . . . and may commence an action or proceeding to recover possession in a court of competent jurisdiction, upon the expiration of the existing lease term, if any, after serving the tenant with a notice as required . . . only on one or more of the following grounds: . , .
“(b) Recovery by a not-for-profit institution. (1) The owner is a hospital, convent, monastery, asylum, public institution, college, school dormitory, or any institution operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes on a nonprofit basis, and the owner, upon notice to the tenant . . . requires the housing accommodation for its own use in connection with its charitable or educational purposes [and]:
“(ii) the owner requires the housing accommodation for a nonresidential use in connection with its charitable or educational purposes.” (Some emphasis added.)

[558]*558Discussion and Conclusions of Law

The thrust of the arguments for both parties hinges on the words “any” and “exclusively” as emphasized in the statute set forth above.

It is the position of the petitioner that, notwithstanding the specific institutions listed, the petitioner would qualify for exemption because as a religious corporation it would be covered by the language “any institution.” The respondents, on the other hand, rely on the narrowly worded phrase “exclusively for charitable or educational purposes” to support their positions that the petitioner’s goals and purposes are beyond the scope intended by the Legislature.

The only published decision that directly addresses the issue here is Eaton v New York City Conciliation & Appeals Bd. (56 NY2d 340 [1982]). In that case, the Court of Appeals determined that the residential apartments owned and operated by a religious institution and rented to the general public were not exempt from the rent stabilization laws. There, the religious institution claimed that it was “operated exclusively for charitable purposes on a nonprofit basis” (id. at 342). Similarly, the petitioner herein avers that it intends to use the subject premises exclusively for charitable and educational purposes.

In Eaton (supra), the court noted that “where the statutory language is clear and unambiguous, the court should construe the statute to give effect to the plain meaning of the words used” (id. at 345). The court proceeded to clarify its interpretation of the statute as follows:

“In this case the language of the statute exempts from rent stabilization housing accommodations owned or operated by any institution operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes on a nonprofit basis. There is no language in the statute which would permit an interpretation providing a similar exemption for institutions operated for religious purposes nor is there statutory language which would suggest this legislative intent. Where as here, the statute describes the particular situations to which it is to apply ‘an irrefutable inference must be drawn that what is omitted or not included was intended to be omitted or excluded.’ Nor does the statutory reference to monastery or convent serve to define religious institutions generally. Indeed the opposite conclusion could be [559]*559inferred by virtue of the specific language of the statute which singles out convent or monastery from the application of its provision.
“Had the Legislature intended to extend the exemption to religious institutions, it could have chosen to do so through appropriately worded legislation. In view of the Legislature’s failure to include religious institutions generally within the exemption provisions of the statute an ‘irrefutable inference’ arises that housing accommodations owned or operated by religious institutions are outside the scope of this statute.” (Id. at 345-346 [citations omitted].)

The respondents maintain that the court’s holding in Eaton (supra) precludes this court from reaching any conclusion contrary thereto. The petitioner, on the other hand, avers that because the Yeshiva is currently operated as a charitable, educational and not-for-profit institution it falls squarely within the legislative intent of the statute.

During oral argument, petitioner sought to distinguish Eaton (supra) from the case at bar on the basis that the religious institution in that case was not a “not-for-profit” organization as is the petitioner herein. In upholding the nisi prius court’s dismissal of the petition, the Court of Appeals stated that “[t]he record before us fails to disclose that the subject apartments are owned or operated by an institution operated exclusively for charitable purposes or that the income derived from the rental property is devoted exclusively to charitable purposes.” (Id.

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Related

Eaton v. New York City Conciliation & Appeals Board
437 N.E.2d 1115 (New York Court of Appeals, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
32 Misc. 3d 555, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/congregation-netzach-yisroel-v-santana-nycivct-2011.