Medina v. Brabert Realty Co.

114 Misc. 2d 816, 452 N.Y.S.2d 787, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3571
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 4, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 114 Misc. 2d 816 (Medina v. Brabert Realty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Medina v. Brabert Realty Co., 114 Misc. 2d 816, 452 N.Y.S.2d 787, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3571 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Norman C. Ryp, J.

A. ISSUES

Viable sublease or vitiable lease? Does tenant’s actual subletting, after requisite notice of intent to sublet, but prior to landlord’s request for additional information and tenant’s response thereto, under section 226-b of the Real Property Law give a residential tenant the right to sublease or landlord the right to evict tenant, after service of notices to cure and termination, for violation, by illegal sublet, of a substantial obligation of tenancy? Are landlord’s service of such notices to cure and termination or a pending co-operative conversion reasonable refusal under section 226-b of the Real Property Law? These appear issues of first impression.

Plaintiffs, respective tenant and subtenants, move by order to show cause, dated March 22, 1982, pursuant to CPLR 6301 and 6311 for a preliminary injunction, pendente lite, restraining defendant, Brabert Realty Co. (landlord) from withholding consent from plaintiff, Roberto [817]*817Medina (tenant) to sublet his rent-stabilized apartment (apt 2C, 201 East 25th Street, NY, NY — subject apartment) to plaintiffs, Shya Kane and Beth Handel (subtenants) under section 226-b of the Real Property Law. In addition, plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment, under CPLR 3001, that landlord unreasonably withheld consent and deemed to have consented, or, directing landlord’s consent, under subdivision 2 of section 226-b of the Real Property Law, to such sublet and recognizing tenant as still tenant of record under any effective co-operative conversion offering plan.

Landlord opposes plaintiffs’ above-requested relief and further cross-moves, by notice of cross motion, dated March 31,1982, pursuant to CPLR 3211 (subd [a], pars 4, 7) for an order dismissing the complaint upon the grounds there is another action pending (Civ Ct, NY County, Housing Part 49, holdover summary proceeding, Landlord & Tenant No. 27678/1982 — “holdover summary proceeding”) and for failure to state a cause of action.

B. parties’ contentions

In support, plaintiffs submit, through tenant and his counsel, that they duly and timely complied with the requirements of section 226-b of the Real Property Law, both by tenants: September 22,1981 (ordinary mail letter) sublet request and October 21, 1981 (certified mail return receipt requested) sublet request. Furthermore, plaintiffs’ action and motions are based upon landlord’s unreasonable refusal (i.e., co-operative conversion process) to tenant’s September 22, 1981 sublet request and untimely (beyond 10 days) November 3, 1981 request for additional information to its October 21,1981 sublet request, both contrary to subdivision 2 of section 226-b of the Real Property Law so as to be deemed landlord’s consent thereunder. Finally, plaintiffs contend that tenant’s requirement to pay double rent, once for subject apartment and secondly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — tenant’s relocation — during the sublet to preserve his section 61 of the Code of the Real Estate Industry Stabilization Association of New York City, Inc. exclusive rights, including an “insiders” price to tenants of tenants of record, is inequitable.

[818]*818In opposition and in support of its CPLR 3211 (subd [a], pars 4, 7) cross motion to dismiss, based upon another action pending and for legal insufficiency, landlord cites the: pendency of its RPAPL 711 (subd 1) holdover summary proceeding in Civil Court, New York County, Housing Part 49; failure of tenant’s September 22,1981 letter to comply with subdivision 2 of section 226-b of the Real Property Law sent by ordinary instead of certified or registered mail, omission of proposed subtenants’ business and home address to which landlord responded and reasonably rejected; tenant’s bad faith proposal to remain in subject apartment with proposed subtenants, to which landlord likewise rejected; premature proposed subtenants’ October 24, 1981 possession prior to receipt of tenant’s October 21, 1981 section 226-b sublet request to which landlord timely, within 10 days, requested additional information on November 3, 1981; thus, defendant validly thereafter served tenant with notices to cure and termination, which was not barred by the Civil Court temporary restraining order dated November 2, 1981, of Judge Richard Lee Price, and whose November 23, 1981 notice to cure deadline expired prior to subject order to show cause herein barring injunctive relief under the doctrine of First Nat. Stores v Yellowstone Shopping Center (21 NY2d 630).

In reply (opposition) to the cross motion, plaintiffs submit that: the fulcrum issue is whether co-operative conversion is a reasonable refusal under section 226-b of the Real Property Law; tenant’s September 22, 1981 request was a valid section 226-b sublet request to which landlord did not technically object nor request additional information and responded with an unreasonable refusal, i.e., co-operative conversion; on October 2, 1981, tenant’s attorney tried, in good faith, to resolve the matter amicably by an alternative arrangement, tenant to continue to pay rent and remain in subject apartment with the proposed subtenants which, on October 6, 1981, landlord’s managing agent rejected, supplemented by an October 15, 1981 unsuccessful personal meeting with landlord reiterating its sublet refusal based upon its pending co-operative conversion; tenant’s attorneys’ formal October 21, 1981 section 226-b request reflected tenant’s intent to consummate the sublet, [819]*819which was effected on October 24,1981, more than 30 days after tenant’s original September 22, 1981 request; upon being advised of landlord’s “prospective locks” change to subject apartment on November 2,1981 plaintiffs obtained from Judge Richard Lee Price, Presiding Judge in the Civil Court, New York County, Housing Part 49 (Landlord & Tenant No. 102814/1981), ancillary to its then pending action, by order to show cause for identical relief as subject motion, a temporary restraining order, served and effective November 4, 1981, pending hearing and final determination of this motion and an entry of an order thereon “of all proceedings on the part of the landlord * * * be stayed” to which landlord cross-moved on November 25, 1981 to dismiss, under CPLR 3211 (subd [a], par 2) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, which Judge Kristin Booth Glen granted on February 18, 1982 but in the interim, landlord served its notices to cure (Nov. 10, 1981) and terminate (Dec. 2, 1981) and commenced (Feb. 2, 1982) its holdover summary proceeding.

C. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The facts, substantially undisputed, and extracted from the various submissions, are as follows: on or about June 30, 1980, tenant and landlord entered into a Real Estate Industry Stabilization Association of New York City, Inc., standard form of apartment lease (1978) for rent-stabilized subject apartment in the Peter James House, which contains over four residential units. Said lease was for a three-year term, effective July 1,1980 and ending June 30,1983, at a monthly rental of $500.25. Pertinent paragraph 18 (A) of said lease relevantly reads: “18. (A) Assignment, Subletting, Abandonment — Except as provided by section 226-b of the Real Property Law of New York, the tenant shall not * * * sublet the Apartment, or permit the Apartment or any part thereof to be used by any one other than tenant or members of the immediate family of tenant without the prior written consent of owner”.

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Bluebook (online)
114 Misc. 2d 816, 452 N.Y.S.2d 787, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3571, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/medina-v-brabert-realty-co-nysupct-1982.