New York County District Attorney's Office v. Oquendo

147 Misc. 2d 125, 553 N.Y.S.2d 973, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 136
CourtCivil Court of the City of New York
DecidedMarch 26, 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 147 Misc. 2d 125 (New York County District Attorney's Office v. Oquendo) 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
New York County District Attorney's Office v. Oquendo, 147 Misc. 2d 125, 553 N.Y.S.2d 973, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 136 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1990).

Opinion

[126]*126OPINION OF THE COURT

Stuart C. Cohen, J.

Petitioner, the New York County District Attorney’s office, commenced this summary proceeding pursuant to RPAPL 715 and 721 (8), seeking to remove respondent tenants from possession of the subject premises on the ground that the premises are used for an illegal trade or business, to wit, the possession and sale of illegal drugs. (RPAPL 711 [5].) The petition names Bill Oquendo and Rachel Oquendo as the tenants of the apartment and "John and Jane Doe No. 1 through 10” as subtenants. The petition also names as a respondent the New York City Housing Authority, the owner of the premises.

The petition was returnable on February 16, 1990, and on that date, respondents appeared pro se. Respondents were given time to obtain counsel and the matter was set down for trial on February 23, 1990. On the trial date, respondents appeared with counsel who served this motion to dismiss the petition. Respondents allege that the proceeding must be dismissed on the grounds that the court lacks both personal and subject matter jurisdiction, or in the alternative, respondents seek leave to file a written answer with a jury demand and a demand for a verified bill of particulars.

(a) Respondents object to personal jurisdiction claiming that petitioner failed to either name or serve known legal residents of the subject premises, specifically, the children and grandchildren of the tenants named in the lease.

The Federal residential monthly lease agreement to the subject premises was entered into by respondents Bill Oquendo and Rachel Oquendo. These two respondents were named in the petition and they do not deny that they were personally served with process.

The petition also names "John and Jane Doe No. 1 through 10” as subtenants or occupants of the apartment. The affidavit of service states that one copy of the petition and notice of petition were served on these subtenants or occupants. Respondents’ attorney submits that these other parties are the children and grandchildren of Bill and Rachel Oquendo, and that they are necessary parties who should have been named in the petition and served with process. Petitioner alleges that these other persons are undertenants and therefore, they are not necessary parties. (Citing Teachers Coll. v Wolterding, 77 Misc 2d 81 [App Term, 1st Dept].)

[127]*127The affidavits submitted by respondents Nelson, Alexis and Ramon Oquendo allege that they are the children of Bill and Rachel Oquendo. These affidavits further allege that "Three (3) generations of our family live at our home at 100 Pitt Street, Apt. No. IB, New York, New York.” Nelson and Ramon Oquendo allege that they are over the age of 21.

Based upon this unrebutted evidence presented by respondents, it is clear that Bill and Rachel Oquendo have not entered into any tenant-subtenant relationship with their children. The evidence demonstrates that all parties reside in the apartment with Bill and Rachel Oquendo as an incident to the family relationship. (61 Jane St Assn. v Kroll, NYLJ, Mar. 15, 1983, at 10, col 4 [App Term, 1st Dept].) However, since it is conceded that these other occupants are the children and grandchildren of Bill and Rachel Oquendo, and live together in the subject apartment with Bill and Rachel Oquendo, these parties can be removed under a warrant of dispossession although none of them are made parties to the summary proceeding. The spouse of a tenant as well as the tenant’s children, grandchildren, servants, boarders and guests who live with the tenant, and who are not subtenants, can all be removed under a warrant of dispossession, though none of them is made a party to the summary proceeding brought against the tenant. None of these occupants is either a necessary or a proper party to the summary proceeding. (Croft v King, 8 Daly 265; Fults v Munro, 202 NY 34; 2 Rasch, New York Landlord & Tenant — Summary Proceedings § 38:32, at 615 [3d ed].) Therefore, the children of Bill and Rachel Oquendo are neither necessary nor proper parties to this summary proceeding. Accordingly, the motion to dismiss on the ground that petitioner failed to either name or serve known legal residents to the subject premises is denied.

(b) Respondents next move to dismiss on the ground that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this proceeding.

Subject matter jurisdiction refers to the power of the court to hear the kind of case that is presently before it for adjudication (Matter of Newham v Chile Exploration Co., 232 NY 37; Matter of Rougeron, 17 NY2d 264; Thrasher v United States Liab. Ins. Co., 19 NY2d 159; Hunt v Hunt, 72 NY 217). Whether a court has subject matter jurisdiction is determined by the Constitution, statutes and (occasionally) the rules which confer jurisdiction. (Siegel, Practice Commentaries, Me-[128]*128Kinney’s Cons Laws of NY, Book 7B, CPLR 3211, C3211:ll, at 17), and not by the particular facts of any case. (Hunt v Hunt, supra.) The question to be resolved is whether the court has jurisdiction over the "type” of case, not whether it has jurisdiction over "this particular” case. (1890 Realty Co. v Ford, 121 Misc 2d 834; Treiman, Subject Matter Jurisdiction in Summary Proceedings, NYLJ, Mar. 2, 1990, at 1, col 1; Hunt v Hunt, supra.)

Under section 15 (b) of article VI of the NY State Constitution, the Civil Court of the City of New York has jurisdiction over summary proceedings to recover possession of real property (RPAPL 701; CCA 204). Therefore, this court has subject matter jurisdiction over this proceeding. An examination of the objections raised by respondents which, it is alleged, deprive the court of subject matter jurisdiction, demonstrates that respondents confuse the court’s competence to entertain a summary eviction proceeding with the court’s ability to render a judgment on the merits of this particular case. (Lacks v Lacks, 41 NY2d 71; Thrasher v United States Liab. Ins. Co., 19 NY2d 159, 166, supra; Treiman, Subject Matter Jurisdiction in Summary Proceedings, op. cit.)

(c) Pursuant to their objection to subject matter jurisdiction, respondents first allege that the petition is defective because petitioner failed to allege the status of the subject premises with respect to the local rent control laws. An examination of the petition reveals that it contains no allegations whatsoever as to the status of the premises. Respondents submit that the premises are not subject to rent control or rent stabilization but rather Federal regulation.

The failure to allege the control status of the premises is not a "jurisdictional defect.” A proceeding is not jurisdiction-ally defective so long as the court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of the proceeding pursuant to RPAPL article 7 and jurisdiction over the person by dint of proper service. (Jackson v New York City Horn. Auth., 88 Misc 2d 121 [App Term, 1st Dept]; Weiner v Zimmerman, NYLJ, July 6, 1983, at 6, col 2 [App Term, 1st Dept].) Where the regulatory history of the premises is omitted or misstated, the landlord should be permitted to conform the pleadings to the proof in the absence of any prejudice to the tenant. (Weiner v Zimmerman, supra.) Respondents have made no allegation that they are prejudiced by any omission. Additionally, in 215-219 Union Ave. Assn. v Miller

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Bluebook (online)
147 Misc. 2d 125, 553 N.Y.S.2d 973, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 136, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/new-york-county-district-attorneys-office-v-oquendo-nycivct-1990.