Park Lake Residences, LP v. Patterson

53 Misc. 3d 719, 36 N.Y.S.3d 799
CourtNassau County District Court
DecidedAugust 1, 2016
StatusPublished

This text of 53 Misc. 3d 719 (Park Lake Residences, LP v. Patterson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nassau County District Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Park Lake Residences, LP v. Patterson, 53 Misc. 3d 719, 36 N.Y.S.3d 799 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Scott Fairgrieve, J.

Respondent Lisa Patterson moves to dismiss the summary proceedings on the grounds “that the Petitioner has waived its right to commence the instant proceeding and cannot meet its burden of proof even if all facts contained in the petition and termination were deemed to be true and accurate.”

Petitioner caused to be served upon respondent a 30-day notice of termination of tenancy concerning apartment 4A located at 4A Martin Luther Kang Drive, Hempstead (hereinafter referred to as the notice). The notice is dated September 21, 2015 and is executed by Peii Wisneski, registered managing agent. The notice terminates the lease as of October 31, 2015. The notice cites paragraph 23 (c) of the lease executed November 14, 2014, the one-strike policy — criminal activity addendum, and crime free lease addendum as grounds for the eviction.

Paragraph 23 (c) of the lease, as set forth in the notice, states:

“The Landlord may terminate this agreement for the following reasons: . . .
“(3) drug related criminal activity engaged in on or near the premises by any tenant, household member, or guest, and any such activity engaged in on the premises by any other person under the tenant’s control. . . .
“(6) criminal activity by a tenant, any member of the tenant’s household, a guest or another person under the tenant’s control:
“(a) that threatens the health, safety, or right to [721]*721peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents (including property management staff residing on the premises); or
“(b) that threatens the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of their residences by persons residing in the immediate vicinity of the premises. ...
“(8) if the tenant is violating a condition of probation or parole under Federal or State law; . . .
“(10) if the Landlord determined that the tenant, any member of the tenant’s household, a guest or another person under the tenant’s control has engaged in criminal activity, regardless of whether the tenant, any member of the tenant’s household, a guest or another person under the tenant’s control has been arrested or convicted for such criminal activity.”

The one-strike policy addendum, as set forth in the notice, provides:

“A. Resident Conduct:
“1. Any criminal activity is grounds for eviction if it threatens the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other Residents.
“2. All drug related criminal activity, whether on or off the premises, is cause for eviction.
“3. A Residency may be terminated and the household evicted when the Resident, [any] member of the Resident’s household, or a guest engages in criminal activity described above. . . .
“B, Evictions:
“1. Drug related or criminal activity, in violation of this lease provision, will be treated as a serious violation of the material terms of this lease. The Housing Company will seek eviction, under appropriate laws and statutes of any Resident determined to be in violation of the material terms of this lease. . . .
“3. Resident, upon entering in the lease agreement, promise to abide by its terms. Resident[s] have an affirmative obligation to assure that neither they nor any member of their household, or guest, or anyone else under their control, by virtue of having been [invited] to the premises, will engage in prohibited drug related or other criminal activities. [722]*722The Housing Company may evict the entire household when a household member or guest commits a crime in violation of the lease provisions. The resident is responsible for the household.”

The crime free lease addendum, as set forth in the notice, states:

“Resident, any members of the resident’s household or a guest or other persons affiliated with the resident:
“1. Shall not engage in criminal activity, including drug-related criminal activity, on or near the said premises. ‘Drug related criminal activity’ means the illegal manufacture, sale, distribution, use, or possession with intent to manufacture, sell, distribute, or use an illegal controlled substance.
“2. Shall not engage in any act intended to facilitate criminal activity. . . .
“4. Shall not engage in the unlawful manufacturing, selling, using, storing, keeping, or giving of an illegal or controlled substance, at any locations, whether on or near the dwelling unit premises. . . .
“6. VIOLATION OF THE ABOVE PROVISIONS SHALL BE A MATERIAL AND IRREPERABLE VIOLATION OF THE LEASE AND GOOD CAUSE FOR IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF TENANCY.”

The grounds for terminating the lease set forth in the notice are:

“PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on July 10, 2012, Curel Patterson was arrested on charges of gang assault in the first degree, and assault in the third degree, for the assault, of Rhonda Smith, a tenant of Park Lake Residences. Additionally, on February 5, 2005, Curel Patterson was arrested for the stabbing of Rasheed Dillard, then a tenant of Park Lake Residences, resulting in charges of assault in the first degree. On that same occasion, you were also arrested for the assault of Taylor Shea, by ‘intentionally caus [ing] injury to the victim with the discharge of a firearm.’ On February 5, 2005, you were also arrested for several other charges. All these incidents constitute criminal activity in breach of the Lease, the Addendum, and the One-Strike Policy.”

[723]*723In support of the motion to dismiss, the affidavit of Lisa Patterson, sworn to March 9, 2016, is submitted. Respondent states she has lived at the premises for over 30 years. Her son, Curel Patterson, was a co-tenant until his incarceration in 2012. Respondent states that she recertified in October of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Respondent claims that she cannot be evicted for events that occurred almost four years ago, and about 12 years ago, as petitioner has waived its right to evict by these delays.

In opposition to the motion to dismiss, petitioner submits the affidavit of Judy Thomas (hereinafter referred to as Thomas), sworn to May 13, 2016. Thomas states that she is property manager and has held this position for over 10 years. She makes the following arguments (lettering does not match numbers in affidavit):

“(a) Curel was a member of Respondent’s household at the time of his arrest in July of 2012 and he signed the Crime Free Lease Addendum prior to his arrest.
“(b) Respondent’s Lease was recertified subsequent to the arrest and incident because:
“5. Management processed the Respondent’s annual recertifications subsequent to the arrest and incident in question simply because the recertifica-tions and renewals are required by law as a condition of the tenant’s occupancy at the Premises, a Project Based Section 8, building and as a requirement of her subsidy by HUD.
“6.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
53 Misc. 3d 719, 36 N.Y.S.3d 799, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/park-lake-residences-lp-v-patterson-nydistctnassau-2016.