Tucker v. New York City Housing Authority

129 A.D.3d 571, 14 N.Y.S.3d 324
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Tucker v. New York City Housing Authority. Read the opinion of the Court — 127 A.D.3d 619

Opinion

Determination of respondent New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), dated March 20, 2013, which, after a hearing, terminated petitioner’s tenancy, unanimously modified, on the law, to the extent of vacating the penalty and remanding the matter to NYCHA for consideration of a new penalty in accordance with this order, and this proceeding brought pursuant to CPLR article 78 (transferred to this Court by order of the Supreme Court, New York County [Shlomo Hagler, J.], entered Jan. 31, 2014), otherwise disposed of by confirming the remainder of the determination, without costs.

The penalty of terminating petitioner’s tenancy, under the circumstances of this case, shocks our sense of fairness, and should be vacated (Matter of Pell v Board of Educ. of Union Free School Dist. No. 1 of Towns of Scarsdale & Mamaroneck, Westchester County, 34 NY2d 222, 237 [1974]). Notwithstanding that there was substantial evidence supporting the hearing officer’s finding that petitioner violated a stipulation made over 17 years ago, in which he agreed to exclude Tanya Hall from [572]*572the apartment, the remedy of terminating petitioner’s tenancy failed to take into account substantially changed circumstances. These changed circumstances were set out in petitioner’s pending application for relief from the condition of exclusion. Because petitioner’s undecided application presented a strong basis for removing the exclusion against Ms. Hall, termination of his long term tenancy based on the violation of the exclusion provision, without considering the merits of whether the exclusion should still be in place, is manifestly unfair.

Petitioner is a resident of public housing for over 30 years. Tanya Hall is petitioner’s long time girlfriend. Seventeen years ago she was staying with petitioner in the apartment, along with her then 16 year old son, Angel. At that time Angel vandalized several coin operated washers and dryers in the NYCHA building, resulting in NYCHA bringing charges to terminate petitioner’s lease as a nondesirable tenant. In resolution of those charges, petitioner signed a stipulation dated November 19, 1998, agreeing to permanently exclude Angel and Ms. Hall from visiting him at, or living in, his apartment. Although only Angel was claimed to have committed the undesirable acts, Ms. Hall, who was responsible for Angel’s care and custody at that time, was also excluded. A further condition of the stipulation was that NYCHA investigators could make unannounced visits to his apartment to confirm petitioner’s compliance with the conditions. Any refusal to allow such entry is, by the express terms of the stipulation, a violation. Petitioner was placed on probation for two years and agreed to downsize into a smaller apartment. The 1998 stipulation expressly provides that the permanent exclusion lasts beyond the probation period. The condition of unannounced visits, however, does not state whether it is only while petitioner is on probation, or nondurational. On January 29, 1999, NYCHA approved the stipulation.

There is simply no evidence, and no finding was ever made, that since the stipulation Angel ever again resided in or even visited the apartment. Now in his 30’s, Angel has a family of his own, and he does not intend to ever return to the apartment. Following the 1998 stipulation, Ms. Hall moved immediately to Louisiana to live with her (now deceased) mother. It is, however, undisputed that Ms. Hall and petitioner have maintained an intimate relationship over the years, during which she has intermittently stayed with him. It is also undisputed that in the intervening years Ms. Hall has grappled with serious medical issues and homelessness. During her [573]*573periods of homelessness, she has left her personal belongings in petitioner’s apartment. Ms. Hall, now in her 50’s, is wheelchair-bound and frail, and suffers from a multitude of chronic, debilitating medical conditions. She depends on petitioner to help her with many basic needs, including making medical decisions for her.

In 2003, NYCHA investigators made an unannounced visit to petitioner’s apartment and were let in by Ms. Hall. Charges were brought against petitioner and an administrative hearing was held. The hearing officer, noting Ms. Hall’s frail health and mobility impairment, continued the permanent exclusion condition of the 1998 stipulation but did not order the sanction of eviction, allowing petitioner “a final opportunity to save his home in public housing.”

In 2004, petitioner failed to allow NYCHA investigators into his apartment on two separate occasions. Charges were brought against him and after an administrative hearing at which petitioner testified that he had not been in contact with Angel since 1998, the hearing officer continued the 1998 stipulation and imposed an additional one year of probation on him.

In 2006, petitioner was again charged with violating the 1998 stipulation and terms of his probationary period by refusing to let NYCHA investigators into the apartment. After yet another hearing, at which it was found that petitioner had violated the 1998 stipulation by failing to grant NYCHA investigators entry into his apartment, the hearing officer nonetheless observed that “no wrong-doing by Tanya Hall was ever alleged, and there is no evidence that Tanya uses the apartment for anything except storage.” Petitioner was placed on another one-year probationary period.

Charges were filed against him in 2011 for the same reason and were resolved by stipulation dated January 12, 2012. Once again he was placed on probation for a one-year period. During the most recent probationary period, NYCHA claims its investigators were denied access to the apartment, resulting in the current charges.

The charges underlying this proceeding are that petitioner violated the terms of his probation by allowing “Tanya Hall and Angel [surname deleted] to take up residence in your Authority apartment since September 2012 without obtaining prior written consent of your Development’s Housing Manager, as required.” These charges were set forth in NYCHA’s October 23, 2012 notification of proposed termination of tenancy. After receiving the October 23, 2012 notification of charges, petitioner sent NYCHA a written request, dated November 11, 2012, seek[574]*574ing relief from the permanent exclusion requirement on the basis that Ms. Hall, who has been his girlfriend for 30 years, is ill, he has never been arrested, he has held stable employment throughout his tenancy, and immediately “barred [Angel] from the premises in 1999.” Petitioner’s written application only sought relief from the condition involving Ms. Hall’s exclusion from his apartment.

A NYCHA tenant can seek relief from the condition of permanent exclusion by following the procedures set forth in paragraph 24 of NYCHA’s termination of tenancy procedures: “The tenant found eligible [for continued tenancy], subject to permanent exclusion of one or more persons in the household may apply for removal of the condition at any time a substantial change has occurred bearing on the need for such condition for eligibility. The tenant’s application shall be in writing, addressed to the Tenancy Administrator, who shall submit such application to the Hearing Officer. The Hearing Officer may in his/her discretion:

“(a) Continue the condition unchanged, or

“(b) Remove the condition of permanent exclusion of one or more persons in the household from the tenant’s status of eligible.”

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Tucker v. New York City Housing Authority, 129 A.D.3d 571, 14 N.Y.S.3d 324 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2015).

129 A.D.3d 571 (Tucker v. New York City Housing Authority) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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