Urban Horizons Tax Credit Fund, L.P. v. Zarick

195 Misc. 2d 779, 761 N.Y.S.2d 795, 2003 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 581
CourtCivil Court of the City of New York
DecidedApril 28, 2003
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 195 Misc. 2d 779 (Urban Horizons Tax Credit Fund, L.P. v. Zarick) 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
Urban Horizons Tax Credit Fund, L.P. v. Zarick, 195 Misc. 2d 779, 761 N.Y.S.2d 795, 2003 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 581 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2003).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Julia I. Rodriguez, J.

The issue before the court is whether respondent should be permitted to maintain a satellite dish at the premises, where the lease states that “an aerial may not be erected on the roof or outside wall of the building.” After reference to federal and case law, the court finds that respondent may retain the dish [780]*780and not be compelled to switch to cable service at petitioner’s option.

Petitioner commenced the within holdover proceeding on the grounds that respondent was violating a substantial obligation of the tenancy by having installed a satellite dish (dish) without the landlord’s written consent. The petition states that the premises are rent stabilized and that the relevant predicate notices were served accordingly. The 10-day notice to cure informs respondent, in pertinent part, that (1) tenants are in violation of paragraphs 8 and 10 of the lease dated June 2, 1997, and (2) the violation must be cured by June 25, 2002 by removing the satellite dish from outside the apartment window.

Respondent appeared by counsel and interposed an answer of general denial and alleged inter alia a defense of waiver.

A trial was conducted in Part L on February 3, 2002.1 Petitioner’s Director of Operations and Managing Agent, Ms. Patricia Shapiro (Shapiro), testified that she recently noticed that the manner of the dish’s installation had been changed. She stated that when it was originally installed in November 1997, the dish had been attached to a piece of wood bolted to the window guard, but that as of 2002, the satellite dish is attached to a piece of wood bolted to the window sill outside of the window guard. On cross-examination Ms. Shapiro stated that she observed the dish by standing on the sidewalk and looking upward to respondent’s window on the fourth floor, four stories above.

In her defense, respondent testified that in 1997 she inquired at the management office whether she could purchase satellite service and was directed to speak with Ms. Shapiro. Respondent claims that Shapiro agreed to the satellite dish, with the proviso that after it was installed the respondent would call management to schedule an inspection to ensure that it had been installed properly. Respondent testified that her father installed the dish by attaching it to a piece of wood which was then bolted to the window guard. Respondent then notified Shapiro that the dish was installed and scheduled an inspection. Respondent recalled that in November 1997 “the super, Carlos, and a gentleman from Asher Management” came to her apartment and inspected the dish to make certain that it was “put correctly and wasn’t going into the brick.” According to respondent, neither gentleman objected to the dish or its manner of installation and she never spoke with Shapiro again [781]*781regarding the dish. In addition, respondent testified that every year in June “Heydi” from the management office comes to inspect her apartment for recertification purposes. Respondent alleged that Heydi checks every room to make sure that everything is in order, including the windows, and that Heydi always observed both the subject window guard and dish. The respondent further alleged that Heydi has inspected her apartment annually from 1998 to present and never objected to the dish, and that its installation has never been changed.

On rebuttal, Shapiro denied ever speaking to respondent on the telephone with respect to the installation of a dish. However, Shapiro recalled that she went to the premises in the fall of 1997 with Heydi, the site managing agent, after she heard about the dish. Shapiro testified that the satellite dish was already in place, clamped to the window guard and secured to the inside of the apartment. Shapiro recalled telling respondent that she would “consider letting respondent keep the dish until the building was wired for cable,” but that once cable was available she would have to remove the dish “as it was not permitted.”

Shapiro alleged that thereafter she had no further conversations with respondent regarding the dish, and that she consented to the dish only until the building became cable ready and because of the way it was installed. Although Shapiro never asked respondent to remove the dish, she directed Heydi to inform respondent to remove the dish. Shapiro further stated that it took almost five years for the building to become cable accessible and that cable has only been available for the past two years.

Residential leases routinely bar or regulate a tenant’s right to install aerials and antennas. As the marketing of entertainment services via satellite proliferates, owners are compelled to seek enforcement of these prohibitive lease provisions in housing court. Since the subject of satellite dishes is regulated by federal law, the court turns to section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Pub L No. 104-104, 110 US Stat 56), commonly known as the “First OTARD Order,” referring to Over-The-Air Reception Devices. (47 CFR 1.4000 et seq., 11 Federal Communications Commission Records 19276 [FCCR] [1996].) Section 207 devices include antennas, satellite dishes or other instruments designed to receive video programming services. The First OTARD Order prohibited local and state governments, homeowners associations and contracting parties from restricting viewers’ installation and maintenance of sec[782]*782tion 207 devices. However, renters were not included in this favored class of viewers.

In 1998 the Federal Communications Commission issued an amendment to section 207 to include tenants with a leasehold interest in the property. (See Matter of Implementation of Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, 13 FCCR 23874, CS Docket No. 96-83, FCC 98-273, Nov. 2, 1998.) Referred to as the “Second OTARD Order,” the amendment provides that:

“renters will be able, subject to the terms of our Section 207 rules, to install Section 207 reception devices wherever they rent space outside of a building, such as balconies, balcony railings, patios, yards, gardens or any other similar areas * * *
“[Ujnlike common areas, the leasehold (e.g. an apartment including a balcony or terrace) generally is under the exclusive use or control of one party (i.e., the lessee), thus enabling that party to address liability concerns. Moreover, state landlord-tenant law can address liability issues that may arise from incidents arising on leased property.” (Id. [emphasis added].)

Significantly, the Second OTARD Order permits tenants who occupy outdoor space to install section 207 reception devices without the landlord’s permission. However, the Second OTARD Order did not change the rules to cover common property and restricted access property.2

In this case, the premises do not have a balcony, terrace, railing or other exclusive area to bring it under the exception of section 207. Rather, the credible evidence presented at trial showed that the dish is attached to a piece of wood bolted to the window guard. The question then becomes is a window guard an area where a tenant has exclusive use and control. In a decision of first impression concerning a satellite dish, the housing court held

“that the window guard, although attached to the

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Bluebook (online)
195 Misc. 2d 779, 761 N.Y.S.2d 795, 2003 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 581, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/urban-horizons-tax-credit-fund-lp-v-zarick-nycivct-2003.