Wilber v. Abare

138 Misc. 2d 754, 525 N.Y.S.2d 754, 1988 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 189
CourtCivil Court of the City of New York
DecidedFebruary 4, 1988
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 138 Misc. 2d 754 (Wilber v. Abare) 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
Wilber v. Abare, 138 Misc. 2d 754, 525 N.Y.S.2d 754, 1988 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 189 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1988).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Frank M. Klinger, J.

The question presented by this case is whether the stay provided by RPAPL 751 (1), which appears to be mandatory, is of permanent duration or whether, being a "stay”, it can be limited by the court to some particular period of time.

Rasch, New York Landlord & Tenant — Summary Proceedings (vol 3, § 1419, at 254 [2d ed]) regarding the analysis of RPAPL 751 (1) states that "Upon paying into court before the issuance of a warrant the determined amount of unpaid rent * ** * together with interest, penalty, and costs, the landlord’s right to dispossess terminates, and the proceeding must be dismissed. Although this statute authorizes a stay of the issuance of a warrant if certain payments are made after the judgment, it has been held that no actual stay is involved. The payment in and of itself finally terminates the proceeding; no warrant may thereafter issue; and any warrant issued would be a nullity.”

The question presented therefore is whether this is correct or whether Rasch might be somewhat rash or overly broad in this assessment that the "stay” constitutes not simply a "stay”, but a final judgment terminating the proceeding.

At the outset we note that this matter is an eviction proceeding based upon tenant’s failure to pay rent for a period of time pursuant to a one-year written lease. Defendant defended on the grounds of "uninhabitability” and the court in fact found a partial uninhabitability but nonetheless ver[756]*756bally in its decision from the Bench awarded judgment to the landlord in the amount of $238.30.

Respondent thereupon tendered that amount in cash to the clerk pursuant to RPAPL 751 (1) for purposes of obtaining the stay therein provided.

Section 751 provides that:

"The respondent may, at any time before a warrant is issued, stay the issuing thereof and also stay an execution to collect the costs, as follows:
"1. Where the lessee or tenant holds over after a default in the payment of rent * * * he may effect a stay by depositing the amount of the rent due * * * and interest and penalty, if any thereon due, and the costs of the special proceeding, with the clerk of the court”.

We note at the outset that petitioner’s counsel is under the erroneous belief that nonpayment by a tenant of any amount due or found to be due by the court under a lease automatically cancels the lease and renders it null and void. Learned counsel did not alone wallow in such ignorance. This court was also of the same belief, which, to this court’s experience, has been commonly held by learned counsel throughout the City of Oswego. I have often wondered, however, if that be true as a matter of law, why some leases nonetheless specifically so provide. This one, however, does not.

That view is clearly in error, as can be seen from the fact that counsel for petitioner cites no case law whatsoever to support such a proposition, but rather makes a futile attempt to distinguish cases cited by respondent.

I agree that Young v Lucas (1 AD2d 754) cited predominantly by Rasch and respondent is inapplicable here. There, the Justice actually turned over the money paid into court to the landlord. Since the landlord received the money, the warrant was held to be a nullity.

Petitioner’s counsel in the case at bar argues that if petitioner were to accept full payment, respondent would therefore be arguing (and I might add correctly) pursuant to Young v Lucas (supra) that petitioner is not entitled to an order of eviction. The converse, however, is not a logical syllogism. Just because petitioner would not be entitled to a warrant of eviction if he does accept the money, provided full and proper tender has been offered, does not imply that because he has refused the money that he is therefore entitled to a warrant.

[757]*757Respondent’s other cases are well on point to that issue.

In Matter of Albany v White (46 Misc 2d 915 [Civ Ct 1965]), even though the landlord had received and then returned the proper tender, the language of the court is quite clear and unambiguous: "Where prior to the issuance of the warrant, the landlord in a nonpayment proceeding refuses to accept a timely tender of the proper amount of rent, he is not entitled to the issuance of the warrant (Matter of Vaile v. Moritt, 222 N. Y. S. 2d 290; Young v. Lucas, 1 A D 2d 754; Greenberg v. Cagle, 212 N. Y. S. 2d 767). A proper tender, as here (rent and costs) bars a final judgment; and there being no final judgment, there can be no warrant to evict thereunder.” (Supra, at 917; first emphasis the NY Civ Ct, second emphasis ours.)

In Greenberg v Cagle (212 NYS2d 767 [1961]) a final order awarding possession and a warrant was issued on December 2, 1960 based upon a tenant’s default. Thereafter the tenant moved to vacate her default and stay the execution of the warrant. On December 19, 1960 tenant’s motion was granted, the final order vacated and the proceedings set down for trial. Upon completion of the trial an order dated January 4, 1961 was entered in favor of the petitioner and the issuance of the warrant stayed to and including January 9, 1961. Tenant apparently offered payment of rent and costs to petitioner on January 10, 1961 which was refused.

The old, invalid warrant was returned on January 11, 1961 and on that date petitioner made application for a new warrant which was refused. The court upheld the refusal to issue the warrant under the circumstances. The first warrant being a nullity, the tenant had in fact tendered payment after the stay had expired but prior to the issuance of a new, valid warrant. The court held that "a warrant issued in a summary proceeding without a final order first having been made in favor of the landlord is a nullity” and that "the tender having been made prior to the issuance of a new warrant directed by the last final order and prior to the time the new warrant could have been issued by reason of the outstanding warrant, the petitioner is not entitled to the relief he seeks.” (Supra, at 769.)

The court held that "Section 1435 of the Civil Practice Act provides that a tenant against whom a final order is made may stay the issuing thereof at any time before a warrant is issued by depositing with the Clerk of the court the amount of rent due plus interest and costs. This statute affords a tenant a [758]*758stay even after the original stay had expired provided the tender is made prior to the issuance of the warrant or a valid demand is made for its issuance”. (Supra, at 770; first emphasis the NY Civ Ct, the second ours.)

In Vaile v Moritt (222 NYS2d 290) the trial court entered a final order on September 27, 1961 in favor of the landlord in the sum of $46.50 which provided that the issuance of the warrant would be stayed until October 2, 1961. The tenant claimed that on October 2 and before the expiration of the stay provided for in the final order, he tendered the rent to the landlord but the same was refused. The landlord obtained a warrant on October 6.

The court held that "A tender lawfully made and unlawfully refused is as effectual as if payment had been made”. (Supra,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Fragiacomo v. Pugliese
11 Misc. 3d 96 (Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
138 Misc. 2d 754, 525 N.Y.S.2d 754, 1988 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 189, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilber-v-abare-nycivct-1988.