The Executive Committee of the PCCC is pleased to announce another substantial victory in our efforts to ensure that only helpful common-sense legislation is enacted affecting our Co-op/Condo members. In the recent NY State Budget, a substantial portion of the legislation was devoted to the so-called “Good Cause Eviction Bill”. This bill has been languishing for years and in the previous iteration of the bill Co-ops and Condos were included as a covered housing accommodation. The bill as originally written would be disastrous for Co-ops and Condos. It was another in a long line of proposed legislation where the Legislators failed to recognize the distinction between a Co-op and a landlord-tenant rental relationship.
We acted promptly and vociferously to our elected officials and our voice was heard. Several of our members testified at the Committee hearing by the NYS Senate Housing Committee in January 2022. A copy of our official testimony is annexed. Click here to read the testimony.
In addition, we met with our partners in the legislature, including Senators Stavisky, Liu, and Salazar and Assembly Member Ed Braunstein. They agreed with our position and strongly advocated for the removal of Co-ops/Condos from this legislation. Thankfully, our voices were heard and the final bill has the following language:
Ҥ 214. Covered housing accommodations. Where this article applies, it shall apply to all housing accommodations except
unit on or within a housing accommodation owned as a condominium or cooperative, or a unit on or within a housing accommodation subject to an offering plan submitted to the office of the attorney general, provided that nothing herein shall abrogate or otherwise limit any rights or obligations a tenant residing in a unit within a condominium or cooperative or a purchaser, owner, or offeror of a condominium or cooperative unit has pursuant to any other state law; “
We are appreciative of our partners in the legislature and thank them for their efforts on behalf of the thousands of Co-op/Condo homeowners in New York City.
We will relish this major victory for our members but still have a full plate of issues that need to be addressed.