Bill Text: NY A07716 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to the illegal occupancy of multiple dwellings by broadening present law to allow application to a wider range of illegal activities including but not limited to gambling, prostitution and illegal possession of controlled substance or marijuana and allows a wider range of interested parties to begin eviction proceedings; also allows for the presumption of illegal occupancy of buildings based on prior criminal record.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - referred to judiciary [A07716 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-A07716-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7716
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    April 22, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  P. RIVERA  --  read once and referred to the
         Committee on Judiciary
       AN ACT to amend the real property actions and proceedings  law  and  the
         real  property  law, in relation to illegal occupancy of certain prem-
         ises
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Subdivision 5 of section 711 of the real property actions
    2  and proceedings law, as added by chapter 312 of the  laws  of  1962,  is
    3  amended to read as follows:
    4    5.  The  premises,  or  any  part  thereof, are used or occupied [as a
    5  bawdy-house, or house or place of assignation for lewd persons, or]  for
    6  purposes of prostitution, ILLEGAL GAMBLING, ILLEGAL POSSESSION, MANUFAC-
    7  TURE  OR  SALE  OF  A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE OR MARIJUANA or for any OTHER
    8  illegal trade, ACTIVITY, BUSINESS  or  manufacture[,  or  other  illegal
    9  business].  FOR  PURPOSES  OF THIS SECTION, TWO OR MORE CONVICTIONS OF A
   10  TENANT OR OCCUPANT WITHIN A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS, FOR ANY OF THE OFFENSES
   11  DESCRIBED IN ARTICLE TWO HUNDRED TWENTY,  TWO  HUNDRED  TWENTY-ONE,  TWO
   12  HUNDRED  TWENTY-FIVE  OR TWO HUNDRED THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW ARISING OUT
   13  OF CONDUCT OCCURRING WITHIN ONE THOUSAND FEET OF THE SUBJECT PREMISES OR
   14  ANY PART THEREOF, OR TWO OR MORE CONVICTIONS OF  ANY  PERSON,  WITHIN  A
   15  PERIOD  OF  ONE  YEAR,  FOR ANY OF THE OFFENSES DESCRIBED IN ARTICLE TWO
   16  HUNDRED TWENTY, TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE, TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE  OR  TWO
   17  HUNDRED  THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW ARISING OUT OF CONDUCT OCCURRING ON THE
   18  SUBJECT PREMISES OR ANY PART THEREOF SHALL BE  PRESUMPTIVE  EVIDENCE  OF
   19  UNLAWFUL  USE  OR OCCUPATION OF SUCH PREMISES OR PART THEREOF AND OF THE
   20  TENANT'S OR OCCUPANT'S KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH UNLAWFUL USE OR OCCUPATION.
   21    S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 715 of the  real  property  actions  and
   22  proceedings  law,  as  amended  by  chapter  555 of the laws of 1978, is
   23  amended to read as follows:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD07927-02-9
       A. 7716                             2
    1    1. [An] ANY owner or tenant[, including a tenant of one or more  rooms
    2  of  an  apartment  house,  tenement  house or multiple dwelling,] of any
    3  premises within [two hundred] ONE THOUSAND  feet  from  other  [demised]
    4  RENTED,  OWNED  OR SQUATTED UPON real property used or occupied in whole
    5  or  in part [as a bawdy-house, or house or place of assignation for lewd
    6  persons, or] for purposes of prostitution,  or  for  any  OTHER  illegal
    7  trade,  ACTIVITY,  business or manufacture, [or any domestic corporation
    8  organized for the suppression of vice, subject to or  which  submits  to
    9  visitation  by  the  state department of social services and possesses a
   10  certificate from such department of such fact  and  of  conformity  with
   11  regulations  of the department]  OR ANY TENANT ORGANIZATION, BLOCK ASSO-
   12  CIATION, OR SIMILAR INCORPORATED OR UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
   13  WHICH IS ORGANIZED FOR THE  PRIMARY  PURPOSE  OF  PROMOTING  THE  PUBLIC
   14  WELFARE  WITHIN  AN  AREA  ENCOMPASSING ONE THOUSAND FEET OF THE SUBJECT
   15  REAL PROPERTY, or any duly authorized enforcement agency of the state or
   16  of a subdivision thereof, under a duty to enforce the provisions of  the
   17  penal  law  or of any state or local law, ordinance, code, rule or regu-
   18  lation relating to buildings, may serve [personally] upon the  owner  or
   19  landlord of the [premises] SUBJECT REAL PROPERTY so used or occupied, or
   20  upon his agent, a written notice requiring the owner or landlord to make
   21  an  application  for the removal of the person so using or occupying the
   22  same. WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER SERVICE OF SUCH NOTICE, SUCH OWNER OR  LAND-
   23  LORD OR HIS AGENT MAY DEMAND, IN WRITING, THAT THE OWNER, TENANT, ORGAN-
   24  IZATION, ASSOCIATION, OR ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SERVING THE NOTICE PROVIDE A
   25  WRITTEN  STATEMENT  PARTICULARIZING  THE  BASIS FOR SUCH NOTICE.  If the
   26  owner or landlord or his  agent  does  not  make  such  application  FOR
   27  REMOVAL within [five] TEN days [thereafter] AFTER SERVICE OF THE NOTICE,
   28  OR, IF A TIMELY DEMAND FOR A WRITTEN STATEMENT PARTICULARIZING THE BASIS
   29  FOR  THE NOTICE IS MADE, WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER SERVICE OF SUCH STATEMENT
   30  UPON THE OWNER OR LANDLORD OR HIS  AGENT;  or,  having  made  [it]  SUCH
   31  APPLICATION FOR REMOVAL, does not in good faith diligently prosecute it,
   32  the  [person,  corporation]  OWNER, TENANT, ORGANIZATION, ASSOCIATION or
   33  enforcement agency giving the notice may bring a proceeding  under  this
   34  article  for  such  removal  as  though the petitioner were the owner or
   35  landlord of the [premises] SUBJECT REAL PROPERTY, and shall have preced-
   36  ence over any similar proceeding thereafter brought  by  such  owner  or
   37  landlord  or  to one theretofore brought by him and not prosecuted dili-
   38  gently and in good faith.  Proof of the ill repute of the [demised prem-
   39  ises or of the inmates thereof] SUBJECT REAL PROPERTY, ITS OCCUPANTS  or
   40  of  those resorting thereto shall constitute presumptive evidence of the
   41  unlawful use of [the demised premises] SUCH REAL PROPERTY required to be
   42  stated in the petition for removal.  [Both the person in  possession  of
   43  the property and the] THE owner or landlord OF THE REAL PROPERTY AND THE
   44  PERSON  IN  POSSESSION  OF  THE  REAL  PROPERTY, IF KNOWN, shall be made
   45  respondents in the proceeding. ANY SERVICE OF NOTICE  OR  DEMAND  FOR  A
   46  WRITTEN  STATEMENT  PARTICULARIZING  THE  BASIS FOR SUCH NOTICE SHALL BE
   47  MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE OF  THIS  ARTI-
   48  CLE.
   49    S  3.  Subdivision  2  of section 715 of the real property actions and
   50  proceedings law, as added by chapter 494 of the laws of 1976, is amended
   51  to read as follows:
   52    2. For purposes of this section,  two  or  more  convictions  of  [any
   53  person  or  persons  had,  within  a  period of one year, for any of the
   54  offenses described in section 230.00, 230.05, 230.20, 230.25, 230.30  or
   55  230.40  of  the  penal law arising out of conduct engaged in at the same
   56  real property consisting of a dwelling as that term is defined in subdi-
       A. 7716                             3
    1  vision four of section four  of  the  multiple  dwelling  law  shall  be
    2  presumptive  evidence  of  conduct  constituting use of the premises for
    3  purposes of prostitution] A TENANT OR OCCUPANT HAD, WITHIN A  PERIOD  OF
    4  TWO  YEARS,  FOR  ANY  OF THE OFFENSES DESCRIBED IN ARTICLES TWO HUNDRED
    5  TWENTY, TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE, TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE AND TWO  HUNDRED
    6  THIRTY  OF  THE  PENAL  LAW  ARISING OUT OF CONDUCT OCCURRING WITHIN ONE
    7  THOUSAND FEET OF THE SUBJECT REAL PROPERTY, OR TWO OR  MORE  CONVICTIONS
    8  OF  ANY PERSON HAD, WITHIN A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR, FOR ANY OF THE OFFENSES
    9  DESCRIBED IN THE FOREGOING ARTICLES OF THE  PENAL  LAW  ARISING  OUT  OF
   10  CONDUCT  OCCURRING  ON  THE  SUBJECT  REAL PROPERTY SHALL BE PRESUMPTIVE
   11  EVIDENCE OF UNLAWFUL USE OR OCCUPATION OF SUCH REAL PROPERTY AND OF  THE
   12  TENANT'S, OCCUPANT'S  AND OWNER'S OR LANDLORD'S KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH UNLAW-
   13  FUL USE OR OCCUPATION.
   14    S  4.  Subdivisions  3,  4  and  5 of section 715 of the real property
   15  actions and proceedings law, subdivision 3 as added and  subdivisions  4
   16  and 5 as renumbered by chapter 206 of the laws of 1980, subdivision 4 as
   17  added  by  chapter 494 of the laws of 1976 and subdivision 5 as added by
   18  chapter 627 of the laws of 1978, are amended to read as follows:
   19    3. [For the purposes of this section, two or more convictions  of  any
   20  person  or  persons  had,  within  a  period of one year, for any of the
   21  offenses described in section 225.00, 225.05,  225.10,  225.15,  225.20,
   22  225.30,  225.32,  225.35  or  225.40  of  the  penal law, arising out of
   23  conduct engaged in at the same premises consisting of a dwelling as that
   24  term is defined in subdivision four of  section  four  of  the  multiple
   25  dwelling law shall be presumptive evidence of unlawful use of such prem-
   26  ises and of the owner's knowledge of the same.
   27    4.]    A  court  granting  a petition pursuant to this section may, in
   28  addition to any other order provided by law, make an order imposing  and
   29  requiring the payment by the respondent of a civil penalty not exceeding
   30  [five]  TEN  thousand  dollars  to the municipality in which the subject
   31  premises is located and, the payment of reasonable  attorneys  fees  and
   32  the  costs of the proceeding to the petitioner.  In any such case multi-
   33  ple respondents shall be jointly and severally liable for any payment so
   34  ordered and the amounts of such payments shall constitute  a  lien  upon
   35  the subject realty.
   36    [5.]  4.    For  the  purposes  of a proceeding under this section, an
   37  enforcement agency of the state or of a subdivision thereof,  which  may
   38  commence a proceeding under this section, may subpoena witnesses, compel
   39  their  attendance, examine them under oath before himself or a court and
   40  require that any books, records, documents or papers relevant or materi-
   41  al to the inquiry be turned over to him for inspection,  examination  or
   42  audit,  pursuant  to  the  civil  practice  law and rules.   If a person
   43  subpoenaed to attend upon such inquiry fails to obey the  command  of  a
   44  subpoena  without  reasonable  cause,  or if a person in attendance upon
   45  such inquiry shall, without reasonable cause, refuse to be sworn  or  to
   46  be  examined or to answer a question or to produce a book or paper, when
   47  ordered to do so by the officer conducting such  inquiry,  he  shall  be
   48  guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
   49    S 5. Subdivision 3 of section 231 of the real property law, as amended
   50  by chapter 203 of the laws of 1980, is amended to read as follows:
   51    3.  For  the  purposes of this section, two or more convictions of any
   52  person or persons had, within a period of  one  year,  for  any  of  the
   53  offenses described in section 230.00, 230.05, 230.20, 230.25, 230.30, or
   54  230.40  of  the  penal law arising out of conduct [engaged] in, at OR ON
   55  the [same] SUBJECT premises consisting of a dwelling  as  that  term  is
   56  defined in subdivision four of section four of the multiple dwelling law
       A. 7716                             4
    1  shall  be  presumptive  evidence  of  unlawful use OR OCCUPATION of such
    2  premises and of the owners knowledge of [the same] SUCH UNLAWFUL USE  OR
    3  OCCUPATION.
    4    S  6.  Subdivision 5 of section 231 of the real property law, as added
    5  by chapter 203 of the laws of 1980, is amended to read as follows:
    6    5. [The attorney general] ANY DULY AUTHORIZED  ENFORCEMENT  AGENCY  OF
    7  THE  STATE  OR  OF  ANY SUBDIVISION THEREOF, UNDER A DUTY TO ENFORCE THE
    8  PROVISIONS OF THE PENAL LAW OR OF ANY STATE  OR  LOCAL  LAW,  ORDINANCE,
    9  CODE,  RULE OR REGULATIONS RELATING TO BUILDINGS, may commence an action
   10  or proceeding in the supreme court to PERMANENTLY enjoin  the  continued
   11  UNLAWFUL USE OR OCCUPATION OF THE SUBJECT PREMISES OR ANY OTHER unlawful
   12  trade,  ACTIVITY, manufacture or business in, AT OR ON such premises AND
   13  TO SECURE A PERMANENT CLOSING ORDER OF THE SUBJECT PREMISES.
   14    S 7. Subdivisions 5 and 6 of section 231 of the real property law,  as
   15  added  by  chapter  206  of  the  laws  of  1980, are amended to read as
   16  follows:
   17    [5.] 6.  For the purposes of this section, two or more convictions  of
   18  any  person  or persons had, within a period of one year, for any of the
   19  offenses described in section 225.00, 225.05,  225.10,  225.15,  225.20,
   20  225.30,  225.32,  225.35  or  225.40  of  the  penal law, arising out of
   21  conduct [engaged] in, at OR ON the [same] SUBJECT premises consisting of
   22  a dwelling as that term is defined in subdivision four of  section  four
   23  of  the  multiple dwelling law shall be presumptive evidence of unlawful
   24  use OR OCCUPATION of such premises and of the owner's AND TENANT'S know-
   25  ledge of [the same] SUCH UNLAWFUL USE OR OCCUPATION.
   26    [6.] 7.  Any owner or tenant, including a tenant of one or more  rooms
   27  of  an apartment house, tenement house or multiple dwelling of any prem-
   28  ises within [two hundred] ONE THOUSAND feet of the [demised real proper-
   29  ty] SUBJECT PREMISES, may commence an action or  proceeding  in  supreme
   30  court  to enjoin the continued unlawful USE OR OCCUPATION OF THE SUBJECT
   31  PREMISES OR ANY OTHER UNLAWFUL trade, ACTIVITY, manufacture  or  [other]
   32  business in, AT OR ON such premises.
   33    S 8. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
   34  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
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