What's happening
This bill allows cities, towns, and villages to impose and enforce housing maintenance penalties through administrative proceedings, not just courts.
Why it matters
Streamlines code enforcement. By allowing housing violations to be handled through administrative proceedings, cities and towns can address unsafe or substandard housing conditions more quickly, without waiting for slow-moving court cases.
Increases consequences for landlords. The bill lets local governments directly impose financial penalties for housing violations and enforce them as liens or judgments, which can be a stronger incentive for property owners to maintain their buildings.
Reduces burden on the courts. Shifting enforcement from judicial to administrative processes can help relieve court congestion and reduce legal costs for both municipalities and tenants.
Potentially improves tenant protections. Faster and more flexible penalty enforcement may lead to improved living conditions for renters, especially in areas where court-based enforcement has proven slow or ineffective.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Cities Enforce Housing Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
660
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the multiple dwelling law and the multiple residence law, in relation to authorizing administrative imposition of civil penalties in the enforcement of state and local housing maintenance laws
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs a and b of subdivision 4 of section 3 of the multiple dwelling law, as amended by chapter 516 of the laws of 1983, are amended to read as follows:
a. Any city, town or village may make local laws, ordinances, resolutions or regulations not less restrictive than those provided in this chapter and may provide for their enforcement by legal or equitable actions or proceedings, or by administrative proceedings, and prescribe the penalties, sanctions and remedies for violations thereof. In the enforcement and administration of this chapter in a city of three hundred twenty-five thousand or more persons, the penalties, sanctions and remedies enacted by local law may be applied, notwithstanding their inconsistency with this chapter, or the provisions of this chapter.
b. In a city of three hundred twenty-five thousand or more persons, such local laws may authorize such actions or proceedings against the owner, lessee of a whole multiple dwelling, agent or other person having control of such dwelling, and any responsible party, or against the dwelling in rem. Such local laws may further authorize (1) that civil or administratively imposed penalties may be enforced against the person liable therefor, and that in addition to the methods of enforcement for judgments established in the civil practice law and rules, a lien may be imposed against the premises and the rents therefrom; (2) that such
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02605-01-9
A. 660 2
civil or administratively imposed penalties may be enforced against the dwelling by the imposition of a lien against the rents therefrom.
§ 2. Paragraph c of subdivision 4 of section 3 of the multiple dwelling law, as amended by chapter 516 of the laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
c. Such local laws may also authorize that all liens upon rents, whether authorized by state or local law, may be satisfied without further judicial proceedings by the collection of rents due or to become due; and may further authorize that administratively imposed penalties may be docketed and enforced in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action without further judicial proceedings.
§ 3. Section 304 of the multiple residence law is amended by adding a new subdivision 3 to read as follows:
3. In addition to the penalties imposed in subdivision one of this section, any city, town or village may provide for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter or of local laws, ordinances, resolutions or regulations promulgated pursuant hereto by administrative proceedings and may authorize administratively imposed penalties which may be docketed and enforced in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action without further judicial proceedings.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall apply to any proceedings commenced on or after such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.