What's happening
This bill creates a special court division in New York City to handle housing cases involving cooperative and condominium buildings.
Why it matters
Specialized attention for co-op and condo disputes. By creating a dedicated court subpart, the bill ensures that judges and staff can build expertise in the unique legal and financial issues facing cooperative and condominium communities, potentially leading to more informed and consistent rulings.
Potential for faster and more efficient case resolution. Concentrating these cases in one division may reduce delays and backlogs, helping residents and boards resolve disputes more quickly and avoid the extended uncertainty common in housing court.
Enhanced legal clarity for residents and boards. With a specialized forum, both individual owners and building management may get clearer, more relevant guidance on their rights and responsibilities, which could help prevent future conflicts and foster better governance in these types of buildings.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Special Court for Condos, Co-ops
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to judiciary
- Referred to judiciary
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Special Housing Court for Condos
In Assembly Committee · Judiciary · Sponsor Jeffrey Dinowitz
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3350
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 5, 2019
Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the New York city civil court act, in relation to establishing a subpart to hear housing matters related to cooperative and condominium buildings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 110 of the New York city civil court act is amended by adding a new subdivision (q) to read as follows:
(q) A separate subpart of the housing part established by this section shall be devoted to actions and proceedings involving cooperative and condominium buildings for such matters which are within the jurisdiction of the housing part.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00752-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the New York city civil court act, in relation to estab- lishing a subpart to hear housing matters related to cooperative and condominium buildings
Purpose or general idea of bill
To create a separate part in the Housing Court to specialize in housing matters arising in cooperative and condominium buildings.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 110 of the New York City civil court act is amended by adding a new subdivision q to provide for a separate subpart of the housing court which shall be devoted to actions and proceedings involving cooperative and condominium buildings for such matters which are within the juris- diction of the Housing Court.
Justification
A separate part of the Housing Court for housing matters arising in cooperative and condominium buildings would, to a large degree, reduce the congestion in other parts of the Housing Court by the removal of these cases which are different from standard rental housing cases. It would expedite the hearing of the cases relating to cooperatives and condominiums, because they would be heard by judges more knowledgeable in this area. This would result in better-honed and fairer decisions.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S.1988 (Alcantara)- Died in Judiciary 2015-16: S.3742 (Espaillat)- Died in Judiciary 2013-14: S.1809 (Espaillat)- Died in Judiciary 2011-12: S.5250 (Espaillat)- Died in Judiciary
Fiscal implications
Negligible. A separate part in Housing Court could be implemented with- out increasing the number of judges in the space currently devoted to Housing Court. The modest administrative cost of establishing this program and screening incoming cases so as to direct those involving cooperatives and condominiums to the new part will be quickly offset by the time and money saved in expedited resolution of cases. Judges versed in the relationships between the board and residents in these resident- owned and governed buildings will be able to hand down decisions that interpret the law consistently and clearly. This should also lead to an additional benefit in the form of fewer appeals, which would even further reduce the burden on the courts.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.