ALTHOUGH RESPONDENT WAS NOT MARRIED TO THE TENANT OF RECORD, THEIR RELATIONSHIP EXHIBITED THE CARE AND SELF-SACRIFICE OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, HOUSING COURT SHOULD HAVE FOUND THAT RESPONDENT WAS A FAMILY MEMBER ENTITLED TO SUCCESSION RIGHTS IN THE RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENT (FIRST DEPT).
The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Moulton, reversing Housing Court, determined that the relationship between the tenant of record (Montgomery) in a rent-stabilized apartment and respondent (Zenker) justified the finding that Zenker was a “family member” entitled to succession rights. Although Zenker and Montgomery were not married, their relationship exhibited the care and sacrifice sufficient to meet the definition of a “family member” in this context:
The fact that Zenker moved back into the apartment in 2003 because of her own housing problems, and the couple’s lack of sexual intimacy, does not diminish their relationship to that of roommates. The unrefuted evidence establishes that this couple shared decades of dedication, caring and self-sacrifice. Consideration of the factual record in light of the factors listed in the Rent Stabilization Code demonstrates that Zenker was family to Montgomery. Matter of 530 Second Ave. Co., LLC v Zenker, 2018 NY Slip Op 02143, First Dept 3-27-18
LANDLORD-TENANT (RENT STABILIZED APARTMENT, SUCCESSION RIGHTS, ALTHOUGH RESPONDENT WAS NOT MARRIED TO THE TENANT OF RECORD, THEIR RELATIONSHIP EXHIBITED THE CARE AND SELF-SACRIFICE OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, HOUSING COURT SHOULD HAVE FOUND THAT RESPONDENT WAS A FAMILY MEMBER ENTITLED TO SUCCESSION RIGHTS IN THE RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENT (FIRST DEPT))/RENT STABILIZED APARTMENT (SUCCESSION RIGHTS, ALTHOUGH RESPONDENT WAS NOT MARRIED TO THE TENANT OF RECORD, THEIR RELATIONSHIP EXHIBITED THE CARE AND SELF-SACRIFICE OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, HOUSING COURT SHOULD HAVE FOUND THAT RESPONDENT WAS A FAMILY MEMBER ENTITLED TO SUCCESSION RIGHTS IN THE RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENT (FIRST DEPT))/SUCCESSION RIGHTS (RENT STABILIZED APARTMENT, ALTHOUGH RESPONDENT WAS NOT MARRIED TO THE TENANT OF RECORD, THEIR RELATIONSHIP EXHIBITED THE CARE AND SELF-SACRIFICE OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, HOUSING COURT SHOULD HAVE FOUND THAT RESPONDENT WAS A FAMILY MEMBER ENTITLED TO SUCCESSION RIGHTS IN THE RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENT (FIRST DEPT))/FAMILY MEMBER (LANDLORD-TENANT, RENT STABILIZED APARTMENT, SUCCESSION RIGHTS, ALTHOUGH RESPONDENT WAS NOT MARRIED TO THE TENANT OF RECORD, THEIR RELATIONSHIP EXHIBITED THE CARE AND SELF-SACRIFICE OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, HOUSING COURT SHOULD HAVE FOUND THAT RESPONDENT WAS A FAMILY MEMBER ENTITLED TO SUCCESSION RIGHTS IN THE RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENT (FIRST DEPT))