I started discussing the issue of seeking to expand the receivership option that is currently only available in New York City as well as Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, and Westchester counties with the New York Conference of Mayors in 2018. Last year, I introduced legislation (A.3241/S.6721) that would take the current receivership option available in NYC and downstate counties and expand them statewide. The bill creates a new Article 7-c of the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law, expanding the applicability of the current receivership law to the entire state of New York. The bill authorizes each local government the option to initiate receivership proceedings. Additionally, the law is amended to allow receivership to be sought when there is a property maintenance condition that threatens the public’s health, safety, and welfare.

Addressing nuisance real property issues is frequently a difficult task in the instances when property owners and landlords are completely unresponsive to criminal and/or civil enforcement proceedings. Frequently, effective remediation may only be achieved by having a receiver appointed who has the full legal authority to address the nuisance and unsafe conditions. Far too often tenants are in a position where they voice complaints about the condition of their rental to their landlord with no remedy or response. This bill aims to be another option for municipalities and tenants to ensure a safe and well-maintained living environment.

Receivership seeks to address these difficult to resolve situations that plague our communities and neighborhoods. By providing this process as an option we provide another tool in the toolbox for local governments as we seek to prevent tenants from being evicted, having their lives disrupted, help prevent or address blight in the community, and potentially avoid future demolitions. This legislation builds on the efforts that I have undertaken as a legislator (and former Mayor) to improve code enforcement in our communities, to raise the quality of affordable housing, and another law that I worked on that was enacted into law. That law shortened the redemption process for moving abandoned property into responsible ownership and reducing blight in our neighborhoods.

I have met with housing advocates who have expressed support for the legislation and the Preservation League of NYS submitted a memo in support of the bill.

Recently, I joined with Wade Beltramo, General Counsel for the New York State Conference of Mayors, to discuss the bill and the underlying issues that it seeks to address.

This bill will be on the next NYS Assembly Judiciary Committee agenda and I will continue to work to move it forward in the remaining weeks of this years legislative session.