Rent Overcharge in New York, NY
Resolving Claims of Rent Overcharge, Disputes Over Deregulated J-51 Tax Abatement Property & TPU Audits
The Price Law Firm represents both landlords and tenants in rent overcharge disputes, including, but not limited to, those related to the J-51 tax abatement program and audits initiated by the Tenant Protection Unit (TPU) of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR).
Contact a New York rent overcharge lawyer at our office in Manhattan to learn about the best ways to assert your rights or defend your interests in a rent overcharge action.
Tenant Protection Unit (TPU) Audits Initiated By The DHCR
The Tenant Protection Unit (TPU) of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) files charges and conduct audits against landlords suspected of engaging in fraud and harassment related to rent overcharges and a property’s regulatory status.
The Price Law Firm’s rent overcharge attorneys possess expert knowledge of the processes and procedures, required forms and documentation necessary to prevail in fighting a TPU audit
The J-51 Tax Abatement Program
While the original trade-off was to encourage landlords to maintain low-rent properties by offering significant tax relief for qualified improvements, owners learned how to invest in their buildings, accept the abatements and later deregulate the units in order to collect market rents — all with the knowledge and tacit approval of the City of New York.
When the state Court of Appeals struck down this practice in the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village litigation in 2009, the courthouse doors were effectively flung open to tenants whose free-market rents in tax abatement units now represented impermissible rent overcharges.
In general, a tenant can be eligible for market-rent refunds for up to four years if the building owner took advantage of city tax abatements under the J-51 program, then deregulated the apartment. Triple damages can be available for two years of back rates under some rent overcharge complaints.
Manhattan J-51 Tax Abatement Lawyer
At The Price Law Firm, our experience on both sides of rent overcharge cases can represent an important advantage for tenants and landlords alike. Our thorough understanding of the legal issues, factual considerations and negotiating strategies that have proved most effective on each side of these disputes can protect your interest in a favorable outcome, whichever side of the dispute you happen to be on.
To learn more about our ideas for the resolution of your case under the specific facts of your situation, contact a knowledgeable New York rent overcharge lawyer at The Price Law Firm in Manhattan.