The New York State Senate

                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 1156--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             January 8, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of A. DINOWITZ, GOTTFRIED, ROSENTHAL, MOSLEY, CLARK,
  PICHARDO, COOK,  CRESPO,  SEPULVEDA,  BENEDETTO,  KAVANAGH,  PERRY  --
  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, DenDEKKER, GLICK, MAYER -- read
  once and referred to the Committee on Housing -- committee discharged,
  bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as amended and recommitted to said
  committee

AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city  of  New  York,  the
  emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four, the emergen-
  cy  housing rent control law and the real property law, in relation to
  prohibiting charges for legal fees

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended
by adding a new section 26-416 to read as follows:
  S 26-416 UNAUTHORIZED LEGAL FEES.  A LESSOR OR AGENT THEREOF SHALL  BE
PROHIBITED  FROM  ASSESSING A LESSEE ANY FEE, SURCHARGE OR OTHER CHARGES
FOR LEGAL SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION OR RENTAL OF A RESI-
DENTIAL UNIT UNLESS THE LESSOR HAS THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO SO PURSUANT
TO A COURT ORDER. ANY AGREEMENT OR ASSESSMENT TO THE CONTRARY  SHALL  BE
VOID AS CONTRARY TO PUBLIC POLICY.
  S  2.  Section  6  of  section  4  of chapter 576 of the laws of 1974,
constituting the emergency tenant protection act  of  nineteen  seventy-
four, is amended by adding a new subdivision f-1 to read as follows:
  F-1.  A  LESSOR  OR AGENT THEREOF SHALL BE PROHIBITED FROM ASSESSING A
LESSEE ANY FEE,  SURCHARGE  OR  OTHER  CHARGES  FOR  LEGAL  SERVICES  IN
CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION OR RENTAL OF A RESIDENTIAL UNIT UNLESS THE
LESSOR  HAS  THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO SO PURSUANT TO A COURT ORDER. ANY
AGREEMENT OR ASSESSMENT TO THE CONTRARY SHALL BE  VOID  AS  CONTRARY  TO
PUBLIC POLICY.
  S 3. Section 26-512 of the administrative code of the city of New York
is amended by adding a new subdivision g to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01832-02-5

A. 1156--A                          2

  G.  A  LESSOR  OR  AGENT  THEREOF SHALL BE PROHIBITED FROM ASSESSING A
LESSEE ANY FEE,  SURCHARGE  OR  OTHER  CHARGES  FOR  LEGAL  SERVICES  IN
CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION OR RENTAL OF A RESIDENTIAL UNIT UNLESS THE
LESSOR  HAS  THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO SO PURSUANT TO A COURT ORDER. ANY
AGREEMENT  OR  ASSESSMENT  TO  THE CONTRARY SHALL BE VOID AS CONTRARY TO
PUBLIC POLICY.
  S 4. Subdivision 4 of section 4 of chapter 274 of the  laws  of  1946,
constituting  the  emergency  housing  rent  control  law, is amended by
adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:
  (F) A LESSOR OR AGENT THEREOF SHALL BE  PROHIBITED  FROM  ASSESSING  A
LESSEE  ANY  FEE,  SURCHARGE  OR  OTHER  CHARGES  FOR  LEGAL SERVICES IN
CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION OR RENTAL OF A RESIDENTIAL UNIT UNLESS THE
LESSOR HAS THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO SO PURSUANT TO A COURT  ORDER.  ANY
AGREEMENT  OR  ASSESSMENT  TO  THE CONTRARY SHALL BE VOID AS CONTRARY TO
PUBLIC POLICY.
  S 5. The real property law is amended by adding a new section 234-a to
read as follows:
  S 234-A. UNAUTHORIZED LEGAL FEES. A LESSOR OR AGENT THEREOF  SHALL  BE
PROHIBITED  FROM  ASSESSING A LESSEE ANY FEE, SURCHARGE OR OTHER CHARGES
FOR LEGAL SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION OR RENTAL OF A RESI-
DENTIAL UNIT UNLESS THE LESSOR HAS THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO SO PURSUANT
TO A COURT ORDER. ANY AGREEMENT OR ASSESSMENT TO THE CONTRARY  SHALL  BE
VOID AS CONTRARY TO PUBLIC POLICY.
  S  6.  This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately; provided that: (a)
section 26-416 of the city rent  and  rehabilitation  law  as  added  by
section  one  of  this act shall remain in full force and effect only as
long as the public emergency requiring the  regulation  and  control  of
residential  rents and evictions continues, as provided in subdivision 3
of section 1 of the local emergency housing rent control act;
  (b) the amendments to section 4 of chapter 576 of  the  laws  of  1974
constituting  the  emergency  tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-
four made by section two of this act shall expire on the  same  date  as
such  act  expires  and  shall  not affect the expiration of such act as
provided in section 17 of chapter 576 of the laws of 1974;
  (c) the amendments to section 26-512 of chapter 4 of title 26  of  the
administrative  code  of  the city of New York, made by section three of
this act shall expire on the same date as such law expires and shall not
affect the expiration of such law as provided under  section  26-520  of
such law; and
  (d)  the amendments to section 4 of the emergency housing rent control
law made by section four of this act shall expire on the  same  date  as
such  law  expires  and  shall  not affect the expiration of such law as
provided in subdivision 2 of section 1 of chapter 274  of  the  laws  of
1946.