Tenants Win MBR Case

An appellate court decided on January 9 that the City Council had the right to adjust the method for calculating rent control MBR orders. Local Law 73 of 1997 was passed in response to Met Council’s lobbying efforts as a way of heading off the MBR rent increases that had taken place in the previous years that were as high as 32.4%. As a result of Local Law 73, these increases were reduced to the 3% to 5% range. The landlords had tried to have LL73 declared to be beyond the power of the City Council, on the basis of the Urstadt Law, which prevents the city from making rent control more stringent than it was in 1971. The court found that, since the city had the right to adjust the basis for MBR rent increases as of 1970, that right was not taken away when the Urstadt Law was enacted. If they want to appeal, landlords will have to seek permission from the appellate courts. Met Council was represented by Steve Dobkin of Collins, Dobkin and Miller and Billy Gribben of Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribbon and Donohue.