Illegal occupancy? what are my rights?

[jrose]

Apparently I have been totally scammed and am illegally occupying my apartment. It is in a co-op building in Alphabet City and I don't know my rights at all. The co-op board is threatening (understandably so) to take legal action against us as well as the other people involved. What do I do? I'm freaking out. Is there such a thing as a hardship stay in NYC? If so, how long is it for?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice!

[jrose]

Well the current owners of the apartment never gave us our lease even though they were supposed to and even though I've seen it. The owners were supposed to have me go thru an application process to get me into the building, but they just did whatever they wanted anyway and thoroughly pissed the board off by having us just move in here. They had the nerve to tell the board president they were just getting rid of some things when they were moving their stuff out. Can you believe that?

So now the co-op board is moving forward with litigation (holdover proceedings) to get the shares away from them. I do get named in this as an undertenant. The board has been a bit schitzo about their feelings on this, though. I met with the board president and he told me that since I'm living here now that I would have first dibs on either buying the place or renting it once they win the shares back. But then having their lawyer telling mine that they were mad that I got a lawyer. I mean, the managing agent of the building showed up at my apartment door with her husband and the VP of the board the 3rd day I was living here telling me they were going to take me to court, why WOULDN'T I get a lawyer? I'm not stupid.

Basically, I'm scared and upset that I've been put in this position. The prospect of losing my home is mortifying, I've already had to take days off of work to meet with the co-op board and my lawyer and I still don't know if there's going to be any good resolution to all of this. It seems to me that there is all this bad blood between the people I'm subleasing from and the co-op board and I'm getting stuck in the middle of it. I just really don't know what to do.