CityLaw

Tenant’s Fire-Injury Claim Goes To Trial

Tenant sued landlord over fire in his rent-stabilized apartment that had allegedly originated from inadequate wiring. James Daly, the tenant of a rent-stabilized studio apartment located at 9 East 36th Street in Manhattan, suffered injuries from a fire that occurred on June 19, 2013. The apartment, built in the 1930s, was 700 square feet consisting of a living area, a gallery kitchen, three closets, a bathroom, and a hall connecting the gallery kitchen to … <Read More>

Water Board Wins Rate Schedule Battle

Court of Appeals affirmed Water Board plan: credits to some, rate hikes for all. The New York City Water Board leases the reservoirs and water and sewage system from the City. Historically, the City tied the rental amount to the sum owed on the City’s water and sewer-related general obligation bonds. In 2003, however, the City began collecting rent above what was owed on the bonds. This increase led to a spike in water rates … <Read More>

Carriage Owner Wins Injunction

Central Park Sightseeing, a horse carriage company offering rides in Central Park, sued New Yorkers for Clean, Livable & Safe Streets, an animal rights group based in New York City that is opposed horse-drawn carriages. Central Park Sightseeing claimed that the animal rights group created a public nuisance by interfering with public safety and the safe flow of traffic, and that the animal rights group interfered with the horse carriage business by harassing, threatening, and … <Read More>

Sidewalk Claim Reinstated Against City

Pedestrian slipped and fell on sloped, granite sidewalk, the design for which had been approved by the City. On June 18, 2013, Carolyn J. Trawinski was injured when she slipped and fell on a sloped sidewalk adjacent to the side entrance of a mixed commercial-residential building at 183 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn near the entrance of the L line subway station. The sidewalk was made up of smooth, polished granite, and was wet at the … <Read More>

Richard Briffault: Charting a Pragmatic Path to a Good Government

Richard Briffault, Chair of the Conflicts of Interest Board, brings a long record of public service to his current position. A product of the City public school system, Briffault graduated from Columbia University and obtained his law degree from Harvard. He was broadly interested in government as a young man and quickly entered public service, working from 1980 to 1982 as an assistant counsel to Governor Hugh Carey. The position gave him broad opportunity to … <Read More>