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NYC Laws Protecting Tenants Affected By COVID-19 Upheld By New York Courts

Client memorandum | December 23, 2020

In a victory for New York City tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, New York courts have rejected legal challenges to three city laws enacted to protect certain commercial and residential tenants from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Melendez v. City of New York, a group of landlords argued in New York federal court that the laws that expanded the prohibition on harassing tenants and prohibited the enforcement of certain personal guarantees until March 31, 2021, were unconstitutional. The Court dismissed each of these claims in their entirety and upheld each of the City laws.  Likewise a New York state court rejected a landlord’s challenge to the personal guaranty law in the case of 204 E. 38th LLC v. Sons of Thunder LLC.

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