mopping24 t1_itn5wso wrote on October 24, 2022 at 9:36 PM

I am one of those attorneys. The issue isn't so much the salaries of me and my colleagues, but rather that hiring hasn't caught up with the eligible demand. The city opened this program to full citywide access during the throws of the Pandemic and there are simply not enough attorneys to take all the cases. Accordingly, we use some discretion about what cases we take on. In some cases, the matter can resolved with some basic legal advice rather than full representation. I should mention that my employer only operates in Brooklyn and Staten Island.

soyeahiknow t1_itnzu4n wrote on October 25, 2022 at 1:16 AM

Do you get any where you know the tenant is just gaming the system? What do you do in those cases?

mopping24 t1_itod2le wrote on October 25, 2022 at 2:55 AM

What do you mean by "gaming the system?"

soyeahiknow t1_itqjvaq wrote on October 25, 2022 at 4:00 PM

Pay 1st month rent. Then after 30 days, stop paying. Will submit complaints to DOB and HPD for made up living conditions. Dragging out the court case in order to get a larger cash for keys settlement. Rent out the apartment on airbnb or to other people and pocket the rent.

mopping24 t1_itr9pif wrote on October 25, 2022 at 6:46 PM

We would never take a case where the tenant was renting out a rent-stabilized apartment on airbnb, and they would probably be overincome anyway. Buyouts only really happen in rent-stabilized apartments, and making cases take longer typically only reduces the amount landlords are willing to pay. All these issues are more complicated in practice, but the larger mission is to stop homelessness where possible.

soyeahiknow t1_itrlebi wrote on October 25, 2022 at 8:01 PM

Oh I was talking more about free market apartments.