Court Rules Rent-Stabilized Leases Exempt from a Debtor’s Bankruptcy Estate

In August 2014, MFY and Legal Services-NYC submitted an amicus brief to the New York Court of Appeals in the case of Santiago-Monteverde v. Pereira, arguing that a rent-stabilized lease should be exempt from a debtor’s bankruptcy estate as a “local public assistance benefit.” The New York Court of Appeals agreed today, helping to end a practice that provides windfalls for landlords and creditors while leaving debtors facing homelessness.

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