New York Law Review

Tag: Tagert v. 211 East 70th Street Co.

  • Tagert v. 211 East 70th Street Co., 63 N.Y.2d 818 (1984): Primary Residence Requirement for Subletting Rent-Stabilized Apartments

    Tagert v. 211 East 70th Street Co., 63 N.Y.2d 818 (1984)

    A tenant seeking to sublet a rent-stabilized apartment must demonstrate that the apartment has been maintained as their primary residence and that they intend to reoccupy it as such upon the sublease’s expiration, or the landlord may reasonably refuse consent.

    Summary

    Tagert, a tenant of a rent-stabilized apartment, sought to sublet his apartment to his son while he was on an indefinite overseas assignment. The landlord refused. Tagert then sued for a declaratory judgment. The New York Court of Appeals held that Tagert was not entitled to summary judgment because he failed to conclusively prove he intended to reoccupy the apartment as his primary residence after the sublease, a requirement under amended subletting laws. The court also clarified that the lease’s family occupancy clause did not grant the son independent succession rights absent the tenant’s concurrent occupancy.

    Facts

    In late 1982, Tagert informed his landlord, 211 East 70th Street Co., that his employer assigned him overseas for an indefinite period of two to three years.
    Tagert requested permission for his son, his son’s wife, and their children to occupy his rent-stabilized apartment during his absence, both for the remainder of his lease (ending March 31, 1983) and any renewal term.
    He proposed the arrangement as either a sublease or occupancy by family members under a lease clause allowing occupancy “only by tenant and the members of the immediate family of tenant.”
    The landlord denied the request. Tagert, a British citizen on indefinite assignment in London, had removed most of his furniture from the apartment.
    Tagert’s son’s family had sold its Westchester residence before moving into the apartment.

    Procedural History

    Tagert sued the landlord seeking a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief.
    Special Term granted summary judgment to Tagert, declaring his son entitled to occupy the apartment as a subtenant and as an “immediate family” member.
    The Appellate Division affirmed the Special Term’s decision.
    The landlord appealed to the New York Court of Appeals.

    Issue(s)

    Whether a tenant seeking to sublet a rent-stabilized apartment must demonstrate that they maintain the unit as their primary residence and intend to reoccupy it as such upon the sublease’s expiration, as required by amendments to Real Property Law § 226-b and Administrative Code § YY51-6.0(c)(14).
    Whether a lease provision allowing occupancy by the tenant and their immediate family permits family members to succeed to possession upon the tenant’s departure, thereby requiring the landlord to renew the lease to the family members.

    Holding

    No, because amended statutes require the tenant to prove primary residence and intent to reoccupy for the landlord’s refusal to sublet to be deemed unreasonable.
    No, because the lease provision contemplates concurrent occupancy by the tenant and family, and only the tenant has the right to renew the lease.

    Court’s Reasoning

    The Court of Appeals reasoned that the 1983 amendments to Real Property Law § 226-b and Administrative Code § YY51-6.0(c)(14) applied to pending actions and required Tagert to prove he maintained the apartment as his primary residence and intended to return. Tagert’s statement of intent was insufficient given his indefinite overseas assignment, British citizenship, removal of furniture, and his son’s family selling their prior residence.
    The court stated, “The evidence is insufficient to establish as a matter of law that plaintiff intends to reoccupy the apartment as his primary residence upon the expiration of the sublease, and plaintiff is therefore not entitled to summary judgment.”
    Regarding the family occupancy clause, the court clarified that it only allows family members to live with the tenant concurrently. It does not grant family members the right to succeed to the lease independently upon the tenant’s departure. The court emphasized that “only the tenant may renew a lease; family members have no such right after the tenant has vacated.”
    The court distinguished *Matter of Cale Dev. Co. v Conciliation & Appeals Bd.*, clarifying that while family members living with the tenant can remain for the lease term in the tenant’s absence, they cannot inherit the lease and require the landlord to renew it perpetually. The court emphasized that the purpose of rent stabilization is to protect primary residences, not to create inheritable tenancies.