The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-12
MONEY FLOODS COURTS
HOuseholders Make Depos-
its Pending Settlement
Of Rentals by Judges.
no LOOPHOLES IN LAW
Sponsors for Measure Say Co
operative Dodge Will Not
Help the Owners.

In a series of skirmishes extending
! all the way from the Yonkers line to
I the Battery. and from Greenwich VII
| lage to Jamaica, the rent war was
continued bitterly yesterday by land
lords and tenents. The big battle.
| however the testing Of the constitu-
\ tionality of the recent legislation
| passed by the Legislature, did not take
| place.
| That there is any loophole in the hous-
ing laws whereby the landlords. without
! testing them in the courts. may. by fake
sales to tenants on the cooperative plan.
| get rid of their tenants. recover the
property and boom TIE rentG for the next
set Of unfortunates was denied emphati-
cally by both Senator Lockwood. chair
man of the legislative housing COM
mittee, and Arthur J. W. H!lly, chairman
of the Mayors committee on rent profit
| cering. This dodge. the officials de-
| clared, had been anticipated and blocked
| by the phrasing of the laws.
Three orders to show cause why three
! tenants of six story apartment house.
! at Audubon avenue and roth street
should not be directed Immediately to
vacate the premises were signed yester-
| day by Justice Vernon NJ. Davis Of the
| Supreme Court The three orders are
! In line with the test case of William
| Brandt & Co. Inc owners Of the apart
ment house, to determine the consttu-
| tionalty of the recent rent laws
1 BY a stipulation entered into between
| the attorneys representing the Brandt
company anc the attorneys for the
! tenants the argument on custer proceed
| ings will he heard Friday next by Justice
| George v Mullan of the Supreme Court.
In his petition 10 the court William
| Brandt, president of the plaintiff corpo-
ration. asks that the premises be vacated
/ Immediately. and If this is impossible
| that suitable provisions be made by the
\ court ito protect the rights and remedies
| of the plaintifi for such time as defend
ants remain in possession Of SOL West
! roth street.
! He states that he will be unable to
| accept rent from follower tenants, as
| such acceptance practically would rec
J ognize their right TO retain possession
! OF the apartments. despite the fact that
| their leases, without renewal clauses
! expired September 30.
! Justices William L. Morris and
| Michael j. Seaman Of the Second Mu-
| nicipal Court in The Bronx set thirty
] landlord tenant cases a day as the max
imum number they will hear. The jus
tices made it plain that the landlords
will not be permitted to expedite liti-
CATION against tenants by commencing
! actions on n wholesale scale.
Justice Morris was almost knocked
down when he endeavered TO enter the
court by n wild rush Of 400 tardy tenants
| who desired to deposit rent moneys with
Robert Powers. deputy clerk. Mr. Pow
ers announced that 1000 tenants had
| filed answers and had showed him under
in the last five days with more than
si0o. 900. mostly In small denominations,
which will be held till the court decides
their cases.
The office OF the clerk was stacked
with piles of money several feet high.
| Court clerks with automatic pistols
handy guarded It, and to Chief Justice
Aaron ]. Levy this pathetic appeal was
sent: For Gods sake send us up a
safe" Meantime a safe In the County
Clerks office was stuffed 10 overflow
ing with cash. II certainly looked to
spectators as II the landlord business
was a lucrative one.