New-York tribune., 1920-10-30
Owners Offer
Plan to Avoid
Tenant Suits
Real Estate Men Submit an
Agreement to the Mayors
Committee Tentatively TO
Accept Old Rent Rates
Commits Neither Party
Money for October Would BE
Paid Pending Decision on
Laws COns.itutionaIity

working agreement to overcome
the possibility 'of choking up the mu.
ncipal courts with rent cases next
month has been submitted to the May
cr's committee on rent proftecring by
joint representatives Of real estate in
terests. 1t is designed to cover the
cases of tenants who are protesting
their rentals as Oppressive, unjust and
unreasonable" as we'll as holdover ten
ants.
The agreement would enable the
landlord to collect the October rent
at the tenants figure without preju-
dicing the particular case, pending a
decision on the constitutionality of the
new rent laws. A large number of
tenants have refused to pay the Oc-
tober rent asked by the owners and
many landlords have refused to accept
the amount Of cred by tenants. In the
latter case the landlords are awaiting
the expiration of the month in order
to bring recovery proceedings under
the new laws.
In actions instituted by the land
lords the tenant is given five days to
file an answer and deposit the amount
court. The Mayors committee has a
form answer that is being used to as
sist tenants.
Justice Approves Agreement
IN making the stipuations public
yesterday. Arthur J. w. Hilly, chair
man of the Mayors committee, said {:
i have carefully examined these stip-
ulations and I can see no objections
to the tenant signing them if they
would be in the form Submitted" They
also have the approval of Justice Fred
erick Spiegelberg
The stipulatons read: "Stipuiation
between landlord and tenant.-Tre un-
dersIgned landlord and tenant having
entered into lease dated Of
apartment in building kn.wn as
- Street, and the tenant now claim
ing that the rent stipulated in such
lease Is unjust, unreasonable and op-
Iressive,' herewith pays to the land
lord s. on account of rent for the
demised premises for the month Of
-, and the landlord acknowledges
receipt of that amount, such payment
and the acceptance thereof being with
cut prejudice to any right Of either
party hereCO.
A similar stipulation covers the case
of hold-over tenants.
Hearing on Tax Exemption Plan
The aldermanic committee on gen
eral welfare, of which Alderman w.
I. Collins is chairman, held second
public hearing yesterday in connee-
tion with the proposed ordinance that
will exempt certain new buildings
from taxation for a period of years
under the new rent laws. This is the
section of the new laws that was de-
signed to encourage the building Of
new houses.
United States Senator William NJ.
Calder, chairman of the committee on
housing and reconstruction that has
been taking testimony regarding the
housing situation throughout the
country, appeared before the alder
manic committee. He said that he did
not think th,t costly houses designed
for private Use should be included in
The scope Of the ordinance. He i'm
pressed upoa the committee the need
of passing rhe ordinance without fur
ther delay to encourage building,
otherwise the responsibility would
pass from he hands of capital into
hose of thu city or state. He did not
think this wcs desirable