New-York tribune., 1922-05-21
Justice Page
Hears From |
Rentpayer,,
Bronx Tenant Assoc;....
Writes That His D.e;.;oea D;soa
Curtaiis q. the Prot.e,,;;sos. ,,;o.
Glen by the Rem, .oa

The protection given
the Legislature has been cn.-spaysr. ~
the receet decision 90 fLsufta'nled i,
according to James NJ as.lee Wnaee Pass
dent of the fremont Te,sao,e. prs,L
ton. Those VINO mu,. ass Associs
apartments or homes 49, yacate thev
OF the landlord and the rem. ne n.r7
@ .oro n,m no protection, Mr. " q.
says, explaining the mean;rn NJ hoaa
nce Pages decision, which w;,, 0, 1rs
cepeeo az precedent by u" u. pe "
courts. Mr.. Moore has wr;..s sne lover
Page letter, in which be Zen 'ssn dustie.
You state in your on;n,a' s'
tarnham Va. Posner ca,. 's .,.I % tn
housing laws apply onlv >. mat The
o VINO were IN possession on ,.shhshts
1920, and that person an. os'oosr
sion VINO WAS seeking 49, posses'
an equal footing with HI. s l.ns,n Nnsn
therefore ne must pay the na'0u an.u and
msnded if he wishe. - a,nosa' g.
apartment. In other vora. a.'eop2 Ns
tenant is compelled to move t,on rass
premises ne is Immediately dsnsm. v% ~
of the protection Of the bou.inIp irsprlss ,
and is cast out 20 be the rs nr.u 3. 'asi
gouging landlord that h., ,'.s OF any
apartment. VACANT
Family Unable to R.y
81 will cite ore case and 80.
to place yourself in the na.;.;sn gov
father VINO has six little .s:,.n ~
This man ls living in Lor.. .aA'fen.
fectly contented and wi,,;na i,,;, . per-
the rent which the landlord d.m,aps.s pss
He IS earning s35 week and sraa. nsr;a.
$50 month rent He is ord.rsi5 si5'as ].
move by order Of the court he..,.' ;"
mis- landlord seeks in good .a;.s :.
occupy the apartment which ~ ~
tenant is occupying. M'
"On May !. 1921. varrar. -.
issued against this man. and own, " -
the scarcity Of houses this man :,
unable to obtain anything with, i.
means to house his family and \. ~.
dispossessed. His household fu-n;,u..
and family were on the street w;tbou.
a place to 20. This man In d.su.rs.
ton accepted the only available an.r..
nient and paid $50 for it. The forrs.
tenants paid s35 for this same auar..
ment. On the first of June. 1921 afts.
this tenant had paid one month, r.n.
he contested the reasonableness Of th,s
rent. because the laws passed in Anri
1921. gave him this right. Do van
mean by your decision to depriv. .neh
tenant Of the right given him by
the Legislature? Do you think shat
this man and his landlord were con.
tracing on an equal footing! Do you
not think that this tenant was under
duress when he hired thi. apartment,
If you do think that this man has
no right to contest his rent, ycu win
deprive thousands Of tenants who have
been similarly situated of the prtee-
tion under the laws, and We viii have
our public odging houses crowded with
tenants and their families who are
being ordered out every dav under
one pretense or another by Landlord,
who realize that they are barred from
obtaining higher rents from the ten.
ants now in possession. The only hope
Of increasing their income is By filing
their houses with new tenants who
cnanot contest the rent under your
decision.
Affects Many Renfey
I sincerely trust you will answer
these questions and make it clear to
the Judges of the lower court thst al
new tenants who moved in and did not
pay three months rent prior to MaFi.
1921. have right under this ststTfs
to question the reasonableness q h
rent.
"Tn the case at bar | realise shis
this lease was signed and eight nrnths
rent paid under it. and if your decision
applies to case of that kind no sres'
harm can be done, but to apply TINS
decision to all new tenants since NAY
1, 1921, will do an irreparahle injury,
and give rise to a condition which w'h
be unparalleled. It was for the protee,
tion Of these tenants who we're fo,eea
out of their homes and compelled 10
seek new quarters that the laws OF
1921 were passed ~.
81. being familiar with the condition
Of new tenants. took this ques'ion up
with Senator Lockwood. chairman Z.
the housing committee. ana tnus .ns
laws of 1921 were passed. with the m
tention Of protecting new tenants pro
vided they did not pay their tnIee
months after May /. 1921 Therefore
I feel very keenly when l see the n
tention Of the Legislature set aside ry
the Interpretation OF the court. 49,.
Thousands Of tenants tnfouEnu.s au.
the Borough of the Bronx are onalousa,
ly waiting to hear that the laws passs~ 80
April, 1921. giveing protection % n. ia
tenants have not been aorosa!eo. 'AN
set aside by your recent decision