2023 New York Laws › RPA - Real Property Actions and Proceedings › Article 7 - Summary Proceeding to Recover Possession of Real Property › 768 - Unlawful Eviction.

§  768.  Unlawful eviction. 1. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person
to evict or attempt to evict an occupant of  a  dwelling  unit  who  has
lawfully  occupied  the  dwelling  unit  for  thirty consecutive days or
longer or who has entered into a lease with  respect  to  such  dwelling
except  to the extent permitted by law pursuant to a warrant of eviction
or other order of a court of competent jurisdiction  or  a  governmental
vacate order by:
(i)  using  or  threatening the use of force to induce the occupant to
vacate the dwelling unit; or
(ii) engaging in a course of  conduct  which  interferes  with  or  is
intended  to  interfere  with  or  disturb the comfort, repose, peace or
quiet of such occupant in the use or occupancy of the dwelling unit,  to
induce  the  occupant  to  vacate  the  dwelling unit including, but not
limited to, the interruption or discontinuance of essential services; or
(iii) engaging or threatening to engage in  any  other  conduct  which
prevents  or  is  intended  to  prevent  such  occupant  from the lawful
occupancy of such dwelling unit or to induce the occupant to vacate  the
dwelling  unit  including,  but  not limited to, removing the occupant's
possessions from the dwelling unit, removing the door at the entrance to
the dwelling unit; removing, plugging or otherwise rendering the lock on
such entrance door inoperable, or changing the  lock  on  such  entrance
door without supplying the occupant with a key.
(b)  It  shall  be unlawful for an owner of a dwelling unit to fail to
take all reasonable and necessary action  to  restore  to  occupancy  an
occupant of a dwelling unit who either vacates, has been removed from or
is  otherwise  prevented from occupying a dwelling unit as the result of
any of the acts  or  omissions  prescribed  in  paragraph  (a)  of  this
subdivision  and to provide to such occupant a dwelling unit within such
dwelling suitable for occupancy, after being requested to do so by  such
occupant  or  the  representative of such occupant, if such owner either
committed such unlawful acts or omissions or knew or had reason to  know
of  such  unlawful  acts  or  omissions,  or  if  such acts or omissions
occurred within seven days prior to such request.
2. Criminal and civil penalties.  (a)  Any  person  who  intentionally
violates  or  assists  in the violation of any of the provisions of this
section shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.  Each  such  violation
shall be a separate and distinct offense.
(b)  Such  person shall also be subject to a civil penalty of not less
than one thousand nor more than ten thousand dollars for each violation.
Each such violation shall be a separate and  distinct  offense.  In  the
case of a failure to take all reasonable and necessary action to restore
an  occupant  pursuant  to  paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision  one of this
section, such person shall be subject to an additional civil penalty  of
not  more  than  one  hundred  dollars  per  day  from the date on which
restoration  to  occupancy  is  requested  until  the  date   on   which
restoration occurs, provided, however, that such period shall not exceed
six months.