(ALBANY, NEW YORK)— After REBNY filed a lawsuit last week, Justice Michael Mackey has temporarily suspended the enforcement of legislation that prohibits landlord’s brokers from collecting fees from tenants, Gothamist reports.
The battle endures as the block is only temporary. Mackey isn’t just a REBNY crony–The New York Times clarifies that this is not an unusual decision. With such a sudden reinterpretation, the block gives both parties time to respond in court. After REBNY’s lawsuit, the DOS will present their case on March 13.
The law does not prohibit broker’s from collecting a fee. Tenants’ brokers will still collect from the tenant who hired them, only landlords’ brokers will now collect from landlords, not tenants. This is a common arrangement in almost every other city in the US, with the exception of Boston and New York.
