Opinion
2021-06996 Index 1997/17
12-15-2021
In the Matter of Lydia Figueroa, petitioner, v. Shola Olatoye, etc., et al., respondents.
Janet E. Sabel, New York, NY (Adriene Holder, Jean Callahan, and Mimi Rosenberg of counsel), for appellant. Kelly D. MacNeal, New York, NY (Nancy M. Harnett and Seth E. Kramer of counsel), for respondents.
Janet E. Sabel, New York, NY (Adriene Holder, Jean Callahan, and Mimi Rosenberg of counsel), for appellant.
Kelly D. MacNeal, New York, NY (Nancy M. Harnett and Seth E. Kramer of counsel), for respondents.
WILLIAM F. MASTRO, J.P., LEONARD B. AUSTIN, COLLEEN D. DUFFY, FRANCESCA E. CONNOLLY, JJ.
DECISION & JUDGMENT
Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 to review a determination of the New York City Housing Authority dated March 6, 2017, which adopted the recommendation of a hearing officer dated February 6, 2017, made after a hearing, denying the petitioner's grievance challenging the denial of her request to succeed to the tenancy of her late mother's apartment as a remaining family member.
ADJUDGED that the determination is confirmed, the petition is denied, and the proceeding is dismissed on the merits, without costs or disbursements.
The petitioner sought to succeed to the lease of her late mother's one-bedroom apartment in a New York City Housing Authority (hereinafter NYCHA) development as a remaining family member. Her request was denied. In a recommendation dated February 6, 2017, made after a hearing, a hearing officer denied the petitioner's grievance challenging the denial of her request, finding that she was not a remaining family member within the meaning of NYCHA regulations. In a determination dated March 6, 2017, NYCHA adopted the hearing officer's recommendation Thereafter, the petitioner commenced this proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 to review NYCHA's determination. In an order dated December 20, 2017, the Supreme Court transferred the proceeding to this Court pursuant to CPLR 7804(g).
Substantial evidence in the record supports the determination of NYCHA that the petitioner never obtained written permission for permanent occupancy from the housing manager of the public housing development in which she lived with her mother, who was the sole tenant of record until her death (see Matter of Aponte v Olatoye, 30 N.Y.3d 693, 697; Matter of Crawford v Brezenhoff, 187 A.D.3d 598, 599; Matter of Cintron v Olatoye, 167 A.D.3d 1003, 1004). "Under its rules, NYCHA could not have granted [the petitioner] permanent permission to reside in [her] mother's apartment, and thus could not have granted [her] request for [remaining family member] status" (Matter of Aponte v Olatoye, 30 N.Y.3d at 698 ).
Further, the record demonstrated that the petitioner's mother did not list the petitioner's income on any of the affidavits of income that she filed with respect to the apartment (see Matter of Cintron v Olatoye, 167 A.D.3d at 1004; Matter of Blas v Olatoye, 161 A.D.3d 562, 562; see also Matter of Hockaday v Olatoye, 179 A.D.3d 626) .
Moreover, the petitioner lacks standing to claim that the denial of permission for her to reside in the apartment as a permanent resident deprived her mother of a reasonable accommodation for her disability (see Matter of Cintron v Olatoye, 167 A.D.3d at 1004; Matter of Blas v Olatoye, 161 A.D.3d at 563). As for the petitioner's claim for associational discrimination, the record shows that the petitioner received the accommodation to which she and her mother, who lived in a one-bedroom apartment, would have been entitled because the petitioner was, in effect, given temporary residency status which is what, at most, she would have been entitled to as a live-in caregiver given NYCHA's policy with respect to overcrowding (see Matter of Blas v Olatoye, 161 A.D.3d at 563; see also Matter of Crawford v Brezenhoff, 187 A.D.3d at 599; Matter of Cintron v Olatoye, 167 A.D.3d at 1004).
Accordingly, we confirm NYCHA's determination, deny the petition, and dismiss the proceeding on the merits.
MASTRO, J.P., AUSTIN, DUFFY and CONNOLLY, JJ., concur.