Tenant Claims Landlord Only Rented to Hasidic Tenants

Facts: Landlord sued to evict tenant to recover apartment for his own use. Tenant argued that landlord wasn't acting in good faith. Tenant claimed that landlord was engaged in a discriminatory scheme to evict Latino tenants and rent to Hasidic tenants only. Tenant claimed that when landlord bought the building in 1982, seven out of nine apartments were occupied by Latinos. Since then, all vacant apartments were rented to Hasidic tenants, and landlord didn't seek to evict any of them. Tenant asked the court to compel landlord to submit to pre-trial questioning. Landlord simply argued that tenant's claims were ludicrous. Court: Tenant wins. Landlord must sit for pretrial questioning. Landlord didn't move to strike any of tenant's defenses or dismiss any counterclaims. Attorneys for both sides agreed to the pretrial questioning. Landlord must respond fully to reasonable questions about racial, ethnic, and religious makeup of tenants in the building, racial and renting policies, and landlord's religious affiliation.

Steinmetz v. Cedeno: NYLJ, p. 27, col. 4 (1/3/96) (Civ. Ct. Kings; Finkelstein, J)