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New York - Landlord suing in Small Calims Court For Rent

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mikez

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? NY
(Upstate New York)
My landlord is suing me for $1795 because me and other roomate moved out.
There are 3 names on the lease, myself, and my two other roomates.
Our monthly rent is $890.
The reaon why we moved out was because the heat was insufficient (57degrees inside when it was 20degrees outside) and harassment by the landlord.

I am going to court on May 3rd and need some help on defending myself.
My landlord has told me and my roomates to get the hell out of our apartment if we dont like it. He discoutinued heat in my one roomates room because it was too hot and he had to open his window 3 inches to cool the room down. In my other roomates room it 57 degrees (this is a 3rd floor, 3 bedroom apartment, its pretty big). I am pretty sure that new york state law requires apartments to be heated to 65degrees during the winter months. We complained to him many times and nothing got fixed or done about. One day me and my roomate and a friend came back from the store and found my landlord in my roomates room bolting his window shut (we have pictures!) and turning off his heat register in his room. He has made verbal threats to me, my roomates and other tenants in this 13-apartment building. My main point that i would like to make in court is that it was a hostile living environment and we were threatened and harassed on my occasions to get out of the apartment. I am not looking to get any money out of this case im simply looking to defend myself. I was the only one summoned to court ( i dont understand why because there are 3 people on the lease??). Should i file a counter claim for court costs if decide to contact a lawyer? I dont really have the financial resources to contact and have a lawyer represent me.

So i moved out of this apartment March 31, 2006 and found a new apartment. Now he is suing me for back rent. I dont have the money to pay and not all of that money is my responsiblity since there are 2 other people on the lease. How should i go about this to prove my case in court? Any help would be greatly appreicated!
 
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