N.Y. Penal Law § 241.07: Aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant

§ 241.07 Aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant.

An owner is guilty of aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant

when:

1. With intent to induce three or more rent regulated tenants

occupying different housing accommodations in two or more residential

buildings to vacate such housing accommodations, such owner

intentionally engages in a systematic ongoing course of conduct that:

(a) impairs the habitability of such housing accommodations; or

(b) creates or maintains a condition which endangers the safety or

health of one or more of the dwellings' rent regulated tenants; or

(c) is reasonably likely to interfere with or disturb, and does

interfere with or disturb, the comfort, repose, peace or quiet of one or

more of such rent regulated tenants in their use and occupancy of such

housing accommodation including, but not limited to, the interruption or

discontinuance of essential services.

2. Such owner commits the crime of harassment of a rent regulated

tenant in the first degree as defined in section 241.05 of this article

and has previously been convicted within the preceding five years of

such crime.

The good faith commencement and pursuit of a lawful eviction action by

an owner against a rent regulated tenant in a court of competent

jurisdiction shall not, by itself, constitute a "systematic ongoing

course of conduct" in violation of paragraph (c) of subdivision one of

this section.

Aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant is a class D felony.