Amidst a flurry of poorly worded and overlapping bills [from the legislature], Executive Orders [from the Governor] and Administrative Orders [from the courts], tenants have been confused – and understandably so – about the status of the eviction moratorium first enacted in March.
On Friday, the Office of Court Administration confirmed that the moratorium remains in effect through, at least, September 4, when the Governor’s latest Executive Order is set to expire.
Note, however, that the moratorium only prevents landlords from executing existing warrants, almost all of which date from before the coronavirus shutdown. It does not prevent trials on cases pending as of the shutdown. Indeed, Housing Court trials have started again in Brooklyn and Queens, with Manhattan set to go next. Nor does the moratorium bar landlords from filing new cases. So, despite the moratorium, tenants can still be sued for nonpayment or holding over.
