Riegel of Rosenberg & Estis appointed to Housing Court Advisory

Manhattan, NY Rosenberg & Estis, P.C., a real estate law firm, made known that member Deborah Riegel has been appointed to the Housing Court Advisory Council by the New York State Unified Court System.

Riegel will serve as one of two landlord representatives on the Advisory Council for the Housing Part of the Civil Court of the City of New York for a three-year term ending in March 2028.

Governed by NYS statutes, the Advisory Council recommends individuals for appointment to preside as New York Housing Court judges and annually reviews and reports on the functioning of the Housing Part 1. The announcement was made by Hon. Joseph Zayas, chief administrative judge of the New York State Unified Court System.

Riegel said, “I am humbled by the trust judge Zayas has placed in me and look forward to being of service. Housing Court is more critical than ever in providing both owners and tenants an expert forum in which to reach an expeditious resolution of their disputes. I look forward to working with the Council to enhance and support the Court’s important legacy.”

Over a nearly 30-year career, Riegel has become one of New York’s most accomplished real estate advisors and litigators and a trusted source to the city’s leading property owners, operators and investors. She has secured some of the most significant court decisions that have impacted the New York housing sector and won numerous precedent-setting decisions with far-reaching effects on the city and its residents.

Riegel argued before the New York State Court of Appeals in Regina Metropolitan and defeated the retroactive implementation of the controversial Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) of 2019. Her role in negating its retroactive application in pending and future rent overcharge cases directly saved city landlords from millions of dollars in liability rent overcharge had HSTPA been retroactively applied. This also protected landlords from potentially catastrophic underwriting and liability exposure.

She also played a prominent role in challenging the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) that delayed landlords’ efforts to advance eviction cases, which ground to a halt during the COVID pandemic.

In a letter announcing Riegel’s appointment, Judge Zayas wrote, “I know that with your background and experience, you will make a significant contribution to the Advisory Council’s excellent record of recommending candidates of the highest quality for appointment and ensuring that we maintain a highly qualified housing Court bench.”