Volunteer attorneys present options regarding tenants’ potential eviction

It’s almost 5 p.m. Monday at the Irondequoit Public Safety Building and I am directed into Room B where volunteer attorneys from the NYS Appellate Division, Fourth Department are checking in with VLSP staff attorney Karen Chung to learn about the issues that brought numerous tenants to Town Court this evening.

Since January 2016, Alan Ross, AD4th Deputy Court Clerk, has worked behind the scenes to ensure VLSP has attorneys to staff the Tenant Town Court Program twice a month.  From the Office of Attorneys for Children, Linda Kostin also helps recruit volunteers, facilitating training and collaboration for new law clerks cycling through the Fourth Department.

John T. Ryan and Gabriela Wolfe are both on two-year assignments as court attorneys, Ryan starting last August, and Wolfe now in her second year.

Ryan, who spent two years as an associate at a small firm before coming to the Appellate Division noted, “In tenant court, there is no time to make sure you are perfect on the law, it is about understanding your client’s situation and finding a solution that works best for them.”

Wolfe, a 2016 Syracuse Law graduate, added: “I have participated approximately 5 times and always come away feeling as if I have directly and positively impacted someone’s life.  It can be challenging to meet and represent a client within such a tight timeframe, but it is certainly worth the almost palpable look of relief on the faces of those clients I am able to help.”

            Nicole Thompson is finishing her Monroe Community College Paralegal Certification program and is volunteering with VLSP to meet the pro bono requirement of her legal certification program.  She’s quick to greet clients looking for help and gets their basic information collected on some forms on a clipboard.  

 “I plan to come back and volunteer in the future,” Thompson said.

Once clients were all checked in Thompson had the opportunity to observe Linda Kostin’s discussion with a client about a payment schedule for overdue rent.  Kostin and the attorney for the landlord were able to negotiate a settlement with payments spread over several weeks.  The court accepted their terms and eviction was avoided.

This particular Monday evening there are four tenants seeking relief from imminent eviction.  Most hinge on money owed.  The problem is, most tenants do not know their options or how to go about negotiating a payment plan the landlord will accept. 

“Most clients don’t know what their options are, and having a volunteer attorney walk through the choices goes a long way towards calming the panic a notice of eviction puts into people,” VLSP attorney Karen Chung explained. 

Additional attorneys from the Appellate Division who currently volunteer for the program include Michael G. Paul, Michael Tuohey, Lisa Paine, Adam Oshrin, Joe Dinolfo, Kristen Henderson, Kristen Warner, Erin Sanger, Cory Schoonmaker, Jon Caterero, Michael Staszkiw, and Maria Gaige.

Because many of the court attorneys involved are on two-year assignments at the Appellate Division, reinforcements have been needed at times to meet client needs.  That’s where Nixon Peabody, LLP came to the rescue on several occasions.  Special thanks to Darren Miller and Daniel Brennan for responding to the plea for help.

Written by Nora A. Jones