No, a landlord can't pretend they don't know your apartment is rent-stabilized
Remember that Harlem landlord who owed his tenant $112,000 after overcharging him for years? He's lost his appeal, DNAinfo reports, and is going to have to pay up. While the landlord claimed he'd bought the building after the apartment's rent was frozen in 1993, the building's deed told a different story. "The petitioner’s first contention that they did not own the building when the rent reduction order was issued is not supported by the facts," said an order signed by commissioner Woody Pascal and issued Wednesday.
So no, saying "I had no idea!" isn't a legitimate defense, in case you were wondering. For info on researching your own building's historic, negotiating a buyout, and more, we've got tips and links over here.
Related:
What we can learn from a man who found out his landlord owes him more than $100,000
Ask Sam: How do I find out of if my apartment should be rent-stabilized, and if the landlord owes me money? [sponsored]
New Yorkers' biggest misconceptions about rent-stabilization
My exasperating, enlightening, ultimately successful search for rent-stabilized digs
