Facing Eviction in Brooklyn?
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for Every Housing Crisis

Eviction Defense (Non-Payment & Holdovers)

Unsafe Living Conditions (Heat, Bed Bugs, Repairs)

Rent Stabilization (Illegal Overcharges & Buyouts)

Landlord Services (Lease Enforcement & Collections)

Received a "Notice of Petition"? Don't pack your bags. Whether it's a Non-Payment case or a Holdover (lease expired), we file the Answers that pause the Marshal. We know every procedural loophole in Kings County to keep you in your home.

Is your landlord ignoring the mold, the rats, or the freezing radiator? That’s a breach of the Warranty of Habitability. We file HP Actions to force repairs and can even help you withhold rent legally until the work is done.

Suspect you’re paying market rate for a Rent Stabilized apartment? We audit the rent history (DHCR) to find illegal overcharges. Landlord offering a Buyout? Don't sign a "Cash for Keys" deal until we negotiate the price you actually deserve.

We help Brooklyn property owners navigate the Housing Stability & Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA). From drafting bulletproof leases to executing swift Holdover proceedings, we protect your family and your investment.

Why Kings County Housing Court is Different

Line once your inside of Brooklyn Housing Court

Line to get inside of Brooklyn Housing Court

You can’t navigate 141 Livingston Street with a map. You need a guide who knows the territory.

Brooklyn Housing Court isn't like other courts. It’s a maze of over 250,000 cases a year, where the security line wraps around the block and the elevators are notorious for breaking down. It’s a place where cases are won or lost in the hallway negotiations of the Resolution Part, long before you ever see a trial judge.

We don’t just practice law; we live in these courtrooms. We know the difference between Part A and Part B. We know the specific pressures facing landlords in Bed-Stuy brownstones and the harassment tactics used against tenants in Crown Heights pre-wars.

When you hire Jay Browne, you aren't just getting a lawyer. You're getting an insider who knows the unwritten rules of 141 Livingston.

"Why do I this?

Whenever I feel burnt out by the law I think back to this time, early on, after I started my practice in 2012, when I saved a Crown Heights Family from an Illegal Lockout.

The Situation: It was 10pm on a Friday Night and I was out with friends when I got a call from a random number. This guy tells me his landlord illegally changed his locks and tossed the family's belongings on the sidewalks, I could hear his daughters crying in the background. The landlord did this with no court order, no marshal, just a criminal "self-help" eviction.

The Action: I didn't tell them, "hey you've got to wait until Monday". I borrowed a friend's sports coat, and told the man to meet me at my office. We immediately drafted an Emergency Order to Show Cause (OSC) to Restore Possession. By Saturday morning, we were before a judge, presenting proof of residency and demanding immediate re-entry.

The Result: The Court ordered the landlord to restore access immediately or face arrest. The family was back in their home within 24 hours, and we were now pursuing damages for the illegal lockout. Real results for real Brooklyn neighbors.

The Brooklyn Renter’s Dictionary

Plain English for Legal Headaches

• Constructive Eviction ("The Freeze-Out")
  What it means: When a landlord doesn't kick you out, but makes your life so miserable you have to leave. Think: No heat in January, a rat infestation that never gets fixed, or construction noise that shakes the walls.
  The Fix: You don't just have to take it. We can help you break your lease or withhold rent, but you often have to vacate to claim this defense. Call us before you move out.

• Warranty of Habitability ("The Right to a Livable Home")
  What it means: By law, your apartment must be safe, sanitary, and livable. If you have no hot water, a leaking roof, or bedbugs, the landlord is breaking this warranty.
  The Fix: You shouldn't pay full price for a broken product. We file HP Actions to force repairs and seek rent abatements (money back) for the months you lived in squalor.

• Yellowstone Injunction ("The Commercial Tenant's Stop-Watch")
  What it means: A magic "pause button" for commercial tenants. If your landlord sends a "Notice to Cure" claiming you violated your lease, the clock is ticking. If it hits zero, your lease is dead.
  The Fix: A Yellowstone Injunction stops the clock. It gives us time to argue your case in Supreme Court without the risk of you being evicted while we fight. Warning: You must file this BEFORE the cure period ends.