Rental Certificate Revoked Fulton, NY

[Kenneth Cook]

I have recently purchased a couple rental properties in two different cities about 20 mins apart. The first one I bought was a 4 unit. I closed on this property in November of 2020. Second one, a single family college rental in June of 21.

The 4 unit I purchased, I have had a problem with since I bought it. One of the tenants has allowed 10-20 people to live there, the police and emts are called to the unit on a regular basis do to overdoses (Good Samaritan law keeps them from getting in trouble for this). They leave garbage and debris all over the place. Furniture and shopping carts. They are a known drug house.

With COVID, even though the eviction ban in NY is for failure to pay rent, no lawyers would take an eviction case, and courts were not opened until recently.

The city has stopped picking up garbage at the residence, but continues to charge me for garbage removal. So now I am having to have someone else pick up the garbage and take it to the dump.

I have multiple open citations/warnings about having "x cleaned up" Its usually garbage cans, old furniture, tires, think pretty much anything that is an eye soar. I understand this, and understand it is my responsibility.

I finally got the sheriff’s office to issue a 90day notice to vacant in December.

Today I received a letter that states my rental permit has been revoked due to having any open violations in the first 5 years. To get a new permit is going to be $500 for reinstatement of a revoked permit. I just got the rental permit approved a few months ago to begin with.

I feel that if the city doesnt allow me to evict the tenants, who I dont even want to evict for failure to pay rent, but because they are on a month to month, I have no way to correct the problem.

Is this something I should try to get a lawyer involved with? What are my options here.

I have zero problems with the other property. No violations no nothing. Its smooth running and the tenants are clean etc. I understand the city trying to "clean up" even though this street has been a bad run down area for the better part of two decades. I found out after I bought it, although I did have a feeling. First property live and learn.

Should I contact the media as I feel like in reality this is just a form of legalized extortion?