A 100-year-old tenant of an Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan was facing eviction after a year-long recovery from a broken hip.


Justa Lopez has not missed a single rent payment in that time, even though she hasn’t been living in her New York apartment while she recovered. Her hip surgery took her out of her apartment and she has been recovering on Long Island.


She initially rented this apartment in 1963 for $57 per month. Since then, her fee has only gone up to $150 per month due to rent-control, and her dutiful payments notwithstanding, her landlord wanted her gone.


The landlord’s plan, according to Ms. Lopez, was to fix up the apartment, evict her, and rent out her home for $3,000 per month, which is much more in line with the current real estate market in Manhattan. Considering the price of two bedrooms in the Upper East Side, this could still be considered a steal.


Fortunately for Ms. Lopez, the law, and the public, was on her side. Her landlords, facing a potentially catastrophic lawsuit and public outcry, decided instead to renovate her apartment for her and allow her to stay there. The landlord is sure to know that bathroom renovations offer an 86.4% ROI on average, and it’s common for NYC landlords to upgrade apartments to raise rents.

The eviction process in New York involves two initial actions on the part of the landlord. First, they must have grounds to evict, and second, they need to file a petition and go to court. If you have been evicted for non-payment, you have just three days to move out.

Of course, eviction laws vary from state to state, and it’s quite different on the west coast. In California, if you’ve lived in an apartment for over a year, your landlord must provide at least 60 days notice.


For Ms. Lopez though, everything worked out. Her hip has recovered nicely, her apartment is getting free renovations, and she exercised her right to retain residency.

Talk about a tough old bird!