An appeals court on Thursday blocked Bill de Blasio’s administration from raising water bills on large landlords.
City Hall wanted to raise water rates by 2.1 percent, and partially offset it by giving owners of one-to-three family homes a $183 credit. The Rent Stabilization Association, which represents over 25,000 landlords, sued against the plan last year, arguing that the rules unfairly burdened owners of larger buildings.
The RSA won a court ruling last year that halted the plan, and an appeals court has now upheld the ruling.
“We are grateful that the courts saw through de Blasio’s political shenanigans and forced him to operate within the law,” RSA president Joseph Strasburg said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Bill de Blasio countered that “wealthy landlords and high-priced lobbyists have spared nothing to line their own pockets at the expense of hardworking New Yorkers.” He has vowed to continue fighting for the increase in city water rates. [WSJ] — Konrad Putzier