Legal Question in Real Estate Law in New York

Re: evictions

The person starting an eviction action has to have an interest in the property - either by ownership, net lease or as an authorized agent of the current landlord. If that person does not have the interest in the property or the authority from the current owner, they do not have standing to start the case. In terms of a certified letter, I'm presuming that you mean a certified letter from the post office. That does not have a seal but does have special labeling from the post office.

Re: evictions

If the person starting the eviction has a legal interest (owner, tenant, contract purchaser, etc.) they can start an eviction. If you are current in your lease and all payments have been made, you can respond by claiming hardship. All this will do is buy you some time, if the proposed eviction is legitimate. If it is not legitimate, court will dismiss it. The certified letter should have some marking from the post office on the envelope. In court, you can make them prove recipt, which would verify authenticity.