While the law applies to all Mitchell-Lama buildings, each building has a history that makes a legal difference. Read more for why you need a lawyer and the names of some lawyers with Mitchell-Lama experience.

• What is the wording of the land use agreement or covenant issued when your project was built? That could determine whether you can stay in Mitchell-Lama longer.

• Is your building supervised by HPD (the City) or DHCR (the State)? That makes a difference in terms of who keeps the landlord's "capital reserve fund" after the buyout, and in certain other buyout rules.

• Was your building built before or after 1974? That will determine whether you must go into rent stabilization, for example)

So get legal advice. With a lawyer experienced in this area of law, you can get some answers:

• Is there a way to prevent or delay leaving Mitchell-Lama?
• Will there be an issue about your community room or your garage?
• What tax breaks has your landlord gotten in the past -- and how will they influence what happens to the building?

Carol Ule
Hartman, Ule, Rose & Ratner, LLP
305 Broadway, Suite 1201
212-437-9111 E-mail to cule@hurrlaw.com

Stephen Dobkin or Seth Miller
Collins, Dobkin & Miller, LLP
277 Broadway, 14th Floor
New York, New York 10007
212-587-2400
fax: 212-587-2410
E-mail: sdobkin@collinsdobkinmiller.com or smiller@collinsdobkinmiller.com

Serge Joseph, Kevin McConnell, or David Hershey-Webb
Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoghue & Joseph
15 Maiden Lane
New York, New York 10038
212-349-3000
E-Mail:
Serge Joseph
Kevin McConnell
David Hershey-Webb