Court Information
Buffalo City Court Judge, Housing Part
Hon. Phillip Dabney
Part 14
Phone: 716-845-2642
Fax: 716-845-7578
Buffalo City Court Building
50 Delaware Avenue - 6th floor
Buffalo, NY 14202
Part Information
Landlord and Tenant
7th floor - Part 17
Phone: 716-845-2662
Fax: 716-845-7570
Welcome
Welcome to the website of the Housing Part of Buffalo City Court, which is also known as Buffalo Housing Court. The Housing Part is comprised of court attorneys, clerks, court officers, various external legal organizations. The Housing Part of Buffalo City Court is exclusively devoted to actions and proceedings involving the enforcement of all housing codes, pertaining to real property situated within the City of Buffalo. The Housing Court hears thousands of cases each year, and the Court is dedicated to providing excellence, efficiency, empathy when serving the public, so that every landlord and every tenant is treated with justice and fairness.
Court Hours of Operation
Housing Court: Monday through Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Landlord and Tenant: Monday through Thursday: Morning and Afternoon,
Friday: Mornings Only
HUB: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: Afternoons Only
In General
The Housing Court is empowered to preside over:
- Actions for violations of state and local housing maintenance codes.
- Actions for collection of costs, expenses, and disbursements incurred by the City of Buffalo in the elimination or correction of a nuisance or other violations of any of the housing codes, including removal and demolition of any dwelling.
- Actions and Proceedings for enforcement or foreclosure of liens upon real property and upon the rents for civil penalties, or for costs, expenses, and disbursements incurred by the City of Buffalo in the elimination or correction of a nuisance or other violations of any of the housing codes, including removal and demolition of any building.
- All summary proceedings to recover possession of residential premises to remove tenants; to render judgment for rent due; stay of proceedings or action by the tenant for rent upon failure of the landlord to make repairs; in multiple dwellings for rent abatement in certain violations of the housing code; and landlord's duty to maintain habitable premises.
- Proceedings for the appointment of a receiver of rents, issues and profits of buildings to remove or remedy a nuisance or to make repairs required to be made under the housing codes.
- Actions and Proceedings for the removal of housing violations or for the stay of any penalty imposed
- Special Proceedings to vest title in the City of Buffalo to abandoned multiple dwellings and one and two-unit structures.
Landlord and Tenant Proceedings
Landlord and Tenant proceedings deal exclusively with nonpayment proceedings and holdover proceedings within the City of Buffalo jurisdictional limits. Cases usually begin with Alternative Dispute Resolution overseen by Court Attorneys. The Petitioner and Respondent(s) may enter into a mutual agreement either orally on the record or by a written stipulation agreement. Many cases are resolved by this method. When the parties cannot reach an agreement, a hearing will be scheduled before the judge or a hearing officer.
Erie County Housing Court (HUB Court)
December 2021, Buffalo Housing Court saw the introduction of the Erie County Landlord-Tenant HUB Court. The HUB Court combines Erie County's 25 town courts and 11 village courts in one place. Petitions filed for nonpayment proceedings and holdover proceedings in the town and village courts of Erie County are transferred from the town and village courts to the HUB Court, located in Buffalo Housing Court. It is a virtual court, whereby the litigants appear remotely. However, a small number of litigants prefer to be physically present. The cases are handled in the same manner as Landlord and Tenant proceedings.
Access to Legal Services
Eligible Respondents at no cost may be entitled to legal representation. These legal providers include Neighborhood Legal Services (NLS), Center for Elder Law and Justice (CELJ), Legal Aid Bureau (LAB), Volunteers Lawyers Project, Inc (VLP), and Western New York Law Center (WNYLC).
Landlord Tenant Forms
Fees
Applicable in City Only:
Summary Proceeding/Eviction Petition $45.00
Marshals of City Court of Buffalo
50 Delaware Avenue - 1st floor
Hours: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Telephone: (716) 847-8430
Fax: (716) 847-8434
Fees:
Service of Petition and Notice of Petition $ 60.00
Each additional person $ 20.00
Service of 14-day Notice $ 60.00
Warrant of Eviction (up to 2 people) $150.00
Each additional person (over 2 people) $ 20.00