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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , February 15 , 2017
IN THIS ISSUE
Calendar .................. 12 City of Newburgh ............ 20 Classifieds ................ 26 Crossword ................ 28 Letters to the Editor .......... 8 Meadow Hill ............... 22 Town of Newburgh ............ 21 Newburgh Heritage ........... 10 New Windsor ............... 23 Obituaries ................. 17 Opinion ................... 8 Police Blotter .............. 24 Service Directory ............ 31 Sports ................... 36
PUBLIC AGENDA
THURSDAY , FEBRUARY 16 Town of Newburgh Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 , Town of Newburgh .
TUESDAY , FEBRUARY 21
Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education , 6 p . m . Board of Education Auditorium , 124 Grand St ., Newburgh .
THURSDAY , FEBRUARY 23 Town of Newburgh ZBA , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 , Town of Newburgh .
MONDAY , FEBRUARY 27
Town of Newburgh Workshop meeting , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 , Town of Newburgh
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The Mid Hudson Times , ( USPS 000-5947 ) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh , NY 12550 , with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , NY . Single copy : $ 1 at newsstand . By mail in Orange , Ulster or Sullivan Counties : $ 40 annually , $ 44 out of county . Periodicals permit at Newburgh , NY . POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Mid Hudson Times , 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , NY 12550
A day in court with Judge E . Loren Williams
By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com
For this series , the Mid Hudson Times takes a snapshot look inside local courtrooms and at the judges who preside over them .
Judge E . Loren Williams became a City of Newburgh justice in 2014 . Williams presides over some of the most contentious cases heard at the Newburgh city Court : landlord-tenant disputes .
“ You should see my hallway ,” she told the judge . “ The hallway leaks buckets of water .”
The woman stood before Judge Williams , a few feet away from her landlord at city court this month . The landlord was seeking $ 1,000 , equal to one month ’ s rent for her two-bedroom apartment .
Along with a string of other problems , the woman claimed the landlord had been promising to fix the leak for about a year . “ Will you accept $ 1,000 and waive February rent ?” Williams asked the landlord . Pausing briefly , the man said yes .
The judge asked if the tenant paid a security deposit . He was told the landlord received $ 950 as security . The judge asked the landlord if the security deposit could satisfy her debt if the apartment was left in “ good standing .” After grumbling about a broken wall panel , the landlord said yes . The two parties left , appearing unangry .
Next was a trial concerning a landlord and mother-son tenants who filed two claims : one to have their rent deposit returned and the other seeking damages for a vandalized car .
“ Between my son and I , there were three cars ,” said the mother , but only one car space was allotted to each tenant . She claimed the landlord told them to park the other cars on Farrington Street , which they did .
“ The car was vandalized … somebody shot a BB gun at the front window ,” she said . “( The landlord ) told us he would fix it in the spring , and we wanted it to be fixed right away .”
The landlord stated his case . “ They came with all these cars and the other tenants complained ,” he said . “ I told them , ‘ You cannot park all your cars here .’” Regarding the claim , he said , “ They ’ re out to get every dime they can soak from me .”
Williams sat and listened quietly for some time before asking if the landlord
Judge E . Loren Williams taking the oath of office in 2014 .
told the tenants they “ had to park ” on Farrington Street . The woman said no . He asked if there was anything in writing stating the landlord would fix the car . She again said no . “ Did you ever report it to your insurance carrier ?” the judge asked the woman . Once again , the answer was no .
“ Legally , I don ’ t think he is obligated to pay for the car ,” the judge told the woman , whose hands shook during the entire trial . “ I ’ m going to have to dismiss your claim .”
The second claim was more complicated .
The woman explained the same landlord took $ 1,800 as a security deposit for an apartment that wasn ’ t ready by the time she and her son were supposed to move in . During the wait , he found a temporary place for the two to live – something he did “ out of the goodness of his heart ,” he said .
A litany of expletive-filled text messages between the tenants and the landlord revealed the situation did not work out . The pair stayed in the temporary space for six weeks before they gave up on waiting and left . The landlord claimed they owed him money for this temporary lodging .
Williams asked if there had been an agreement , either written or verbal , regarding the temporary living arrangement . The landlord answered no . “ For that reason , I find in favor of the plaintiff ,” the judge said .
Prior to being sworn-in , Williams served as a trial attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Orange County and as an assistant district attorney for the Orange County District Attorney ’ s office . He also worked as an associate counsel for the New York State Assembly .
Williams replaced Judge B . Harold Ramsey , who retired in 2013 . He currently presides over drug , criminal , housing , civil and traffic court . Williams earned his Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School . He is serving a 10-year term .