Commercial Eviction Lawyers Serving Nassau and Suffolk County

What Sets Us Apart

• We only handle evictions. We don’t do real estate closings, personal injury, or family law. Evictions are all we do, in Nassau and Suffolk County courts, every day. That focus means we know the local commercial courts, the judges, and the process in a way a general practice firm simply doesn’t.

• We understand commercial real estate. Our attorneys own commercial investment properties on Long Island. We know what a non-paying tenant does to your rent roll and your asset valuation — it’s not just unpaid rent, it’s a hit to what your building is worth. We move with urgency because we understand the stakes.

• 40 years of combined eviction experience. Our attorneys have handled commercial evictions in District Court, Supreme Court, Town Justice Courts, and Federal Court across Nassau and Suffolk County. That depth of experience shows in the details — the right notices, the right venue, the right strategy for your specific lease and situation.

• Flat fees and hybrid rates. For standard commercial eviction proceedings, we charge a flat fee so you know the cost before we start. For more complex matters involving personal guarantees, Supreme Court litigation, or significant lease disputes, we offer hybrid arrangements. We’ll tell you upfront which applies to your situation and what it costs.

The Commercial Eviction Process in New York

Commercial evictions in New York follow a similar structure to residential evictions, but with important differences that catch landlords — and generalist attorneys — off guard.

• Step 1: Review the lease. Before anything else, your lease governs. Most commercial leases have specific notice and cure provisions that must be followed before you can file an eviction proceeding. Skipping or misreading these lease requirements is one of the most common reasons commercial eviction cases get dismissed. We review your lease before we do anything else.

• Step 2: Serve the required notices. Commercial tenants typically receive different predicate notices than residential tenants. The required notices depend on the type of violation and what your lease requires. An attorney who dabbles in landlord-tenant law will often serve the wrong notice — which dismisses your case and costs you months of lost rent.

• Step 3: Choose the right venue. Most commercial evictions proceed in District Court, similar to a residential nonpayment or holdover proceeding. But if you have a personal guarantee and want to pursue a monetary judgment against an individual guarantor — in addition to recovering possession — Supreme Court may be the more efficient path. This decision matters and should be made at the outset, not after you’ve already filed.

• Step 4: File and appear. Once the notice period expires, we file the petition, serve the tenant, and appear in court on your behalf. If the tenant doesn’t show, we request a default judgment. If they do, most commercial cases settle through a negotiated stipulation. If they don’t, we take it to trial.

How Long Does a Commercial Eviction Take?

The honest answer depends on your lease, the court, and whether the tenant contests the case. As a general guide:

An uncontested commercial nonpayment proceeding in Nassau or Suffolk County District Court typically resolves in 6 to 10 weeks from the time we’re retained. Contested cases take longer. Supreme Court matters involving personal guarantees run on a different schedule and vary more widely.

What we can tell you on a free call: after we review your lease and hear the facts, we can give you a realistic timeline estimate specific to your situation. That call is free and there’s no obligation.

Common Reasons Commercial Eviction Cases Get Dismissed

• Wrong notices. Commercial tenants have different notice requirements than residential tenants, and your lease may add requirements on top of the statutory ones. Most errors happen here.

• Ignoring the lease. Your lease is a contract. If it says you must give a 10-day notice to cure before you can terminate, skipping that step will get your case thrown out regardless of how clearly the tenant is in violation.

• Wrong venue. Filing in District Court when Supreme Court is the right venue — or vice versa — wastes time and money. Getting the venue right at the start matters.

• Tenant defenses. Commercial tenants increasingly show up with representation. A defense attorney looking for procedural defects can turn a straightforward nonpayment case into a drawn-out battle if your notices or petition have any errors.

Lease Violations Beyond Nonpayment

Nonpayment is the most common reason for commercial eviction, but it’s not the only one. Tenants can also be evicted for violating other lease terms — failure to maintain the property, failure to comply with town or building code requirements, or conduct that constitutes a nuisance to other tenants.

Nuisance-based evictions are more difficult than nonpayment cases and require careful documentation. If you’re dealing with a tenant who is current on rent but causing problems, call us to discuss what options are available.