A law firm called “Tenants Counsel Network” (TCN) has been accused of targeting tenants facing eviction by misleading them into signing legal representation agreements and charging monthly fees without providing proper legal services. Even some lawyers were absent in court. After being sued by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, TCN reached a settlement with the state government on the 21st, agreeing to close the law firm, refund $172,000 to affected tenants, and pay a fine of $35,000 to the state of New York.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, TCN has been operating as a for-profit law firm since December 2023, claiming to have “comprehensive and detailed mastery” of New York City housing laws and promoting that they have recovered “thousands of dollars in overcharges” for tenants. However, the company initially did not hire any lawyers knowledgeable in landlord and tenant laws, and some of the client testimonials posted on their website were found to be fabricated. Following complaints from tenants, advocacy groups, and the legal community, the OAG launched an investigation into TCN in May 2024.
To attract clients, TCN illegally obtained a list of tenants facing eviction in New York City and sent out 35,569 marketing letters claiming to offer legal services from “experienced lawyers.” More than 1,100 of these letters were signed by lawyers who did not even exist. Some tenants received advertising mail from TCN before receiving official court summonses, mistakenly believing that the law firm was part of the official procedures. In addition, TCN engaged in multiple daily phone calls to solicit clients, with their so-called “client managers” falsely claiming to provide subsidized legal services, leading some to believe TCN was a non-profit legal aid organization. Investigations also found that these “client managers” refused to allow tenants to communicate with actual lawyers before signing contracts and exaggerated the number of lawyers in the firm. Many tenants had minimal substantive communication with lawyers after signing agreements.
Several affected tenants reported being unable to contact their lawyers for an extended period before court hearings, and some lawyers even failed to appear in court. One tenant mentioned that she had paid fees, but her TCN lawyer never showed up in court; she made numerous calls to the law firm with no response. The Attorney General’s Office found dozens of cases of TCN lawyers being absent from court hearings.
Under the terms of the settlement, TCN must close its law firm by July 31 and cease providing legal services to existing clients. Additionally, TCN is required to notify all clients with ongoing cases in writing at least 60 days in advance. Moreover, TCN must refund a total of $172,257 to former clients, with some tenants receiving refunds exceeding $3,000; the firm must also pay a fine of $25,000 to the state of New York. TCN’s founding partner, Aryeh Weber, is also required to pay an additional $10,000 fine, relinquish his New York State law license, and close his law firm.