Landlord-Tenant—Rent Overcharge—Treble Damages—DHCR “Blurred the Distinction Between Being An Independent Neutral Arbitrator and An Advocate”—DHCR Relied On Documents Outside the Record—Deputy Commissioner Did Independent Investigation and Found Old Records—Subsequent Owners Are Liable For Unlawful Actions of Predecessors

THIS DECISION INVOLVED an Article 78 petition commenced by a tenant. The “sole issue is should the overcharge due here be trebled.”