Kevin McClanahan

Excellent. One of the few impartial judges who actually follows the law. We represent tenants and I have never known him to be anything but fair to both sides. His courtroom is run efficiently and courteously. His staff are all exemplary. His temperament is calm. He has a good sense of humor too and a remarkable knack of relating to the individual litigants as human beings while still applying the law impartially. Can only conclude the 2 negative reviews are from one disgruntled attorney-litigant who did not receive the result s/he wanted.

The judge and his law secretary were incredible bullies. I saw them shred pro se tenants and delight in humiliating people. In my case, I'd had help from 2 of the most experienced, skilled tenant attorneys in preparing a Motion to Dismiss on a Holdover Proceeding brought within 4 months of filing petitions with DHCR. The entire lawsuit was filled with trumped-up allegations. The process server lied and swore that he served my roommate, a 35 year old black male weighing 150 pounds, when I was alone, at home, working at my computer at the time of service, and have lived here alone since 1990. My motion to dismiss cited the lack of a notice to cure, as well as retaliatory eviction, and defects in service. The judge addressed me in court and, knowing I'm an attorney, said "You think you're so smart, don't you?" and denied my motion, which cited all current case law and defenses. His law secretary was even worse to me in chambers, bullying and insulting, and impugning ill motives to actions that I took completely in good faith because I had not yet learned the law, i.e. I paid rent to the LL, who cashed my checks. The judge soon rotated out, just in the nick of time, and a new judge came in who totally understood the issues in the case. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, I had gone to the NYC Human Rights Commission, which sued my LL under the Americans with Disabilities Act. They obtained relief for me and got my LL to withdraw the suit.