Nonprimary Residence Proceedings

If a trial court determines, in a landlord's nonprimary residence holdover proceeding, that a tenant did ' or did not ' maintain his primary residence in his rent-stabilized apartment, what standard of review must an appellate court apply in reviewing that determination? In 409-411 Sixth Street, LLC. V. Mogi, 2013 N.Y. Slip Op. 06604, decided on Oct.10, the Court of Appeals addressed the issue, and reversed the First Department's determination for according insufficient deference to the trial judge's determination. The court endorsed a standard articulated in an earlier First Department opinion, Claridge Gardens v. Menotti, 160 A.D.2d 544, 544-45, holding that the trial court's determination should not be disturbed “unless it is obvious that the court's conclusions could not be reached under any fair interpretation of the evidence, especially when the findings of fact rest in large measure on considerations relating to the credibility of witnesses.”