MEND NYC is a new citywide initiative that provides free mediation and conflict resolution services to address a number of neighborhood disputes that impact New Yorkers every day. This program is an opportunity to create direct communication and compromise, establishing respectful and ongoing relationships that help New Yorkers co-exist peacefully in their communities while ensuring that small businesses thrive.
MEND NYC helps New Yorkers address issues in their neighborhood that may include:
- Quality-of-life issues between residents and businesses
- Negotiation between commercial tenants and landlords
- Neighboring business to business misunderstandings
Read about MEND NYC and some positive outcomes that have been reached in cases similar to yours in this Op-Ed. Sit down and work through that disagreement, New York, New York Daily News, April 8, 2021
Watch a video about MEND NYC. In the video you will hear from a local business owner and a neighbor who lives upstairs from his restaurant. After the neighbor contacted MEND NYC about noise from the business, they were able to solve the issue together using mediation.
Quality of Life Concerns between Residents and Neighboring Businesses
Your conflict may be MENDable:
- If you are a New York City resident experiencing a chronic or urgent quality-of-life issue such as excessive noise, trash, crowds and you believe the issue is related to a neighboring business; or
- If you are a small business that is experiencing a heavy volume of complaints from a neighboring resident
In all cases, both parties in the conflict must be willing to enter a discussion with one another and a mediator in order for the conflict to be MENDable.
Communication Between Small Businesses and Landlords
If you are a small business or a commercial landlord and you are experiencing a conflict or a failure to communicate, you may want to use free mediation services provided by MEND NYC to start a dialogue with the other party in order to come to a creative solution that is mutually beneficial for both of you.
Types of cases that are MENDable include those where a landlord and a small business commercial tenant is looking for a free option to help them start a dialogue with the other party before lawyers are engaged. Types of conflicts that can benefit from mediation include, but are not limited to:
- How to resolve past due rent (rent arrears);
- How to proceed with rent payments going forward; and
- How to get out of lease terms (e.g. length of lease).
Business owners should also be aware that the NYC Department of Small Business Services administers the Commercial Lease Assistance Program, which provides free legal services to eligible businesses. There are certain types of issues that a business may face that can be solved through mediation, and without lawyers. In these instances, SBS may refer your case to MEND NYC.