If you are a landlord, and your apartment is located in Bay Shore, or anywhere else within the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, then your eviction proceeding will take place in the Landlord-Tenant Part of the Suffolk County District Court, Fifth District, located at 3105 Veterans Memorial Highway, Ronkonkoma, New York 11779-7614. The sitting judge in this Court is the Honorable Vincent J. Martorana, District Court Judge, who will preside over your eviction proceeding. The courthouse is one of the largest in the Suffolk County District Court system, second only to the nearby facility at the Cohalan Court Complex in Central Islip, and houses both the First and Fifth District Courts of Suffolk County. It is located on the north side of Veterans Memorial Highway and has a very spacious parking lot. The courthouse is also accessible by bus on the Suffolk County S57 and S54 lines. You can find out more about this Court, including available public transportation and maps, by clicking here.
Landlord-Tenant Court in Ronkonkoma takes place every Thursday and begins at 9:30 AM. At that time the calendar will be called for the first time, and will be called again at about 10:30 AM. When your case is called, if all parties are present, the Judge will direct you to step outside the courtroom into the courthouse lobby to discuss the matter privately in hopes of settling your case.
If you settle your case, you must submit a written stipulation of settlement to the Judge, who will review it. For tenants who are not represented by attorneys, the Judge will ask certain questions before accepting the settlement. For example, he will ask the tenant if the signature on the stipulation is the tenant’s; if the tenant read it before signing; if the tenant signed it voluntarily; if the tenant understands it; and if the tenant agrees to be bound by its terms. If the tenant answers yes to all of those questions, the Judge will then describe the terms of the stipulation on the record. If he finds it acceptable, your case will be settled.
If you cannot settle, you will have a hearing, usually later in the day, at which you must be prepared to testify. After hearing both sides, the Judge will make a decision. If the landlord prevails, a judgment of possession and a warrant of eviction will be issued. A monetary judgment may also be included for back rent. If the tenant prevails, the case will be dismissed.
Both parties are entitled to one adjournment as a matter of right. If the other side does not consent, then the maximum adjournment is one week and the case may be marked final against the party requesting the adjournment. A party who does not appear is in default. If the landlord fails to appear, the case will be dismissed; if the landlord appears but the tenant fails to appear, the landlord will win by default.
About Bay Shore
Bay Shore is a hamlet in the Town of Islip, in Suffolk County, New York. It is located on the south shore of Long Island, on the Great South Bay. In 2008, Bay Shore celebrated the 300th anniversary of the purchase of the land on which it is situated from the Secatogue Indians.
Bay Shore is one of the older hamlets on Long Island. Sagtikos Manor, located in West Bay Shore, was built around 1697. It was used as a British armed forces headquarters during the American Revolution, at the Battle of Long Island. George Washington stayed at the manor during his tour of Long Island in 1790. The land became Bay Shore when it was purchased from the Secatogue Indians in 1708 by school teacher, John Mowbray, for “several eel spears.”
Bay Shore’s name has changed several times over the years. Early European settlers referred to the area as Penataquit, and later as Awixa; both were names used by the Secatogue tribe. In the early 19th century, its name was changed to Sodom. In 1842 there was a further name change to Mechanicsville, then a return in 1849 to Penataquit. The name Penataquit proved unpopular because it was difficult to spell; hence the name was finally changed to Bay Shore in 1868.
Bay Shore became renowned in the late 19th century for its shopping district and resorts. It was especially popular among affluent New Yorkers looking to escape the City to the white sand beaches of the Great South Bay and the fishing villages of Fire Island. It was a major tourist location on weekends and during the summer, in large part because the newly built Long Island Railroad permitted easy access from New York City.
Bay Shore suffered a decline beginning in the late 1970s. Without a local government, residents were unable to make vital decisions that were instead left to the Town of Islip and Suffolk County. The population density and demographics shifted when re-zoning allowed businesses, rental properties and multi-family dwellings to exist where previously only single-family houses had been allowed. Many Main Street storefronts fell into disrepair or became vacant. The Cortland Hotel, along with other historic sites, was closed, the parks were dilapidated, and many residents moved away. Construction of the South Shore Mall (currently Westfield South Shore) two miles north of Main Street drove most of the small businesses on Main Street out of business.
Work to restore Bay Shore has been ongoing since the 1980s. The redevelopment of Main Street is also ongoing. Efforts include new sidewalks, antique-style streetlights, new landscaping and renovated parks, as a result of which, Main Street has regained much of its former popularity. There are many new restaurants, clothing boutiques and other stores and offices. The Bay Shore Beautification Society has transformed an empty lot on Main Street into a meditation garden that has been recognized for its excellent design.
South of Main Street (also known as Montauk Highway) is an area replete with mansions and other large homes, built from the 1880s through the 1920s. Though many architecturally impressive homes from that period remain, others have been demolished or converted to commercial properties. West of downtown, extending into neighboring Brightwaters, is the best-known section of older mansions and large houses. The Vitagraph Studios, one of the largest studios of the silent era, had a facility located on Fourth Avenue in Bay Shore and operated in 1916.
At the east end of Bay Shore are the W.H. Wray House, the Hulse House and the Gustavino Tile House, among others. There was also the now-razed J.P. Morgan Estate, a large white mansion owned by the Johnson & Johnson family. This peninsula was originally named Thurber’s Neck and subsequently renamed Penataquit Point.