How is this for a defense?
A woman living in the East Village in New York City has escaped eviction from her rent-stabilized apartment after arguing that she eats a lot of sushi hence her low electric bill, The New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
In a case that took six years, Masako Mogi defeated her landlord's claims that she did not use her $992-a-month New York studio as a primary residence, but rather spent most of her time in Westminster, Vt.
The law states that rent-stabilized tenants spending less than 50 percent of their time in the residence could be evicted, according to the Daily News.
The building owner's main argument rested on bills showing lower-than-average electricity usage, according to the Daily News.
But Mogi claimed she often eats out or makes sushi.
Judge Jean Schneider had previously ruled that Mogi spent only 45 percent of her time in her East Village apartment between 2004 and 2006, but the appellate judges found that the case had placed too much emphasis on credit card and bank statements.
Well, ultimately Mogi was helped by her neighbors who said they saw her "constantly" in the building.
"She's overcome," a neighbor told the Daily News. "She's had four landlords during her case. They put her through a lot."
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