Judge nixes O'Brien-linked eviction try

NEW YORK, May 24 (UPI) -- A New York Housing Court judge says an eviction case filed by a co-op board, of which CNN correspondent Soledad O'Brien was once a member, has been dismissed.

Manhattan Housing Court Judge Arlene Hahn ruled the board of a New York co-op failed to properly serve a family it was attempting to evict from the housing site as a result of the family's dog, The New York Post said Sunday.

The board of the building in New York's Chelsea neighborhood had alleged resident Steven Lyon owned a Neapolitan Mastiff whose odor and actions violated his family's co-op lease.

Attorney Michael Schwartz, who represents the family, applauded the judge's ruling on the matter Monday.

"The board is trying to evict a family, and it can't even serve the initial papers correctly," Schwartz said. "Maybe the board should be put on a leash."

The Post said O'Brien had been serving as the secretary of the co-op board when the eviction action began, but resigned amid a public backlash.

"After discussions with neighbors and others, (my husband) and I have become increasingly concerned about my personal safety," the CNN journalist said in a Feb. 16 e-mail.