I was a landlord for many years and always told new tenants:
"If you don't pay, you can't stay. Miss rent payments and I will evict you immediately. No mercy. This is a business not social services. Understood?"
You can't evict someone for no cause, especially in NYC, which is probably the most landlord unfriendly city in America. You also can't evict someone until you've gone through the legal process. For this woman to act surprised is BS. She had to be served several times during the process, and either appear personally in court or be represented by an attorney at least once.
By not paying rent she is stealing. No different than if she was shoplifting in a store. If she robbed a liquor store or a bank would you feel sorry for her?
