Appeal from a judgment of the City Court of Yonkers, Westchester County (Robert C. Cerrato, J.), entered February 23, 2007. The judgment, after a nonjury trial, awarded plaintiff the sum of $1,732.75 and dismissed defendant's counterclaim.

Judgment affirmed without costs.

Plaintiff commenced the instant small claims action to recover a security deposit and rent paid to defendant. An answer was interposed wherein defendant denied liability and counterclaimed for damage to the apartment allegedly caused by plaintiff.

We find that the trial court properly rendered its judgment providing the parties with substantial justice according to the rules and principles of substantive law (UCCA 1804, 1807; see Ross v Friedman, 269 AD2d 584 [2000]; Williams v Roper, 269 AD2d 125, 126 [2000]). The decision of the fact-finding court should not be disturbed upon appeal unless it is obvious that the court's conclusions could not be reached under any fair interpretation of the evidence (see Claridge Gardens v Menotti, 160 AD2d 544 [1990]). This standard applies with greater force to judgments rendered in the Small Claims Part of the court (see Williams v Roper, 269 AD2d at 126). Furthermore, the determination of the trier of fact as to issues of credibility is given substantial deference as the court has the opportunity to observe and evaluate the testimony and demeanor of the witnesses, thereby affording the trial court a better perspective from which to evaluate the credibility of the witnesses (see Vizzari v State of New York, 184 AD2d 564 [1992]; Kincade v Kincade, 178 AD2d 510, 511 [1991]). Accordingly, the judgment is affirmed.

Rudolph, P.J., Molia and Scheinkman, JJ., concur.
Decision Date: March 27, 2008