On its face, General Obligations Law § 7-105, in providing that upon conveying or assigning leased property, the owner or lessee shall "[t]urn over to [the] grantee or assignee" the tenants' security deposits, protects successors in interest to those owners or lessees who have received such deposits but fail to turn them over. Thus, plaintiffs, as the net lessee/landlord's successors, are protected by the statute. Furthermore, examination of the statute's legislative history reveals that, as successor landlords, plaintiffs are part of the class of individuals the statute was designed to protect. The Bill Jacket (L 1960, ch 513) addressing Real Property Law[*5]§ 233, a precursor to General Obligations Law § 7-105, contains a supporting letter from the Commissioner of the Temporary State Housing Rent Commission stating that "[t]his bill extends the provisions of law applicable to deposits for use or rental of real property to deposits under a license agreement for the use or rental of real property as security for the performance of the agreement." Such security is afforded to the landlord, the entity holding the deposit.