The good news is that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has finally issued a general wetlands permit for private property owners. The less good news, at least for property owners, is that the permit isn’t exactly general: it authorizes a very limited range of activities, and only in a limited portion of…
As more and more states legalize same-sex marriage, an increasing number of same-sex couples will marry and some of them will go on to experience the serious challenges that come with same-sex divorce. Divorce is tough for anyone, but same-sex couples do face a number of difficulties during divorce that heterosexual couples do not have…
Yesterday afternoon Governor Cuomo unveiled his Tax-Free NY initiative. This initiative designates University campuses and surrounding areas in New York State as tax-free communities in order to attract start-up businesses, venture capital, new businesses and investments and spur investment in New York State. The initiative designates all SUNY campuses outside of New York City and…
May a municipality use its zoning power to restrict businesses because of concern about the social impacts of the business? In a word, the New York State Court of Appeals says “no.” The Court struck down a Town of Hempstead zoning law that prohibited check cashing establishments in a business district, holding it violated the…
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal dated January 14, 2013, the United States Justice Department is considering joining a lawsuit reported to be initiated by former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis under the Federal False Claims Act. The Federal False Claims Act allows an individual who has knowledge of individuals, organizations or groups…
Attorney Alyse D. Terhune, continues to walk the walk on the environment by trading in her Toyota Prius for an even more environmentally friendly Chevy Volt. “I’ve always been a ‘car person’ but I’m also interested in protecting the environment in any way I can,” explained Alyse. “The Volt satisfied both sides of my personality:…
The committee reviews the applications, which include the artist’s portfolio, to determine whether they qualify for an apartment. According to Mr. Smith’s article, as of the end of October about a dozen applications have been approved. The Nashville community acknowledged the fact that the arts, especially Nashville’s music scene, greatly contributes to the economic vitality…
Here in the age of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, most of us have what has come to be called a “digital estate.” This is the collection of user names and passwords we use to access the websites of our banks, brokerage accounts, insurance agencies, vendors, news media, social media and countless other place we log…
As highlighted in Marcia Jacobowitz’ post on September 10, 2012, the short sale process will be expedited as of November 1, 2012. Unfortunately, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, enacted on December 20, 2007, is about to expire. This IRS program effectively forgives persons who have debt forgiven in a short sale or…
This is the seventh article in a series of articles about Buying and Selling a Home in New York State. Click here for the first installment in the series. Subscribe to this blog for future installments. Q: Can I lose my downpayment, if I do not get financing? A: Yes, it is possible to lose…
