Category: Law & Legislation

According to a well-worn truism, "You can't fight City Hall." In the old days, that was true—particularly when it came to public works projects. If the city wanted to do it, there was no one to say 'no,' except at the ballot box, when it w…

Charles Dickens once said, “It is a pleasant world we live in, sir, a very pleasant world. There are bad people in it, Mr. Richard, but if there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.” Ah Mr. Dickens speaks the truth. Lo…

Most New York residents—and certainly most New York attorneys are aware of the Warranty of Habitability. Few may know that its origins are statutory, and fewer still care that it contradicts common law, but most would be surprised by the t…

To reduce their potential liability from secondhand smoke-related issues, condominium and cooperative boards and landlords or rental buildings can attempt to adopt rules and bylaws or lease terms that clearly address smoking issues. (Altho…

Many aspects of the American work landscape have changed radically in the last two decades. As the service and information economies have overtaken manufacturing and other more traditional forms of labor, the old 9-to-5, office-bound workd…

 Some of the most intense combat occurring in modern times is not that which has  taken place on battlefields, such as at Normandy, Pork Chop Hill, or in the la  Drang Valley, or currently in the mountains of Afghanistan, but rather in the…

 It’s probably not something you think about every day—or that's especially pleasant to contemplate at any time—but the fact remains: without a thoughtfully constructed estate plan, there is a  significant risk of your assets ending up in …

 Lawsuits are usually not an association’s go-to method for dispute resolution. Expensive and time-consuming, they can  quickly turn into a financial burden and may create strained relations in the  community. Unfortunately, in some cases …

 While some condos and co-ops are lucky enough to have lawyers serve as members  of their board, the majority of boards don’t have an in-house legal expert. They often reach out to their attorney to  answer questions, vet documents and sen…

 The New York State legislative season is here again, and bills of all kinds are  being considered, including housing. Some of these bills directly impact co-op  and condo board members, managers and residents. Housing is also on the agend…