It’s that time of year again. This author is not thinking about the chirping birds and blooming trees heralding the beginning of Spring. We are thinking about another sign of the season– the first time home purchaser. This post will address issues pertaining to the person buying a home, whether a…
Given that the 2015 tax filing deadline is imminent, taxes and the potential reduction of tax liability are on the minds of many of our clients. Some of our clients are fortunate enough to own collections of valuable personal property, such as artwork, cars and the like. Our estate attorneys are…
Our firm is often involved in landlord-tenant situations involving assignments of commercial leases. What this means is that one party to a commercial lease (usually the tenant) wishes to transfer their rights and responsibilities to a third party, either an individual or company who is not a party to the…
Occasionally, our clients inquire as to whether a real estate transaction could be considered a fraudulent conveyance. This situation can occur when an individual or entity transfers property due to a judgment or pending judgment, in an attempt to evade creditors. In New York, a judgment is a lien on real…
It is not unusual for some of our clients to be presented with the following scenario. An owner of a single family house or apartment falls behind on his mortgage and his lender commences a foreclosure proceeding while a sale is pending. In an apartment scenario, the cooperative board pursues a…
From time to time our firm is asked if a promise to make a Will leaving one’s inheritance to a particular person is enforceable. Such promises occur in the following situations. A relative spends a lot of time with another, perhaps even doing substantial favors for the person, who repeatedly says…
Our firm is often called on to assist homeowners whose properties may be in foreclosure. This can occur when a person falls behind in their mortgage payments to a bank or other lending institution. Because of the high volume of such foreclosures in New York State over the past several…
Are you planning to get engaged this Valentine’s Day? While legal concerns may not be particularly romantic, our firm offers the following legal advice pertaining to issues that arise upon marriage in this post. Legal issues arise whether it is a first or second marriage and may become more complicated if…
Some of our trust and estate clients have adult children who are disabled. The child may have been born with a disability, such as cerebral palsy, making the parents accustomed to allowing for the disability while knowing that such disability will never go away. In the alternative, the disability may…