New York Real Estate Lawyers Blog

November 19, 2015

What’s in a Name? Name Change Petitions in New York State

Our firm often receives inquiries from individuals who desire to legally change their name. People may desire to change their name for many reasons. Some want to avoid a name which may be linked to celebrities or individuals with unsavory or even criminal histories. Others may need their name legally changed so that it matches other legal documentation that they may have, such as a passport. Whatever the reason, this post will discuss the legal requirements required for name changes in New York State.

The first step in legally changing one’s name is to file a Petition in the Supreme Court in the county in which the individual currently resides. There are legal requirements regarding the contents of the Petition, including whether the individual has ever been convicted of a crime, judgments against the individual, pending litigation involving the individual, and information regarding child support and spousal support obligations. The reason that this information is required is that a person may attempt to evade legal obligations, such as judgments or child support, by changing their name. In order to prevent this, a name change Petition will not be accepted unless all information regarding such outstanding legal obligations is provided.

The Petition also has to provide the reason for the name change application. As discussed above, there are many valid reasons for such application. Once the Petition is complete, it is filed with the appropriate Court. The Court will also require a certified copy of the applicant’s birth certificate, showing the original name.

November 12, 2015

The Online Conduct of Cooperative and Condominium Disputes

By Weiss & Weiss

With the prevalent use of the internet, grievances against cooperative and condominium boards can spread like wildfire. The means used may be standard e-mail forwarded to all unit owners, a specifically developed Facebook or Google chat page, a publically accessible website, or another type of private intranet system. The New York Times recently published an article concerning the airing of disagreements online with an audience of all unit owners and the implications. In the past, if a neighbor had a complaint, she would approach one of the board members individually and directly, so that all unit owners would not be aware of the grievance. As an alternative, it is almost expected that a unit owner will raise concerns loudly and perhaps not so politely during the annual meeting. Such concerns will be addressed in front of all unit owners present.

Now it is not uncommon for unit owners to have a day-to-day online community, allowing for constant communication of all matters. Online discussions may concern such matters as whether a neighbor is willing to watch a pet while someone is away, whether someone wants to buy unneeded furniture or more serious matters concerning how the building is being run. The board may be publically attacked for building conditions or for the manner in which a financial transaction was handled. Modern online communities make it almost too easy for unhappy unit owners to gather strength. Some proponents argue that such an online community encourages transparency of the board. The board is continually required to state and justify their actions. Even though the board is legally required to be responsive to all unit owners and must follow the business judgment rule , the current expectation that every action of the board should be known and debated among all unit owners is likely to diminish the authority of a current board.

With the potential reduced authority of a board, the takeover of a board is a potential concern. Opponents of such online communities argue that such communities are developed merely for the purpose of such a takeover. Using the online method as an easily disseminated platform, it is easier than ever for dissident groups to develop allies and arrange for other unit owners to elect them to the board. Once opinions are readily shared, the slate of dissident candidates likewise develops more easily than in the past.

November 5, 2015

Arbitration as an Option to Resolve Legal Disputes in New York

By Weiss & Weiss

A recent series of articles in the New York Times discusses the growing prevalence of arbitration in resolving legal disputes. This blog has previously discussed arbitration proceedings in the context of New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez (hereinafter “A-Rod”), discussing his attempt to reverse an arbitration ruling which upheld his long suspension. As baseball fans are aware, A-Rod was unsuccessful in having his suspension overturned, and ended up sitting out the entire 2014 season, and returned for the 2015 season, leading the Yankees in home runs.

A-Rod aside, the issue to be discussed is whether arbitration may be a better vehicle for dispute resolution than the traditional court system. In arbitration, parties agree to submit a dispute to a neutral, third party arbitrator, rather than to the court system. The first issue is the arbitrator to be utilized. Many contracts will state that the dispute should be submitted to a local branch of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). The AAA will generally supply a list of arbitrators with expertise in the area of the dispute, and the parties are allowed to rule out any arbitrators who may have a conflict of interest.

Other agreements may allow the dispute to be submitted to a religious tribunal, such as a Beth Din. This usually occurs when the disputing parties are members of the same religious group and prefer than their dispute be heard by members of their group, rather than in the Court system. Of course, if one of the disputants is not a member of the group, they may feel that they are at a disadvantage when the dispute is heard. Another aspect is that a religious arbitrator may apply religious doctrine and scripture, rather than civil law, in making their decision.

October 29, 2015

Evictions and “Stuff” Left Behind by Tenants in New York

By Weiss & Weiss

Prior blog posts have discussed the possibility of terminating a lease prior to its legal end date. However, in a residential setting, such a situation is not always cut and dried. If there is no formal document, executed by both parties, terminating the lease, then the lease between the parties may still control the situation. This blog post will examine the different possibilities, and advise both landlords and tenants regarding the disposition of property left behind by a tenant.

Our first example would be when a tenant simply leaves the premises, but does not advise the landlord in writing that he is moving out. In such situations, the tenant may also leave behind personal property at the rented premises. The first question is whether the tenant has legally abandoned the property. If the tenant does not return the keys to the landlord (or their attorney) and state in writing that they are surrendering possession, then they are still considered a legal tenant and the original lease will still control the landlord-tenant relationship.

Even if it appears to the landlord that the tenant has moved out, in the absence of a formal surrender, the landlord will still have to legally evict the tenant. This means service of a Notice of Petition and Petition of Eviction, obtaining a warrant of eviction in Court, and then having the City Marshal or Sheriff serve and execute the warrant. This will give the landlord legal possession and allow the landlord to dispose of the personal property left behind by the tenant. If the landlord decides not to follow this legal procedure, the tenant could return, and claim that they did not formally surrender possession. The landlord in such a case could be liable for an illegal eviction, as well as the cost of replacing the disposed-of property.

October 22, 2015

Dying Alone- The Legal Issues Raised

By Weiss & Weiss

The New York Times recently published an article concerning the scenario that many New Yorkers fear. Having lost personal and professional connections to relatives and friends, some people unfortunately die alone. Since these people are not missed, days or weeks could go by before odors emanate from their home and uncollected mail piles up, resulting in a neighbor’s notification to the police about a suspected death. The police discover a corpse, which starts the legal matters to be addressed in this post.

These lonely people may very likely have mental issues such as compulsive hoarding. Perhaps the embarrassment of the condition of their home led these people to stop inviting people over, leading to additional isolation. The items will need to be removed in order to surrender an apartment to a landlord or to sell the home. Care is to be taken with respect to valuable items, being mindful of the need to deliver such items to the proper beneficiary, if such person is located.

It remains to be determined whether the deceased person had a Will, which may have been left in the personal possessions in the home. If there was a Will, the proposed fiduciaries need to be located so that a Probate Proceeding may be commenced in Surrogate’s Court. However, if a Will cannot be located, an estate Administration proceeding is to be conducted. We have indicated in a prior post tasks to be conducted by an estate administrator. Our readers may also wish to consult one of our prior posts concerning the mechanics of an Administration proceeding.

October 15, 2015

Insurance Disputes in New York Concerning Damages to Real Estate

By Weiss & Weiss

As many of us know, insurance carriers are most profitable when they collect premiums and resist paying claims. Some of our clients consult us when they have a legitimate insurance claim that is not being paid, so that we can interpret their insurance policy and pursue the insurance company to properly manage the claim. There may be a casualty event in a cooperative or condominium building where it is not clear whether the building’s or individual owner’s insurance carrier is responsible for the claim. This post will address the legal issues that arise with respect to insurance claims pertaining to real estate.

Our attorneys recommend to individuals purchasing apartment units that they procure their own insurance policies, whether or not the building requires same. Otherwise, damages within the walls of the apartment unit need to be paid out-of-pocket by the unit owner. When a unit owner has her own insurance, such policy will cover damage within the unit, such as water damage to interior finishes and painting and wallpaper that are not covered by the building’s insurance. Further, our firm recommends that contractors engaging in apartment renovations to common areas of the building or to individual units demonstrate adequate insurance coverage for damages that may occur during the renovation.

The following is a typical scenario involving the cooperative and condominium boards or individual unit owners that we represent. A casualty event such as a severe ice and snow storm causes ice dams to appear in the gutters of the building. Such ice dams eventually melt, causing mold within the walls between apartment units and water leaks within specific units. How do the applicable insurance policies manage the resulting insurance claims? The entire building will most likely have insurance coverage. However, most buildings in their proprietary leases or bylaws provide that building insurance only covers common areas and damages within the walls of the building between units. As a general guideline, if the repair necessitates the removal of the wall in order to make the repair, then it is the responsibility of the building, rather than the unit owner. Therefore, the building’s insurance should pay the claim.

October 8, 2015

Settlement of Partition Actions in New York State

By Weiss & Weiss

Prior posts on this blog have discussed the general aspects of property partition actions. A partition action arises when there are two or more owners of real property, and the co-owners cannot agree on the disposition of the property. The property may be residential or commercial in nature. This blog post will discuss possible out-of-court resolutions to a partition action.

A partition action may be brought by any of the co-owners to force a sale of the property, with the proceeds being divided among the owners according to their percentage of ownership. However, it is a fact that most lawsuits are settled prior to trial or another resolution by a Court. In a partition action, there are several alternatives to explore when deciding to resolve a case without the need for further Court intervention.

The first alternative would be for the parties to agree to sell the property to a third party who is not one of the current co-owners. In such a situation, the co-owners should agree on sale terms, and, in most situations, hire a professional real estate broker to list and show the property in question. The parties would also agree to share the costs of the broker, which is usually a set percentage of the sales price. It is advisable at this stage that a formal written agreement, usually called a “Stipulation of Settlement,” be entered into between the parties. Such an agreement should contain an initial listing price for the property. It should also state that any offer at or above the listing price will be accepted by all of the owners. In the event that the property cannot be sold at or above the listing price, the agreement should also delineate a set period of time in which the parties will attempt to sell the property at the initial listing price, such as three months. After this time period expires, the agreement should state that the listing price will be reduced by a set percentage, such as five percent. This will allow the property to be sold at a price acceptable to all parties, and will prevent any co-owner from refusing to sell the property. Our firm has handled many partition actions and has a standard Stipulation of Settlement that contains the necessary clauses for an effective resolution.

October 2, 2015

The Changes Are Here- New Mortgage Disclosure Rules Effective Date Has Finally Arrived

By Weiss & Weiss

As stated in a prior post , we promised to keep you advised of the progress of intended updates to the mortgage disclosure regulations. Due to comments from the loan industry, the effective date of the regulations was pushed back from August 1 to October 3, 2015. The delay in the implementation allowed for certain revisions to the intended regulations and allowed for the loan industry to engage in the task of preparing to close loans consistently with the new regulations.

If you are applying for a residential mortgage after October 3, 2015, these revisions will apply to your loan. Within three business days after your loan application is submitted, a Loan Estimate is to be provided to the borrower. This document will provide the loan amount, interest rate, monthly payment, estimated taxes and insurance and anticipated cash required to close.

The major concept behind the new regulations is that additional charges to the borrower of any type are not to be disclosed for the first time at the closing. Collection and sharing of accurate data concerning charges among those professional partners involved in the closing is crucial. Also, attorneys in New York will need to get accustomed to preparing the final financial details of closings much more in advance than is currently typical. Those attorneys who do not conduct many real estate closings may not be abreast of these developments and may not be prepared to act.

September 25, 2015

Legal Issues Pertaining to Inspirational and Divisive Religious Leaders

By Weiss & Weiss

Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States has managed to inspire numerous people. Yesterday’s speech before Congress mesmerized all of those in attendance, regardless of their religious or political affiliation. The Pope’s message has been unifying to all witnesses, which is why many people have been so excited by his visit, even though many of us are not Catholic and may not agree with his specific positions.

What happens when a religious leader is divisive instead? This post will examine the legal ramifications when the leader of a religious institution is the source of conflict among congregants. It is not unusual for clients to consult us concerning disputes within their religious institutions.

In the event that the congregants choose to continue to worship together under the leadership of another clerical leader, steps may need to be taken to legally terminate the relationship with the spiritual leader. As we discussed in a prior post , the spiritual leader may be classified as an independent contractor or employee, depending upon the circumstances. An independent contractor may be dismissed more readily.

September 17, 2015

Eye of the Tiger: The Rights of a Copyright Holder

By Weiss & Weiss

The political season is well under way. Given that our country’s next presidential election is about 14 months away, we see more and more politicians gearing up for a run for our nation’s highest office. Another well-worn aspect of such political events is the use of a popular song by the politician during a rally.

Going hand-in-hand with such use of a song is the usual objection by the songwriter when the politician using the song has political views objectionable to the writer. Some recent examples are Donald Trump’s use of R.E.M.’s song “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” and Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis‘ use of the song “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor when rallying against the issuance of marriage certificates to same sex couples.

In each case, the musician has objected to the use of their song during these political rallies. This blog post will explain the legal underpinnings of such objections. Who has the legal right to prevent a song from being used, and under what circumstances? The answer lies in the U.S. copyright law.