New York Real Estate Lawyers Blog

June 28, 2013

Money Does Not Necessarily Buy Happiness for Proposed Estate Beneficiaries

huguette clark.jpeg Our readers may be aware of an unusual estate litigation in New York City. Huguette Clark died in 2011 at the age of 104. Being the only surviving child of a copper mining magnate, she left a fortune of approximately three hundred million dollars. Ms. Clark was also highly eccentric. After being hospitalized for a purported legitimate medical condition in New York’s Beth Israel Medical Center, she spent her last decades housed in that hospital, despite having an apartment on Fifth Avenue and at least one mansion in which to reside.

Two Wills are being contested in the litigation, both of which were made within one month of each other when Ms. Clark was 98 years old, six years before her death. The first Will left her estate to distant relatives who were not named and with whom she did not have a personal relationship. The second Will disinherited the distant relatives, increased the bequest to her caregiver, left a bequest to a goddaughter and established a foundation. An art museum in Washington, DC is challenging a bequest of artwork, instead advocating for cash. The state and federal estate taxing authorities are involved in the litigation because additional estate taxes will be due should the case be determined in a particular way.

While due to the large sums of money involved, many people cannot relate to the problems that have arisen in this case, even smaller estates can be subject to some of the same issues. For instance, dying without surviving close relatives opens the door to distant relatives such as first cousins once removed having the authority to challenge a Will offered for probate. In addition, estrangement from close relatives who are not beneficiaries under the Will could result in a Will challenge. People without living relatives or who have estranged relationships are vulnerable to intrusion into their estate plan by caregivers and institutions in their final years. Would Beth Israel Medical Center have allowed Ms. Clark to remain for decades, even if she paid for her housing, if a large bequest had not been negotiated? While the caregiver was undoubtedly of great value to Ms. Clark, did the dependence engendered by the relationship encourage too large a bequest?

June 21, 2013

Real Estate Transactions and Specific Performance

By Weiss & Weiss

A recent article in the Journal News discusses the sale of the Yonkers Polish Community Center to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As the author has enjoyed many events at this Center, and will certainly miss attending events if the center is sold, this article discusses the possible legal remedies when one of the parties to a real estate contract will not complete the transaction.

In the situation discussed in the article, the buyer has given the seller a downpayment in the amount of $120,000.00. Although we are not familiar with the specific facts of this transaction, a downpayment is generally held in escrow by the seller’s attorney until the sale closes or the transaction is cancelled because the purchaser could not obtain a loan commitment, or for another contractual reason.

There may be certain situations in which a seller wishes to transfer title to a property, but encounters legal difficulties in doing so. For example, a Religious Corporation, such as a Church or Synagogue, may seek to sell certain property. This subject was addressed in a previous blog post. Such a transaction must be approved by the New York State Attorney General. In addition, our firm has encountered situations where certain congregants challenge the decision to purchase or sell certain Church or Synagogue property in New York Supreme Court.

June 14, 2013

Comparison of Litigating Cases in State Court and Federal Court

By Weiss & Weiss

The Law Offices of Weiss & Weiss are located within walking distance of both New York State Supreme Court (Westchester County) and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (White Plains). Our firm handles cases in all forums, including these two Courts. This blog post will discuss the differences between litigating cases in state court as opposed to federal court.

Generally, most civil cases handled by our firm are filed in New York State Supreme Court. Despite its name, New York State Supreme Court is the lowest level of trial court in the State, and is used generally for litigating cases where the amount in dispute is greater than $25,000.00. Each county in the State has its own Supreme Court, so, for the “downstate” portion of New York State, there are Supreme Courts in each of the five boroughs, named for the counties in which they are located (New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond), as well as Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Putnam). The Westchester Supreme Court is located at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard in downtown White Plains, a few blocks from Weiss & Weiss.

In order to “make a federal case out of it,” there are certain requirements that must be met to file a case in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The Southern District has Courthouses in downtown Manhattan, as well as downtown White Plains. All bankruptcy cases are filed and heard in Federal Court. Therefore, when a debtor files for bankruptcy, our firm is able to file a bankruptcy claim in the White Plains Federal Courthouse on behalf of any creditor that our firm represents.

June 7, 2013

Title is Vital

By Weiss & Weiss

title insurance.jpg Real estate transactions commonly involve the inclusion of title insurance policies. For the purposes of this blog post, we will be discussing title insurance obtained when a person purchases a house. Title insurance is a unique type of insurance, in that the events that are to be covered have already occurred. For instance, an automobile policy covers loss resulting from an accident that could happen after the policy is bound. On the other hand, title insurance covers acts that have already happened but not discovered prior to closing, such as a fraudulent deed in the chain of title.

Attorneys who practice real estate law rely upon title insurance companies and their examiners to identify problems with a particular property. Our firm maintains relationships with the major title insurance companies in our region and determines the most appropriate company to use for particular clients. Title companies also play an important role in reviewing closing documents such as Powers of Attorney to confirm that they are valid and in proper form to record. Ideally, title examiners do not miss documents recorded against a property, such as open mortgages that need to be satisfied as of closing. If the title examiner failed to locate a recorded mortgage or if the seller intentionally or inadvertently misled the parties as to the existence of a mortgage, the title insurance company is generally legally obligated to pay the claim for loss suffered by the purchaser (and its lender) because the mortgage lien was not paid and removed as of closing.

At the request of the purchaser’s attorney , title companies can provide enhanced coverage in certain situations. For instance, by paying a slightly higher premium at closing, the purchaser can obtain a “market value rider” to the policy. This rider provides that the policy coverage limit will inflate to the future market value of the property, regardless of the amount that the purchaser paid at the closing for the property. Generally, a property sold by a real estate broker to an unaffiliated purchaser reflects market value, making the purchase of the market value rider unnecessary to a purchaser looking for prudent means to reduce closing costs. However, if a property is acquired through foreclosure, an estate or through a seller who was not introduced by a real estate broker, the price paid at closing may be well below market value, making the purchase of the market value rider an intelligent move.

May 30, 2013

Renewal of Residential Leases in New York

By Weiss & Weiss

Our firm often fields inquiries from clients regarding residential lease situations. One common question relates to the right to renew an existing lease. This blog post will explain certain conditions which may apply to the renewal of a lease after it expires.

We are first assuming that there is a written lease between the landlord and the tenant for the premises in question. If a tenant takes possession of the premises without any written lease whatsoever (this situation arises more than one would expect), then the tenancy is considered a month-to-month tenancy. This means that either party may terminate the tenancy by giving one month’s notice to the other party. For this reason, a written lease will protect both party’s interest in the tenancy.

A written lease between the landlord and tenant will generally be for a specific period of time. Many leases run for multiple years, such as two, three, or even five year terms. Smaller premises or those for cooperative or condominium apartments may rent for only one year. The question we are asked is what rights the tenant may have to a renewal lease after the lease term expires.

May 17, 2013

Estate Planning is Still Required

By Weiss & Weiss

Our readers who follow politics know that members of Congress have battled in recent years with respect to revisions to the tax law. Specifically, estate, gift, and income taxes have been subject to adjustments. The purpose of this blog post is not to describe the specific changes made to these laws. The laws in this area are fluid and heavily influenced by politics, making them subject to change at almost any time. Because our readers cannot rely on consistency in the tax law, they must be mindful of their estate plans, beneficiary designations, and means by which title is held. The goal is so that intended recipients receive intended assets and that taxes are reduced as much as legally possible.

Further, while some of the tax laws have been revised at the Federal level, they have not been so adjusted in New York State. As such, estates valued at more than one million dollars are subject to New York State estate tax. In the New York metropolitan area, it is easy to accumulate one million dollars in assets, which could be deemed the value of real estate (net of the balance of a mortgage), life insurance policies that are considered to be revocable and other assets.

In any tax climate, estate planning will always be needed for the purpose of naming guardians for minor children, providing for beneficiaries with special needs such as those with physical or mental disabilities, identifying those persons desired to serve as executors and for establishing business succession plans. People with property in multiple states also require estate planning services, as different states may have their own estate tax, necessitating strategies to achieve tax reduction. In addition, same sex couples require estate planning, even if they reside in a state where they are considered legally married, to determine the allocation of assets in other states and to ensure that the spouse receives intended assets, rather than blood relatives.

May 10, 2013

Out-of-State Judgments and their Collection in New York State

By Weiss & Weiss

Our firm is often asked to enter judgments on behalf of creditors. A judgment can be obtained in several ways. If a lawsuit is brought, and the defendant does not respond, a default judgment may be obtained. A case may also go to trial, and, if successful, a judgment may result. In addition, other situation can arise where a client obtains a judgment in another state, other than New York. These are known as “foreign” judgments, even though they are still obtained within the United States.

Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution says that “[F]ull Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State.” This means that if a lawsuit is brought in another state, goes to trial, and a judgment is obtained, then every state in the U.S. must consider that judgment valid, and allow it to be entered in their own state. The main reason that one would want a foreign judgment entered in New York is because the debtor has assets within New York. Collecting such a judgment will be addressed in the second part of this blog post.

New York Civil Practice Law and Rules Article 54 regulates the entry of foreign judgments in New York State. It allows foreign judgments which were not obtained by default or confession of judgment to be entered in New York. In order to enter such a judgment, the original judgment must be authenticated. This generally means that an official, such as a Judge, in the state where the original judgment was entered, must provide an affidavit that the judgment is currently valid. The original judgment must usually contain a raised seal from the originating state. In addition, the judgment creditor must provide an affidavit stating that the judgment was not entered by default, that it has not been paid, and provide the name and last known address of the judgment debtor. Our firm has extensive experience in preparing such affidavits and entering foreign judgments in New York State.

May 3, 2013

Bundled Services For Real Estate Purchases- Do They Benefit Purchasers?

By Weiss & Weiss

Bundled services have commonly been offered to purchasers of real estate in New York. For example, a real estate broker, wishing to enhance an affiliated title insurance company, has a program that encourages attorneys to refer their title business to the title company. A title agent provides tax reduction services as a benefit to its title customers. Mortgage providers may have an affiliation with a real estate broker. Purchasers may consider bundled services to be convenient and beneficial. They may be unfamiliar with the community in which they are purchasing or new to the process, giving them the tendency to trust recommendations of professionals that they have already selected. However, in some cases, bundled services predominantly benefit those entities to which the referral is made and do not necessarily result in better or less expensive service for the customer.

Title insurance companies are highly competitive entities that have fewer transactions to close since the “Great Recession”. In an effort to stand out among their competitors, it is not unusual for a title company to have an affiliated mortgage loan provider or title insurance company. They argue that closing issues can be resolved more readily since the servicers are constantly working with one another. Real estate brokers want to make sure that their purchaser can obtain financing, so referring to their affiliated entity is perceived by some as making the issuance of a loan commitment more likely. In some cases, they attempt to bring attorneys, who they select to be on an “approved list”, into the arrangement. Purchasers should be aware that in order to be on the “approved list”, an attorney may be requested to refer its title business to a particular entity on substantially all of his or her transactions, even those that did not result from the real estate broker with the affiliated title business.

Some title insurance companies that have lost transactions from attorneys on approved lists with other title companies are crying foul to this arrangement. They argue that the deck is stacked against them, in that the title company is in effect selected before the contract is even signed. While the real interest in the complaints may be to stifle the competition, there are legitimate reasons for some of the objections. New York’s Insurance Law provides that those who accept or receive a quid pro quo are subject to financial penalty. Title companies have been forbidden from providing goods of value as an inducement for future business. Expensive gifts and tickets to sporting events are of concern. Financial inducements (kickbacks) are prohibited. Invitations to continuing education events and office supplies are not considered an inducement for business. It is not unusual to refer business in any field to a golfing buddy, but if the service is deficient or too expensive, it only benefits the person who wants to keep playing golf, rather than the purchaser.

April 26, 2013

Latest Developments Relating to Fair Housing in Westchester County, New York

By Weiss & Weiss

A recent article in the New York Times discusses new legal developments relating to the Westchester County, New York fair housing settlement. For those who are unfamiliar with the situation, a lawsuit was brought in 2009 by a public interest group against Westchester County, alleging housing discrimination. In order to settle the lawsuit in 2009, then-County executive Andrew Spano agreed to build at least 750 units of “affordable housing” in Westchester by a Court-approved settlement agreement.

Recent developments in this case involve the federal government threatening to have the County held in contempt of Court for failing to comply with the settlement agreement. In addition, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has stated that it will revoke $7.4 million in money awarded to Westchester County if the county does not comply with the terms of the settlement.

More specifically, the settlement agreement required that the county create 750 houses and apartments for moderate-income people in particular Westchester neighborhoods. The County has claimed it is actually ahead of schedule to accomplish this goal. The current County Executive states that the County already has financing for 305 units of affordable housing in place. However, HUD and the housing advocates who brought the original lawsuit claim that the County is not only obligated to build affordable housing, but also to take affirmative steps to prevent housing discrimination within Westchester under the terms of the settlement agreement.

April 18, 2013

Weiss & Weiss Has Relocated to White Plains, New York

By Weiss & Weiss

We are pleased to announce that as of April 15, 2013, the law firm of Weiss & Weiss has moved to 1 Barker Avenue, Second Floor,White Plains, New York 10601. Our new telephone number is (914) 328-6100 . Our new location enhances our ability to provide high quality professional services to our clients. We are located within walking distance of the White Plains Metro North train station and bus transit center, the Westchester County Courthouse and the Federal Courthouse for the Southern District of New York. Street parking is available by parking meter along the perimeter of our office building. In addition, a parking garage for the use of our visitors is located adjacent to our office building. Our expanded facilities include three conference rooms, a comfortable reception area and modern office equipment. We look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our clients and to welcoming visitors to our new location.