Features
Ripeness and Zoning: Why Efforts to Bypass Local Land-Use Decisions Die on the Vine in the Second Circuit
While the term ripeness may conjure up images of fruit or produce, in federal litigation it functions as a pragmatic barrier against premature judicial intervention. The plaintiffs in 61 E. Main St. Assoc., LLC v Vil. of Washingtonville felt the full force of this doctrine after their claims alleging unlawful, discriminatory delay in approving their project were dismissed as unripe for adjudication. The Southern District of New York reaffirmed the Second Circuit’s longstanding approach to zoning disputes: No Final Decision, No Federal Lawsuit.
Features
Court of Appeals Rules on 'Good Guy' Guarantees
The Court of Appeals reversed a line of lower court cases which had upended the expectations of innumerable contracting parties who bargained for limited “good guy” guaranties.
Features
The Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act After 'Laurelton'
In 2019, the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act/RPAPL §993 (the UPHPA) reshaped the rights of co-owners of inherited property in New York, replacing the traditional, sale-favoring partition system with a multi-layered process designed to limit the right to seek partition and to prioritize family ownership. The Second Department’s sweeping decision confirms that the partition landscape has drastically changed.
Constitutionality of Tax Sale Practices Questioned
When a village or other taxing authority conducts a tax lien sale, and the purchaser of the tax lien subsequently acquires a tax deed, what rights does the tax-delinquent former owner of the property enjoy?
Features
Adapting to the Fair Chance for Housing Act: A New Era for NYC Housing Providers
New York City enacted the Fair Chance for Housing Act on Jan. 1, 2025, a transformative law reshaping how criminal history influences housing decisions. Its goal is to address the disparate impact that review and consideration of criminal records may have on the ability of persons of color to obtain housing.
Features
Appellate Division First Department Declares Fee Mandate of Soho/Noho Rezoning Unconstitutional
This past December, the Appellate Division, First Department struck down a key provision of New York City’s recently amended Zoning Resolution.
Features
City of Yes: Housing Opportunity — A Little Bit Of Everything, Everywhere
New York City’s recently adopted City of Yes for Housing Opportunity (CHO) represents the most significant overhaul of residential zoning regulations in decades. The interplay between existing procedures and new provisions will likely generate significant interpretive questions and litigation as developers seek to take advantage of these opportunities.
Features
'Melendez/Bochner': No Guarantee the Guaranty Law Survives Constitutional Scrutiny
After nearly four years of litigation, the Second Circuit held recently that a small commercial landlord lacked standing to seek declaratory relief against the City of New York challenging the Guaranty Law under the Contracts Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Features
Individual Liability of Condominium Sponsor's Principals
When are the principals of a condominium sponsor individually liable for harms suffered by purchasers? In Board of Managers of 570 Broome Condominium, the First Department declined to dismiss a condominium board's fraud and breach of fiduciary claims against individual defendants.
Features
'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers
In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance ProgramsThe parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›
- The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year LaterThe DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.Read More ›
- ITC General Exclusion Orders Targeting All Importers Are On the RiseIn recent years, the ITC has issued more General Exclusion Orders (GEOs) than in the past. For importers of products potentially implicated by a requested GEO, the GEO can be a major threat even if the importer is not a respondent in the case.Read More ›
- A Lawyer's System for Active ReadingActive reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.Read More ›
