Author Archives: Friedman & Ranzenhofer

Should I Do A Prenuptial Agreement In New York? What Should Be Included?

If you are getting married, you may have considered a prenuptial agreement. You may be hesitant to bring up the issue, fearing your partner may become angry or believe that you are planning a divorce before the marriage even occurs. However, prenuptials are simply good financial planning. About one-third of first marriages end in divorce. […]

Is It Housing Discrimination For My New York Landlord To Refuse To Let Me Move Into One Of His Larger Apartments To Accommodate My Disabilities?

Yes, it may be discriminatory for your New York landlord to refuse to allow you to move into a larger apartment to accommodate your disability. In a recent case, a disabled tenant made several requests to the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) over a four-year period to be transferred to a four-bedroom unit that […]

What Are The Rules About Non-Compete Agreements In New York? Should I Ask An Employee To Sign One?

If you have an employee in a competitive position, you may have considered asking the employee to sign a non-compete. A non-compete agreement is a contract in which the employee agrees not to work in a particular industry, or start a business in a particular industry, for an established period of time. They are usually […]

What Is RESPA?

RESPA stands for the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. It is a federal law passed in 1974 to deal with abusive practices in the real estate settlement services industry. Prior to the passage of RESPA, many parties, including lenders, mortgage brokers, attorneys and appraisers, were making payments to outside parties through fees for customer referrals, […]

Why Might My Conditional License Be Revoked In The Rochester Area?

You will lose your conditional license if convicted of any moving violation or of driving at any time or in any place that the conditional license restricts. In these cases, you may continue to attend the Drinking Driver Program (DDP) but are prohibited from driving. Upon completion of the program (without further incident), your full […]

What Is A Buy-Sell Agreement?

A buy-sell agreement is a binding contract between co-owners that controls when owners can sell their interest, who can buy an owner’s interest, and what price will be paid for that interest. There are many situations these agreements can be used in, including when an owner retires, becomes disabled, dies, retires or divorced. In some […]

Can My Landlord Cancel My Lease Because I Told Him I’m Having Financial Problems?

That will depend on how definite and unequivocal your expression of financial difficulties was. In a recent New York case, before the term of the 15 year commercial lease was to begin, the New York tenant advised the landlordthat it was experiencing financial difficulties. By an email message, the tenant offered the landlord certain “options” […]

Is It Housing Discrimination For A New York Landlord To Limit Tenants To Two Per Bedroom?

A New York landlord can only restrict two tenants per bedroomin some situations.In a recent case, a husband and wife filed a complaint with HUD that the management company refused to renew their lease after concluding that the family of five was too large for the 1,464 square foot, two-bedroom apartment that they had occupied […]

When Can I Keep A New York Tenant’s Security Deposit?

If you are a landlord, you may have asked your tenant to provide a security deposit, to cover any losses you may incur for unpaid rent or damages. In New York, there are specific state laws about security deposits. There may be local laws as well. In addition, there are different rules for deposits on […]

What Is An Annulment and How Can I Get One In New York? I Don’t Want To Get A Divorce.

Some people like the idea of getting an annulment instead of a divorce, when a marriage comes to an end. Many people believe that annulments are faster and cheaper than a divorce. A person may have a religious objection to divorce and wish to seek an annulment instead. In New York, there are two different […]