NY Covid-19 Eviction Procedures As the New York court system expands operations in coordination with Governor Cuomo’s reopening of various geographic regions, there is concern about the adverse public health consequences that may arise from a sudden high-volume influx of eviction court appearances. Also, there are various restrictions on filing and prosecution of eviction matters…
Victoria’s Secret Reveals Why it Can Barely Pay its Rent Victoria’s Secret is suing the landlord of its Midtown Manhattan, New York store for attempting to collect over $1.08 million in rent after the COVID-19 shutdown, claiming that: the lease is unenforceable due to the government-mandated closing of its store; the total standstill of business,…
Pro Bono Representation Available For Peaceful Protesters Senator, Veteran Prosecutor and Seasoned Pro Bono Attorneys Offer Free Defense for Peaceful Protesters in Western NY The criminal defense attorneys at Friedman & Ranzenhofer, PC are offering free criminal representation of peaceful protesters who are exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech. Attorneys Mike Ranzenhofer, Robert…
NY Protesters’ Rights During Covid-19 New Yorkers have the constitutional right to engage in peaceful protest activity on public sidewalks and streets, and in public parks. This includes the right to: Distribute flyers or leaflets; Hold press conferences, demonstrations, and rallies; and March on public sidewalks and in public streets. Know your rights before heading…
Nursing Home COVID-19 Data and Inspections Results The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have posted the first set of underlying coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) nursing home data. On April 19, 2020, CMS announced the requirement that nursing homes inform residents, their families, and their representatives of COVID-19 cases in their facilities. Nursing homes…
Upstate NY Courts Begin Gradual Return To In-Person Operations As New York steadily recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, courts in three upstate judicial districts will enter their second phase of a gradual return to in-person operations. Courts in the Fifth Judicial District (Syracuse and surrounding counties), Sixth Judicial District (Binghamton and surrounding counties) and Seventh…
NY Landlords Arrested For Unlawful Evictions New York landlords, frustrated with Covid-19 eviction moratoriums, are taking the law into their own hands with unlawful lock-outs, utility shut-offs and other harassment of nonpaying tenants. New York’s Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 created new protections for tenants, including RPAPL § 768 which makes it…
NY Child Victims Act Not a Violation of Due Process 44 lawsuits against the Diocese of Rockville Center in Long Island will move forward as Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Stephen Jaeger recently ruled that the Child Victims Act did not violate the Diocese’s due process rights. The Diocese filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuits…
NY Landlords Sue To Annul Eviction Moratorium New York landlords have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against New York Governor Cuomo to nullify his executive order (“EO”) limiting evictions during the COVID-19 crisis. The EO imposes an additional moratorium on nonpayment evictions of residential or commercial…
Nursing Homes Severely Understaffed During Covid-19 During a crisis, sufficient staffing is critical to a nursing home’s ability to care for their residents. In the months leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic, most facilities failed to maintain sufficient staffing to meet every resident’s needs. The latest data on staffing for every U.S. nursing home can help…