State Supreme Court Judge Eileen Rakower this week rejected a tenant case to bar the sale of housing court records for tenant screening. The tenant argued that the courts were allowing tenants to be blacklisted whether they were at fault in litigation or not, but the court system argued that selling the data was simply an efficient way to comply with public information requirements and that the data was available in other forms anyway.
Congress yesterday approved increasing FHA loan guarantee limits back to a maximum $725,750, although lower loan limits remain for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. NAHB was a leader in the battle to raise the limits to sustain the fragile housing market.
Bruce Ratner detailed plans for a 32 floor prefab steel residential tower at Atlantic Yards, claiming his architectural and engineering teams could overcome issues with cross bracing components. Sixty percent of the construction would be done in a factory where union wages are less than half the union wage for on site construction workers.
Last week Public Advocate and mayoral contender Bill de Blasio suggested solving the problem of delays and computer glitches processing Section 8 renewals at NYCHA by suspending the issuance of termination notices. He didn’t explain what property owners were supposed to do if rents were not paid and terminations were not issued. Nor did he deal with the issue of what happens if tenant contracts are terminated late and the building owner is stuck for the rent in the meantime.
Finally, one more reminder to get your reservations and journal ads in for our December 1st Gala. And Happy Thanksgiving.