The City Economic Development Corporation and two Queens local development corporations this week admitted illegally lobbying the City Council to win approval of the Willets Point redevelopment plan. In a settlement with the State Attorney General the local groups promised never to do it again and the EDC said it would restructure itself so future lobbying could be done legally. Hmmm, the idea is for the these corporations to promote development, but not to talk to politicians about it?
Lobbying does bring some successes. If you wondered about why we pay dues to NAHB, the Supreme Court’s approval of the Affordable Healthcare Act provided a useful reminder. Back in 2010, Congress wanted to require every employer of 50 or more people to provide health insurance — except for construction companies that employed just five or more. NAHB led the successful effort to amend the law so construction companies were treated the same as everyone else.
Anyone on a co-op board can be sued individually for alleged torts, as opposed to breaches of contract, according to an Appellate Division decision in Fletcher v. Dakota Inc.
The court did not rule on the alleged bias in a co-op board rejection of an apartment purchase, just the plaintiff’s ability to sue board members as individuals.
You might want to give your expeditors — I mean filing representatives — a heads up that the Department of Buildings is drafting new rules to create two classes of representatives: one that just delivers paper, and a second that can appear at plan examinations, along with a 36 hour training course and minimum education requirements. A proposed rule is expected this summer.