Author Archives: abogny

A pandemic of COVIDs has raised the chances of an extreme response to curbing a global influenza pandemic in 2021. It appears the prolonged and rapid decline in real estate values may continue into the early 2020s as the continued … Continue reading →

If you are getting a new house is important that you know that real estate got slammed in the State Budget approved Monday morning, including an increase in the real property transfer tax statewide on residential transactions over $3 million … Continue reading →

Tenants are fighting new technology in Manhattan—where they don’t want to use the Latch phone app for building entry instead of keys (Sharpe v. 517-525 West 45 LLC)—and Brooklyn, where they are challenging a facial recognition access system. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal has introduced a … Continue reading →

CHIP, along with REBNY, RSA, and SPONY, this week launched a TV and print ad campaign to fight proposed changes to the rent laws that would reduce housing quality and tenant choice. We’ve also increased our direct lobbying efforts, as … Continue reading →

Now that Queens pols have killed Amazon’s development plans and 25,000 jobs, a Brooklyn pol is threatening 15,000 jobs at Industry City where developers want to rezone a manufacturing area for office, retail and hotel. Councilman Carlos Menchaca says the seven … Continue reading →

New York State could ill afford the loss of jobs and tax revenues from blowing the Amazon deal, and the damage from proposed changes to the rent laws will be even worse, CHIP Executive Director Jay Martin explained in a column Thursday … Continue reading →

While the State Legislature debates legislation barring source of income discrimination by building owners who don’t want to deal with Section 8, the Town of Eastchester has joined numerous other towns and counties in the metro New York area that won’t … Continue reading →

Amazon announced, Thursday, that it was withdrawing plans for HQ2 in Long Island City due to local political opposition. The preliminary New York City budget for 2020 anticipates a 6% increase in property taxes generally and more than a 10% increase in … Continue reading →

Mayor de Blasio announced Monday that, due to increased tenant legal services, evictions dropped to a record 18,000 in 2018. But, on the same day, Council Speaker/Public Advocate Corey Johnson announced an interactive map of where evictions occur showing 19,970 evictions in 2018. And, … Continue reading →

Mayor de Blasio this week proposed lowering the allowable lead in paint to .5 micrograms per square centimeter, half the current level and below levels at which testing equipment is currently certified for accuracy. The City Council is also looking at a … Continue reading →