New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman speaking at New York Law School. Image credit: CityLaw
Attorney General Schneiderman announces large contribution for Land Banks statewide, nearly doubling total grants. On March 24, 2017, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced $20.9 million in new grants to acquire abandoned properties and rehabilitate them for productive use. The grants were awarded under the Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative to 19 land banks across the State. The $20.9 million brings the total Schneiderman has invested in land banks to $57 million since 2013. (read more…)
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman speaking at New York Law School, March 18, 2014. Image credit: CityLaw
A contractor and a developer are to pay $255,000 for violating the New York False Claims Act and not paying workers a prevailing wage. On February 9, 2017, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced a settlement agreement with a New York City-based general contractor and a developer for failing to pay a prevailing wage to workers at their public works project. (read more…)
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman speaking at New York Law School, March 18, 2014. Image credit: CityLaw
A rehabilitation provider and three-quarter house operators were indicted for three-year Medicaid fraud scheme in Brooklyn, and their other properties frozen. On January 13, 2017, New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the indictment and arraignment of attorney Anthony Cornachio, as well as the NRI Group, LLC and Canarsie A.W.A.R.E., Inc., both Medicaid-enrolled drug treatment programs companies controlled by Cornachio. Also indicted were three-quarter housing operators Yury Baumblit and Rimma Baumblit, of Brooklyn and their company Back on Track Group, Inc. (read more…)
Image Credit: Council Member Dan Garodnick
City Council Members seek to strengthen tenant protections from predatory equity landlords. On October 31, 2016, City Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings held a five-hour public hearing on a complement of five bills, two of which related to predatory equity.
Since the mid-2000s and largely due to the housing bubble, predatory equity has become a metastasis on the New York City housing market. The predatory equity get-rich-scheme works as thus: private investment money is used to purchase a portfolio of affordable housing with the goal of immediate and substantial returns by replacing rent stabilized tenants with market value renters. The expulsion of the rent stabilized tenants is done through means both legal, by abusing technical loopholes in State law, and illegal, by dangerous living conditions and intimidation. The proposed legislation also sought to mandate HPD to create a list of favored contractors to address prevailing wage violations. (read more…)
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman speaking at New York Law School, March 18, 2014. Image credit: CityLaw
The new Real Estate Enforcement Unit will be in charge of investigating tenant harassment and related complaints. On July 7, 2016, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced his new plan to create a new legal enforcement team to combat tenant harassment and related housing issues affecting New York residents. These new initiatives come in the wake of several crackdowns on housing related incidents.
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