Michael E. Lefkowitz

On November 21, 2024, the City Council and Mayor Adams announced a deal to pass the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning amendments with modifications from the council. Click here to see our previous update about this proposal.  This update will focus on the areas modified by the City Council. The modified plan will…

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Earlier this week, the New York City Council passed the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses Act (FARE Act), which prohibits residential landlords’ real estate brokers from collecting their fees from incoming tenants. Brokers will be prohibited from passing fees onto tenants where the broker is exclusively representing the landlord’s interests. Such prohibition also includes the publishing of…

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We are excited to invite you to an insightful and timely webinar on Rent Stabilization Due Diligence. As rent stabilization laws and other regulatory regimes continue to evolve, understanding the nuances of due diligence in this area is crucial for real estate investors, lenders, operators and legal professionals. Join us for a not-to-be-missed presentation by…

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In this episode of Inside R&E, Justin S. Weitzman, Counsel with the firm’s Litigation Department, invites Bill Weidner, Managing Member at KeepMyGas, to share valuable insights, statistics and more regarding the 1st 4-year cycle of LL152 and what law firms, building owners and property managers can expect in cycle 2 from 2024 to 2027.  During…

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We have critical information to share on the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) filing criteria and upcoming deadlines that you will want to know about for your business. Join us for a not to be missed presentation by R&E Member William R. Byers and learn everything you need to know about CTA. Please register below for our…

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We have critical information to share on the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) filing criteria and upcoming deadlines that you will want to know about for your business. Join us for a not to be missed presentation by R&E Member William R. Byers and learn everything you need to know about CTA. Please register below for our…

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On Wednesday, September 25, the City Planning Commission adopted a sweeping set of zoning text amendments aimed at addressing the city’s housing crisis. Dubbed “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” this proposal could significantly impact development potential across all five boroughs. The proposal now heads to the City Council for final approval, where it faces…

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Good Cause Eviction (GCE) Notice Dear Clients: As we advised in our April 22, 2024 Summary of the 2024 Housing Laws on April 20, 2024, the Good Cause Eviction Law (“GCE”) was enacted. Pursuant to the new Real Property Law (“RPL”) §231-c, landlords are required to append or incorporate a “Good Cause Eviction Law Notice”…

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On June 6, 2024, the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity (COYEO) zoning text amendments were approved and became effective. Among the many changes COYEO made to the Zoning Resolution was the complete reorganization of the zoning Use Groups. While this was a long overdue modernization, bringing the Zoning Resolution’s categories in line with the…

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In this episode of Inside R&E, Michael A. Pensabene, R&E Litigation Member, invites for the second time Tina Larsson, Co-Founder & CEO of The Folson Group, for a high-level discussion of some of New York City’s most substantial Local Laws introduced this year, detailing the ways in which these changes impact coop / condo owners…

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On June 14, 2024 HPD clarified how 421-a(16) projects can request and receive an extension of time to achieve a Completion Date (until June 15, 2031). The previous Completion Date deadline until now has been June 15, 2026. HPD’s website now explains: Qualifying rental projects and homeownership projects with a completion date between June 16, 2026…

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As a follow-up to the firm’s May 1, 2024 and May 16, 2024 announcements regarding recent changes to the New York State Cannabis Law and related amendments to curb unlicensed cannabis sales in New York State, we have noticed a strong uptick in the government’s forced shuttering of unlicensed retail cannabis dispensaries across the City. The…

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