LIEB BLOG

Legal Analysts

Showing posts with label new law alert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new law alert. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

New NYS Law Protects Against Hate Crimes Targeting Religious Attire Creating Evidence of Discrimination

#attorneyandrewlieb #medialegalanalyst #lawsuit #litigationattorney , 240.30
New NYS Law Protects Against Hate Crimes Targeting Religious Attire Creating Evidence of Discrimination
New York State is taking a strong stand against hate crimes and by doing so, are enhancing discrimination claims in the workplace, in housing, and in education. Specifically, starting on November 26, 2024, it became a crime to remove or threaten to remove someone's religious attire. 

The new law (S05302) amends Section 240.30 of the New York Penal Law, which defines certain acts of aggravated harassment as crimes. The amendment explicitly makes it a crime to remove or threaten to remove a person's "religious clothing article or headdress" with the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm them and be motivated by a belief or perception about the person's:
  • Race
  • Color
  • National Origin
  • Ancestry
  • Gender
  • Gender Identity or Expression
  • Religion
  • Religious Practice
  • Age
  • Disability 
  • Sexual Orientation
Because such topics are protected classes under the New York State Human Rights Law (protecting against discrimination in employment, housing, and education), the act of the assailant in forcibly removing a person's hijab, turban, kippah, and the like, will render discrimination claims much stronger with the presence of this new law.

Stated otherwise, if you or someone you know has experienced harassment or discrimination related to religious attire, this new law provides a clear path for seeking justice—don’t hesitate to take action and protect your rights.


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Monday, November 25, 2024

New York Simplifies Notary Rules, Streamlining Cross-State Deals

#attorneyandrewlieb , #realestate
New York Simplifies Notary Rules, Streamlining Cross-State Deals

New York has passed a new law, Bill S2271, that simplifies the recognition of out-of-state notarizations, making it easier for businesses and individuals to transact business across state lines.


Previously, New York required a "certificate of conformity" to verify that out-of-state notarizations complied with the laws of the other state. This extra step created delays and added costs for transactions. Under the new law, the signatures and titles of authorized out-of-state notaries now serve as conclusive proof of their authority. 


In simple terms, if a document is notarized according to the laws of another state, it will be treated as valid in New York without additional verification.


By eliminating these unnecessary hurdles, the law streamlines cross-state transactions, saving time and money. Businesses can now operate more efficiently across state lines, while individuals benefit from smoother processes when buying property, signing contracts, or managing other legal matters.


The law is effective immediately, offering instant relief to those dealing with cross-state paperwork. Whether you’re a business professional or a consumer, this change makes interstate transactions easier, less expensive, and more efficient. 


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Friday, May 29, 2020

New York Senate and Assembly Pass COVID-19 Property Tax Relief Legislation

covid-19 , COVID19 Relief Program
New York Senate and Assembly Pass COVID-19 Property Tax Relief Legislation
A COVID-19 property tax relief bill is on its way to Governor Cuomo's desk for signature. The bill, S8138B, empowers local taxing jurisdictions to defer property taxes for up to 120 days from their original due date. Alternatively, the taxing jurisdiction can create a payment plan with similar time restrictions. This special legislation will automatically expire with the State Disaster Emergency Declaration.

The bill does not require all local taxing jurisdictions to provide deferral options to taxpayers. It only gives them the option to do so. Assuming Governor Cuomo signs this bill, look to your tax assessor's office to see if your jurisdiction will make use of this new legislation to provide COVID-19 property tax relief. 


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Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Does Your Commercial Insurance Policy Cover Business Interruption Due to COVID-19?

business interruption insurance , coronavirus
Does Your Commercial Insurance Policy Cover Business Interruption Due to COVID-19?
Business owners looking to their commercial policies for business interruption and loss of income coverage due to COVID-19 have likely run into a giant roadblock - an exclusion of loss due to virus or bacteria. Many insurers added these special endorsements to commercial policies after the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s, and yours probably looks something like this:

We will not pay for loss or damage caused by or resulting from any virus, bacterium or other micro-organism that induces or is capable of inducing physical distress, illness or disease.

These virus exclusions have led practitioners like myself scratching our heads for novel legal theories to find coverage where coverage is expressly denied. The New York State Assembly has taken notice and is trying to solve this problem for us with ASSEMBLY BILL A10226A. 


What Does The Bill Do?
The stated purpose of the bill is to "hold harmless businesses who currently hold business interruption insurance, for losses sustained as a result of the current COVID-19 health emergency, but for which no such coverage is currently offered." It accomplishes this by construing all policies insuring against loss of use and occupancy and business interruption "to include among the covered perils under that policy, coverage for business interruption during a period of a declared state emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic." It also declares all virus exclusions null and void, and extends this special coverage for the duration of New York's declared state emergency. The new law would only apply to insureds with less than 250 full-time employees. 

To offset the costs, the bill allows insurers paying claims to apply for reimbursement from the Department of Financial Services who will collect funding for the reimbursements from other insurers, thus spreading the cost amongst all insurers except life and health  (a cost which presumably will be passed onto insureds as a surcharge). 

Most importantly, the bill is retroactive - deemed effective March 7, 2020 and applying to policies in effect on that date. 


What Should You Do Right Now?
Business owners should have their full policy examined to see: (1) if they have business interruption coverage; and (2) whether there is a virus exemption. While other exemptions may preclude coverage, these are the threshold questions. Retaining an attorney to evaluate your policy and to submit a claim is often a good investment because claims can be denied if the wrong language or explanation for your loss is given to your insurer, or if the claim is submitted in an untimely or improper manner. Talking yourself out of a covered claim because you didn't know what was covered and what wasn't is an avoidable mistake.

If your insurer denies coverage that you think you are entitled to, hiring an attorney to pursue a claim against your insurer is an appropriate next step. Federal Courts are still accepting new filings, and the Department of Financial Services is still accepting complaints from insureds.  

Policy holders with virus exemptions should contact their local assemblymember and/or state senator to express support for the proposed legislation. The New York State Senate website even lets you voice your support for the bill digitally clicking the check mark on the right side of THIS WEBSITE.

Keep your eye on our blog for status updates on this bill. If it passes and you benefit from its changes, it may make sense to submit a claim, in which case you should hire an attorney who can give you the best shot at meeting eligibility requirements. 


Is This Even Constitutional?
Expect insurers to push back on this bill because it will create, in their minds, an unfunded liability that was not bargained for when they set insurance premiums for policies in effect on March 7, 2020. Article 1 of the United States Constitution provides that "No State shall... pass any... Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts". The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution prohibit the taking of  property without due process of law. In the past insurers have turned to both arguments when objecting to legislation that retroactively imposed new obligations. 

Long story short, the United States Supreme Court has held that the constitution permits contractual interference pursuant to a balancing test that evaluates (1) the extent of the interference, (2) the historic regulation of the industry affected by the law, (3) the legitimate public purpose for the law, and (4) whether the law is appropriate given the stated public purpose, with special deference given to laws addressing emergencies. Home Building & Loan Association v. Blaisdell, 290 US 398 (1934); Energy Reserves Group, Inc. v. Kansas Power and Light Co., 459 US 400 (1983). Litigation is inevitable and it appears that the Assembly has specifically drafted this bill with previous case law in mind.

The New York Court of Appeals has addressed retroactive insurance coverage changes in two important decisions. 

In Health Insurance Association of America v. Harnett, 44 NY2d 302 (1978), the Court of Appeals struck down legislation that required retroactive coverage for maternity care in health insurance policies, but it did so on the narrow ground that those policies were forced renewal, where the insurer could not unilaterally cancel or refuse to renew a policy after its period expired, and therefore they did not consent to the change in the substance of the policy. The Court of Appeals did recognize that the legislation could work in other circumstances, stating "while there was a genuine, identifiable public purpose to be served by the enactment of [the law], the predicament which spawned the legislation had not risen to the magnitude of a crisis which warranted overriding the terms of the agreements entered into by the parties". Contrasting the holding in Harnett, commercial policies affected by this bill are not automatically renewable and can be cancelled by the insurer. Further, the Assembly bill specifically references the fact that COVID-19 is a state emergency, giving the legislation the emergency gravitas called for. 

In American Economy Insurance Co. v. State of New York, 30 NY3d 136 (2017), the Court of Appeals upheld legislation that insurers argued retroactively imposed unfunded workers' compensation liability. The legislation did away with a special fund that was used to pay for workers' compensation claims that were closed but unexpectedly reopened many years later. This holding was on the narrow ground that the legislation did not change the actual legal enforceability of the contract between insurer and insured, only how the liability was paid for (i.e. passing the cost of the claim from the fund directly to the insurers). Here, the Assembly bill creates a type of fund that pays for the coverage imposed by retroactive changes, a provision that presumably is intended to bring the bill closer to what is permitted by American Economy Insurance Co., and further away from what is forbidden by American Economy Insurance Co., which cautions against the changing of contractual obligations between insurer and insured. 

Other state courts have attempted similar legislation. In Harleysville Mutual Insurance Co. v. State of South Carolina, 401 S.C. 15 (2012), the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down a law that retroactively changed the definition of an "occurrence" because it altered the contractual relationship between insurer and insured without addressing a pressing emergency. In Vesta Fire Insurance Corp. v. State of Florida, 141 F3d 1427 (11th Cir. 1998) legislation was permitted that limited property insurance cancellations in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. Likewise, in State of Louisiana v. All Property & Casualty Insurance Carries Authorized and Licensed to Do Business in State, 937 So2d 313 (La. 2006) the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld legislation that extended the filing deadline for claims, and the statute of limitations for insurers suing their insurers, in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

So, is the proposed legislation constitutional? There are good arguments for both sides. On one hand, COVID-19 is undoubtedly an emergency and the proposed legislation serves a legitimate and pressing public purpose. The bill even attempts to fund the new liability imposed. On the other hand, the bill substantially changes the rights and obligations bargained for when the insurer issued policies in effect on March 7, 2020. It takes a specific exclusion and renders it null and void. This ham-fisted approach may prove too much - an axe when a scalpel would be more appropriate. 

Regardless, business owners need relief now. Being legally correct and receiving your insurance payout 5 years from now after a drawn out legal battle does nothing to help pay your mortgage or payroll right now. While this bill is a good idea, and if passed will bring new benefits to many business that would  not have received them otherwise, it's not a silver bullet that brings the relief business owners need immediately. It should be viewed as one arrow in the quiver and applied in conjunction with other relief programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program. 

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Monday, December 16, 2019

New Regulations To Combat Housing Discrimination

Fair Housing , Fair Housing Act
New Regulations To Combat Housing Discrimination
On December 16, 2019, Governor Cuomo announced new regulations to help fight housing discrimination. Pursuant to Gov. Cuomo’s announcement and the DOS Board of Real Estate meeting (from 35:15 to 1:10:40) from the same day, the regulations require the following:
  • Notification of Fair Housing laws: All prospective buyers, renters, sellers, and landlords receive the disclosure on fair housing and New York State Human Rights Law as furnished by the Department of State (similar to agency disclosure form, but with broader application). It must also be available at every open house or real estate showing conducted by a real estate professional. This will be known as 19 NYCRR 175.28.
  •  Posting of Fair Housing laws: Real estate brokers must also display and maintain at every office a notice highlighting the Human Rights Law’s protections and how complaints may be filed. It must be visible from the sidewalk or another conspicuous place and must also be displayed on all websites created and maintained by real estate brokers, salespersons and teams. The notice must also be posted at every open house conducted by a real estate professional. This will be known as 19 NYCRR 175.29. 
  • Video recording and record preservation: All entities approved to provide fair housing and/or discrimination training must record video and audio of every course in its entirety and must keep the recording for 1 year following the date the course was provided. This will be known as 19 NYCRR 177.9.
The proposed regulations will be published on the New York State Register and will be available for a public comment period of 60 days. Lieb Blog will post the proposed regulations once they are available. Stay tuned.



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Friday, September 20, 2019

New Law Protects Domestic Violence Victims From Eviction

Discrimination , evictions
New Law Protects Domestic Violence Victims From Eviction
Governor Cuomo signed Assembly Bill A2665A, which prevents landlords from evicting tenants facing domestic violence or other crimes as a result of a nuisance violation. Landlords may now begin eviction proceedings against perpetrators of violence while the victim of domestic violence remains at his/her residence. 

The stated purpose of the law: 
“[n]o victim of domestic violence, or other person threatened with violence or in jeopardy of harm, should fail to access police or emergency assistance when needed because of the fear that doing so may result in losing their housing through eviction or other actions to remove them from the property.” 
Prior to the new law, landlords could evict victims of domestic violence for creating a "nuisance."

Now, victims can no longer be penalized for violating laws regulating nuisances unless the conduct is rooted in breaches of the lease, illicit activities, or other violations of the law. In short, multiple calls to the police for help no longer serve as grounds to evict a tenant.

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Tuesday, June 18, 2019

No More Straws at Suffolk County Restaurants

convenience store , grocery
No More Straws at Suffolk County Restaurants
Effective January 1, 2020, Suffolk County restaurants, grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores are only allowed to provide paper / food straws (biodegradable and/or backyard compostable single-use beverage straws or stirrers) to consumers and you don’t get them unless you request them.

These restrictions are pursuant to L.L. No. 20-2019 or §700-13 et seq. of the Suffolk County Code.

There are exceptions though - straws are still allowed for prepackaged individual serving beverages with a small plastic straw included such as juice or milk boxes and pouches. Straws may also still be provided with drinks purchased at a drive through window or self-service beverage station provided that it is biodegradable and/or backyard compostable. Lastly, consumers with a disability or medical condition may still request a plastic or other non-biodegradable straw or stirrer.

Violations are subject to a civil penalty of $100 for the first violation, $200 for any second violation occurring within 12 months of the first violation, and $400 for any third or subsequent violations within 12 months of a prior violation. Each day a violation occurs is a separate and distinct offense.

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