A public utility company is permitted to enter into an agreement with a private Jewish group to erect displays of religious significance on the utility poles said the courts on January 6, 2015. 

In 2008, there was discussion of putting up an eruv in the Village of Westhampton Beach. An eruv is a religious boundary that permits observant Jews within the enclosed space to carry and push items on the Sabbath, which, under ordinary circumstances, is forbidden. This boundary is usually established by attaching strips of woods to telephone poles around the community, thereby requiring private contracts with telephone companies.

A religious group called the Jewish People for the Betterment of Westhampton Beach (or JPOE) sued the Village of Westhampton Beach to oppose the erection of the eruv, arguing that it was a wrongful exception to Jewish practices on the Sabbath and that the government, which was contracting with private parties to establish the eruv, was overtly endorsing one sect of religion over another.

Courts said on January 6, 2015 that it is lawful for public utility companies to erect eruvs as part of a contract with a private party. LIPA’s contract to erect an eruv using its telephone poles was neutral and did not establish a noticeable and overt display of religion throughout the town. In fact, no reasonable observer would conclude from the strips of wood on the utility poles that the government was endorsing one religion over another. Furthermore, since private parties had agreed to finance, install and maintain the strips on the utility poles, there was no excessive government entanglement with religion.

This decision is a victory for religious freedom as a fundamental First Amendment right but is also a victory for real estate in the area. As the strips of woods on the telephone poles are not very noticeable, they will not in any way diminish the appearance of the community. In fact, real estate sales and rentals may skyrocket in the Village of Westhampton Beach now since observant Jews will seek out the community for its eruv. 

By the end of this year, Ocwen Financial, one of the largest mortgage servicers in the U.S., may lose its mortgage license in California.

Ocwen has been subjected to numerous investigations over the years regarding improper foreclosures, misplaced and mislabeled borrower documentation, billing issues, and overall failure to comply with federal and state laws and regulations. In December, Ocwen settled an ongoing investigation by the NYS Department of Financial Services (DFS) by agreeing to pay $100 million, which was to be used to support foreclosure defense programs and other relief and $50 million to Ocwen borrowers who reside in New York. As a result, not only did the company’s chairman step down from his position, but DFS will continue to monitor Ocwen in the upcoming years for further unlawful conduct. Although this settlement greatly impacted borrowers in New York, it was held as a victory for borrowers all over the country because it was supposed to put Ocwen in check and to stop it from continuing its cycle of financial abuse.

Unfortunately, the story does not end there. California now wants to suspend Ocwen’s mortgage license in the state as a result of Ocwen’s failure to provide mandatory documentation to the Department of Business Oversight, which is responsible for determining whether Ocwen is complying with state regulations in California. Ocwen issued a press release on January 13, stating that it is committed to resolving the issues in California, especially since its shares are crashing as a result of the news. It is crucial that Ocwen turns its business practices around and finally provide high quality assistance to its borrowers. Otherwise, it will surely fail.

Settlement conferences will begin in February. If nothing is resolved, Ocwen will not be able to do business in California for at least a year. If that happens, Ocwen may not be able to survive such a huge blow.