PODCAST | How Businesses Can Get The PPP Round 2 Loan

On this Podcast, we discuss the highlights of the second Paycheck Protection Program with financial planner, Louis Soriano. Answering questions about whether:

• You can get a second loan
• What the qualifications are to apply
• What size businesses can apply
• How this works with taxes
• If the first loan needs to be forgiven to get the second loan

And MUCH MORE!

LISTEN HERE

Are Your Staff Employees or Independent Contractors? A New Regulation Answers The Question

During the last two weeks of his Presidency, Trump's Department of Labor just revised the test for whether an individual is an independent contractor or employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

This is significant because employees are entitled to minimum wage and overtime whereas independent contractors are not. 

If an employer misclassifies a staff member as an independent contractor when such staff member should be classified an employee, it can result in a devastating blow to the employer who will be exposed to statutory penalties, back pay, attorneys' fees and more. 

Now, Trump's government is using the "economic reality" test to determine employee status. 

According to the government, "the ultimate inquiry is whether, as a matter of economic reality, the worker is dependent on a particular individual, business, or organization for work (and is thus and employee) or is in business for him- or herself (and is thus an an independent contractor)." 

Under this test, the Department of Labor or a Court hearing the case will look to five distinct factors to answer the test. However, two of those factors now have more probative value in answering the question than the rest. These two key factors are:

1. The nature and degree of the worker's control over the work; and
2. The worker's opportunity for profit or loss. 

The other factors, of less importance, are:

1. The amount of skill required for the work;
2. The degree of permanence of the working relationship between the individual and the potential employer; and 
3. Whether the work is a part of an integrated unit of production.

Regardless, employers better take note of this change and analyze their staff's true work to ascertain if they are classified properly. If this is too much, you better hire a consultant to do the job NOW.

 

Here's a question - 

While the government argued in support of this new test by pointing to the need for clarity for business, is this the time to tax companies with new rules in the middle of a pandemic where small businesses are closing every day? 

More so, with a change in the Presidency less than two weeks away, will Biden just change this back next month? 

This new regulation isn't effective until March 8, 2021, so Biden could theoretically undo it before it even takes off. 

Should he? 

Commenting Turned On - Please Share Your Thoughts on the Lieb Blog

We are updating our platforms for 2021 and are now encouraging unrestricted commenting. 

Say what you want and share as you feel comfortable. This platform is for you - the business community. 

We promise to do our best to answer your questions and participate in the discussion.

Please know that there is no attorney / client relationship established by participating in this blog and it is a public, non-confidential, forum. So, watch what you say because the world will know. No spam, discrimination, or harassment will be tolerated and all are welcome.

Together, we are going to reemerge as a stronger business community in 2021. 

Here is to a great year!

Pass Rate for NYS Real Estate Salesperson Test Announced

Does it shock you to learn that from January through October 2020, of the 13,527 examinees, only 59% passed the Real Estate Salesperson exam?

Brokers did a little better - of the 1,098, 66% passed.

Isn't that low? 

How do we get brokers to pass at a higher rate?

Would it help if the state released past exams? That makes sense, doesn't it? How can you study otherwise?

New Eviction Law Extends Residential Eviction Moratorium to May 1, 2021

On December 28, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 (“Act”). Essentially, the Act provides tenants with an opportunity to submit a Hardship Declaration, which stays most evictions until May 1, 2021. The second part of the Act which provides for mortgage foreclosure relief is discussed in a separate blog HERE.

The Details:

• Essentially, once a tenant provides a Hardship Declaration, the eviction is stayed until May 1, 2020.
• The Act applies to residential nonpayment AND holdover eviction proceedings.
• The Act does not apply to tenants of seasonal rentals with a primary residence to return to and tenants who infringe on other tenants' use and enjoyment of the premises or pose a substantial safety hazard to others, but only upon the landlord proving same.
• To qualify, a tenant must provide the Hardship Declaration and must declare that they are suffering a financial hardship, such as:
• Significant loss of income
• Increase in necessary out-of-pocket expenses due to COVID-19
• Childcare responsibilities or care for the elderly, disabled, or sick family member
• Moving expenses and difficult relocating
• Other circumstances negatively affecting the ability to find meaningful employment
• Vacating the premises and moving into new permanent housing poses a significant health risk
• Sample hardship declarations will be available on the Office of Court Administration website.
• New Eviction Proceedings - upon a Tenant's submission to the landlord of the Hardship Declaration, the landlord is prohibited from commencing any eviction proceeding until May 1, 2021. The landlord can commence an eviction proceeding if the landlord files the following:

• Affidavit of service of the Hardship Declaration in English and tenant’s primary language.
• Affidavit of Service of predicate notices pursuant to RPAPL and the lease; and 
• Affidavit of the Petitioner/Petitioner’s agent attesting to the following:
• Petitioner or his agent did not receive a Hardship Declaration from the Tenant 
• The tenant returned the Hardship Declaration but the tenant is “persistently and unreasonably engaging in behavior that substantially infringes on the use & enjoyment of other tenants or occupants or causes a substantial safety hazard to others, with a specific description of the behavior alleged.” 
• If the Court determines that the landlord failed to provide the Hardship Declaration, the court shall stay the eviction for at least 10 days for the tenant to complete the declaration. 
• Pending Eviction Proceedings - proceedings commenced before 12/28/20 and commenced within 30 days of 12/28/20 are stayed for at least 60 days, or to such later date set by the Court. If the tenant submits the Hardship Declaration, the eviction proceedings are stayed until May 1, 2021. 
• Post Warrant of Eviction - in any eviction proceeding in which an eviction warrant has already been issued, execution is stayed until the court holds a status conference with the parties. If the tenant provides a Hardship Declaration, the execution of the warrant is stayed until May 1, 2021.

What is most important to both tenants and landlords is that while the law stops most evictions in NYS until May 1, 2021, it does not affect the tenants' obligation to pay rent. No payments are canceled. 

Unfortunately, despite the law's intentions, it is still lacking. Inevitably, tenants will continue to incur insurmountable debt and small landlords will eventually find themselves in the middle of the looming foreclosure tsunami. 

What do you think?

No NYS Residential Foreclosures Until May – New Law

On 12/28/2020, the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 became law. 

This law effectively stops all residential foreclosures in NYS until May 1, 2021, but it does nothing about the borrower's obligation to repay their loan.  

 

Do you think that makes sense?

Isn’t that just delaying the inevitable foreclosure crisis?

Shouldn't something be done about the loan too? 

 

Here is how the law works – a homeowner needs to submit a hardship declaration to their lender and magic, no more foreclosure until May.

 

The Details:

o   Either the court or lender (depending on foreclosure status) must provide the borrower with a statement explaining the law.

o   To qualify, a borrower must be suffering a financial hardship including, such as

§  A significant loss of household income;

§  Increase in necessary expenses;

§  Childcare responsibilities;

§  Moving expenses; and/or

§  Other circumstances negatively affecting the borrower’s ability to find meaningful employment.

o   Sample hardship declarations will be available on the Office of Court Administration website.

o   New Foreclosures – If the borrower does not provide the declaration, the lender is required to file all sorts of documents to commence a foreclosure proceeding, including:

§  Affidavit of Service of the Hardship Declaration in English and in the borrower’s primary language.

§  Affidavit of Service of RPAPL 1303 and 1304 notices; and

§  Affidavit of the Petitioner/Petitioner’s agent attesting that the Petitioner or his agent did not receive a Hardship Declaration from the Borrower.

o   Existing Foreclosures – Paused (stayed) for at least 60 days to provide the borrower time to complete and submit the hardship declaration.

o   This also stops foreclosure sales if the case already was decided by the court in a judgment.

 

Make no mistake, this new law does NOT excuse borrowers from paying the mortgage. 

So, what is the point? 

Isn’t it misleading borrowers into digging an even bigger financial hole?

What do you think?