Todd L. Crawford, PC

Home foreclosures and evictions are stayed again. There was a period when the stays were lifted (because they expired during the Trump Administration). It appears that landlords and parties seeking to foreclose tried to take advantage of this period between Trump's expiration and President Biden's Executive Order reinstating the stays. You may have received a notice to prove hardship to continue the stay. Text me at 631-988-0976 if you have this problem.

Once Covid restrictions are lifted, many of you may have problems with rent payments and mortgages. If you want to talk, contact me.

In Bronx Supreme Court today. I represent a teacher who was assaulted by her principal. This case has personal injury and employment issues. Lawsuits against municipalities are complicated because there are procedural prerequisites and, like this case, you have to be strategic when dealing with the media.

What if you lived in a building that the city gave to the tenants for $1? This happened in NYC in the late 80's and 90's. These buildings are called HDFCs. The tenant association is given the task of managing the building but the City remains in conditional ownership if the tenants do not operate the building according to a mutual agreement. My client is a tenant in one of these buildings. In his building, aggressive tenants took control of the board. They sold each other shares in the building and they ignored or disallowed others from participating. When the value of the building went up, they embarked on a mission to evict tenants to sell their apartments. In situations like these, tenants have special rights.

I will be arguing at the Appellate Division in Brooklyn on March 1, 2019. The case is about a teacher who was charged with neglect under the NY Social Service law. I represent the teacher in this case.

The MTA is attempting to use the DMV to enforce their exorbitant penalties against drivers who did not comply with cashless toll regulations. This is not legal for many reasons. All laws are enforceable until and unless people challenge the law in court. In a similar toll cases in California, the government was made to return the fines to the people. New York has just begun to enforce the penalties in court. In time, I expect many court challenges.

Please vote in November.

Folks watch out when you are being sued for old loans by collectors. Be aware of the statute of limitations.

Knowledge is power. I have been talking to people who have not consulted with an attorney before they made a decision that adversely effected their case. The opposition counts on your ignorance of the law. For example, if you are the subject of a collection action, the collection agency knows the debt may be unrecoverable but if you ignore the summons and complaint, you will be liable for it just the same. Call me at (631) 988-0976 and run your problem past me and I will try to help.

If you are interested in buying a house and you don't think you can, give me a call and I will tell you how to get started with a lender, show you houses, and make it happen.

https://youtu.be/sVx0NpYbtus

https://youtu.be/eiQE7Qj2dPI

DUI-blow or not blow into breath analyzer? First of all, do not drink and drive. If you had a drink or two, please call a car service or designate a driver. If you are stopped by the police, do NOT admit you had any drinks. If the police demand you take a breath analyzer test, submit to it. A refusal will result in an automatic conviction that will be punished at twice the penalty as a conviction after submission to the test. If this happens to you, contact me immediately.

https://www.facebook.com/aclu.connecticut/videos/1384095068296510/

Before you sign on the line, let me review your contract. Sometimes there are provisions in your contract you may not understand and if you did, you may not sign or you would demand changes. It is easy to fix a contract before you sign but it is nearly impossible in New York State to change it once the ink dries. Just fax your agreement to me at (516) 632-8742.

If you are sued for a debt, there are a variety of ways to defend it by paying pennies on the dollar, paying it out in small portions, or having the action dismissed in court. But, you have to act fast. Let's talk about it.