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The most powerful word in the world pops up everywhere. Ironically, this is on Sandown Pier on the Isle of Wight (UK) — a place that has not changed for 30 years.
Ross Findon, Unsplash

The Upcoming 7th Revision to the Title Insurance Rate Service Association (TIRSA) Rate Manual is effective on October 1, 2024

What is TIRSA?

The Title Insurance Rate Service Association (TIRSA) is an organization licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services that provides guidelines for the pricing and availability of title insurance premiums and products in New York State. Since 1993, TIRSA has published, and revised, its TIRSA Rate Manual, which sets forth rules, definitions, risk classifications, premiums and rates for title insurance policies, endorsements and other forms used by members of TIRSA. Notably, any deviations from the TIRSA Rate Manual must be approved by the Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services. The 7th revision to the TIRSA Rate Manual goes into effect on October 1, 2024.Continue Reading A (title) Change Is Gonna Come

Two,White,Geese,Stand,On,Green,Grass.,Poultry,,Breeding,Geese.

In City of New York v Ball, 2024 NY Slip Op 24179 [Sup Ct, Albany County 2024], the Albany County Supreme Court upheld a determination of the Commissioner (“Commissioner”) of the Department of Agriculture and Markets (“Department”) that concluded the City of New York’s (“City”) local law banning food establishments from selling or serving foie gras and other force-fed products (“Foie Gras Ban”) unreasonably restricted and regulated farming operations in “upstate” New York.

This case concerned preemption and a conflict between State and local policies. The Court addressed the Commissioner’s/Department’s State agency power to effectively overrule local elected officials and the will of their electorate. At issue was whether an indirect, extraterritorial restriction or regulation falls within the purview of the farming protection framework, given that City’s Foie Gras Ban affected farming operations situated in Sullivan County – approximately 70 miles north.Continue Reading Foie Gras Faux Pas: City Runs A-fowl of State Farming Protections

Rock,Climbing,In,The,Gunks

OVERVIEW

The Shawangunk Ridge is a cluster of bedrock in upstate New York popular for its scenery and outdoor recreation. The Town of Gardiner’s (“Gardiner”) Shawangunk Ridge Protection District (“SRPD”) protects the scenic and ecological values of the Shawangunk Ridge and requires, among other things, a special use permit for development.

A property owner sought to subdivide and develop property situated within the SRPD; to wit: subdivide a 108-acre lot into two lots, maintain an existing dwelling on one lot, and construct a new dwelling on the second lot. The developer sought and obtained a special use permit and subdivision approval from the Gardiner Planning Board (“Planning Board”). Before the approval, the Planning Board issued a negative declaration pursuant to the N.Y. State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”). Notably, the owner himself, a trained biologist and forestry professional, performed his own conservation analysis with respect to the Planning Board’s SEQRA review.

The Friends of the Shawangunks, an environmental conservation organization (“Friends”), commenced an Article 78 proceeding challenging the special use permit, subdivision approval, and negative declaration. The Supreme Court, Ulster County, dismissed the proceeding on the grounds that Friends lacked standing, and Friends appealed. On appeal, the Third Department reversed, held Friends had standing, and addressed the merits.Continue Reading Friend of the Shawangunks v. Town of Gardiner Planning Board: Litigation Concerning a Popular Outdoor Recreation Area Prompts the Third Department to Address Organizational Standing, Special Permit Criteria, and Whether Expert “Bias” is a Consideration Under SEQRA

Recently, in On Point Window Treatment, Inc. v. 208 Clinton Place, LLC, 2024 N.Y. Slip Op. 50241 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2024), the Kings County Supreme Court held that even when paired with an insurance procurement requirement, a landlord could not rely on an indemnity clause negotiated into its lease to exempt such landlord from liability.…

Aerial,Photography,Of,A,River,Swamp,In,A,Wetland,Park

The 2022/2023 State budget included watershed (no pun intended) amendments to the regulations governing New York’s Freshwater Wetlands. It has been published that the changes to the Freshwater Wetlands Act are expected to capture approximately one million acres (1,560 square miles) of previously unregulated freshwater wetlands – the equivalent in landmass of 1/10th the state of Rhode Island.  As part of the move, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC” or “Department”) is seeking information from stakeholders as it considers the revisions to the regulations and develops criteria to implement the Act. Continue Reading DEC Seeks Feedback by February 17th as it Considers Revamped Freshwater Wetland Regulations

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Recently in BMG Monroe I, LLC v. Village of Monroe Zoning Board of Appeals, the Second Department reinforced strict compliance with all State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) visual impact findings and mitigation conditions.

BMG Monroe I, LLC, (“BMG”) is a developer that owns at 78.93-acre tract of undeveloped land located in both the Town of Monroe and the Village of Monroe. BMG sought to develop 181 residential units on the property.

In 2001, a developer (not BMG) submitted an application to the Town and Village to develop the Property for residential use: the Smith Farm Project. The Smith Farm Project included 181 homes and on-site recreational amenities, including a community green, a recreation/activity center, an outdoor swimming pool, and a network of walking trails.Continue Reading Exact Compliance with SEQRA Architectural Conditions Are Enforceable

On April 4, 2023, the Town of Riverhead joined the growing list of Long Island municipalities to have adopted special zoning regulations for Battery Storage Energy Systems (or BESS) projects. The law, which was filed with the State and took effect on April 15, 2023, is codified in Chapter 301, Article LIID of the Town Code, appropriately titled “Battery Energy Storage Systems.” A copy of the adopted regulations is available by clicking the following link: Riverhead Bess Continue Reading Riverhead Gives the Green Light to New BESS Zoning Regulations

Grandfathered

Last month, in Cuffaro v Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Bellport (Index # 620453/2021), the Suffolk Supreme Court reinforced the existing and binding case law that a municipality’s issuance of a building permit to a similarly situated lot effectively sanctions the subdivision of that property by deed without the requisite subdivision approval.  In a strongly worded decision, the Court held that a municipality cannot rely on a supposed illegal subdivision as a basis for denying an application where it has otherwise sanctioned the subdivision by granting certificates of occupancy to its sister lot. Continue Reading “Grandfathering” By Issuance of Building Permits

Judge`s,Gavel,And,Law,Books.constitutional,Crisis

Following in the footsteps of the towns of Huntington, Babylon and East Hampton, the Town of Oyster Bay voted on March 7, 2023, to create a Bureau of Administrative Adjudication pursuant to Article 14-BB of the General Municipal Law (“GML”).  The bureau is an administrative tribunal that will process quality of life violations of the Town Code.  Under the GML, administrative tribunals can adjudicate “all code and ordinance violations regarding conditions which constitute a threat or danger to the public health, safety or welfare.”Continue Reading Oyster Bay to provide for administrative adjudication of zoning and other code violations

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Josh Withers, Unsplash

Last month, the State’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, upheld the Appellate Division’s decision annulling the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issuance of permits to Sand Land Corporation (“Sandland”) for renewal and expansion of sand mining operations at a 50-acre site in Southampton, New York and remanded the matter back to the DEC. The site, owned by Sandland, is a pre-existing sand mining site.Continue Reading NYSDEC Mining Law Appears Further Undermined by the Court of Appeals