2009 October | Buffalo NY Attorneys Blog

Archive for October, 2009

What is Buffalo Housing Court?

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

The New York State Legislature created the Buffalo Housing Court in 1978 to address a crisis of deteriorating housing stock that continues today. The Housing Court has the duty to protect and promote the public interest. It fashions innovative remedies for the thousands of building code violation cases that it handles each year.

The Buffalo Housing Court is dedicated to treating each problem property in its neighborhood context and solving the underlying causes of abandonment, degradation and distress in the City of Buffalo communities.

Over the past several years, Buffalo Housing Court Judge Henry Nowak has undertaken a reform effort designed to improve the court’s ability to dramatically improve the quality of life for city residents, workers and businesses. These improvements include:

(a) a restructuring of the court’s intake and scheduling methods to facilitate community participation and feedback,;
(b) the creation of receivership programs that allows the court to oversee property repairs and fine collection;
(c) the contribution of community liaisons who provide assistance with case management, research and communication with neighborhood activists.; and
(d)coordinating landlord-tenant eviction cases with the housing code violations cases.

Posted in Buffalo NY Real Estate Legal Issues | No Comments »

How to Obtain Rochester, NY Birth and Death Records

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Rochester and Monroe County, New York records can be obtained from the Monroe County Office of Vital records at 111 Westfall Rd., Rm. 147, P.O. Box 92832, Rochester, NY 14692 .Phone: 585 753-5141.Fax: 585 753-5961. Hours are 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Monday through Friday)

Birth Certificate: You may obtain your own record. However, only parents-of-record or a legal guardian with a court order may obtain someone else’s record. All others must present a notarized letter of permission from an authorized person.

Death Certificate: Only a surviving spouse, parent, child or attorney for the deceased or someone making a claim against the deceased is automatically entitled to a death certificate. All others must provide documentation of need for the record or present a notarized letter of permission from an authorized person.

Certified Copies (with Raised Seal) of Birth or Death Records can be obtained either in person, by mail, via the Internet or over the phone using a credit card. In-person requests require that an application form be completed and proper ID presented (driver’s license, work or school photo ID).

To request a Birth Certificate by mail, include the following information in your letter:

• Birth name, date and place of birth
• Father’s name and mother’s maiden name
• Your relationship to the person of birth
• What the record is needed for
• $30 (per copy) check or money order, payable to “Monroe County. “

To request a Death Certificate by mail, include the following information in your letter:

• Decedent’s name, date and place of death
• Your relationship to the decedent
• What the record is needed for
• $30 (per copy) check or money order, payable to “Monroe County.”

Requests for a Birth or Death certificate by telephone from an authorized person, using a major credit card, can be placed by calling 585 427-2412. There is an additional $6 processing fee per order for this service.

To order a Birth or Death certificate online, visit Monroe County Vital Records. http://www.vitalchek.com/monroe-county-express-vital-records.aspx

If you need Genealogical records, download the following documents or contact our office at 585 753-5137 to obtain our Genealogical Application Package.

• Genealogical Application Form (38k PDF) http://www.monroecounty.gov/p/health-GeneaologicalResearch.pdf
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• Genealogical Information Sheet (43k PDF) http://www.monroecounty.gov/p/health-GenealogicalResearchInstructions.pdf

Posted in Rochester Legal Resources & News | No Comments »

What is a New York Not-for-Profit Corporation?

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

A not-for-profit corporation is a corporation formed pursuant to the New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law.

The Certificate of Incorporation of a New York not-for-profit corporation must set forth the specific purposes for which the corporation is being formed and the corporation may not be formed for financial gain.

There are four types of not-for-profit corporations:

Type A – A not-for-profit corporation formed for any lawful non-business purpose or purposes including, but not limited to, any one or more of the following non-pecuniary purposes: civic, patriotic, political, social, fraternal, athletic, agricultural, horticultural, animal husbandry, and for a professional, commercial, industrial, trade or service association.

Type B – A not-for-profit corporation formed for any one or more of the following non-business purposes: charitable, educational, religious, scientific, literary, cultural or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.

Type C – A not-for-profit corporation formed for any lawful business purpose to achieve a lawful public or quasi-public objective. Although the corporation may be organized for a purpose normally carried on by a business corporation for profit, its purpose must be non-pecuniary (formed for a purpose other than making money). Therefore, it is necessary to include a separate statement in the certificate of incorporation describing the lawful public or quasi-public objective each business purpose will achieve.

Type D – A not-for-profit corporation formed under two New York laws for any business or non-business, or pecuniary or non-pecuniary, purpose when such formation is authorized by any other law of New York. For example, a corporation formed under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law and the Private Housing Finance Law.

Posted in NY Non-Profit Law | No Comments »