Todd L. Crawford, PC

Congestion pricing in Manhattan is scheduled for the end of next year. I am still studying the law. I will report soon.

The court system is still partially closed. Trials and hearings, for most civil matters, are still done remotely.

Do you have a will? If you want to discuss it, call me.

NYC courts remain closed however, there are certain cases like uncontested divorces that we can still do.

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.

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.

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.

Timeline Photos

New laws going into effect in 2017 in New York | #follownews

Happy New Year to all. I wish you happiness and prosperity in 2017. New laws in New York will take effect including a higher minimum wage. https://www.follownews.com/new-laws-going-into-effect-in-2017-in-new-york-2bsvm

www.follownews.com NEW YORK — When the clock strikes midnight and the calendar flips to 2017, minimum wage will rise and a new set of laws will go into effect. Here’s a round up of the changes coming in the new year...

Having trouble getting an apartment in NY and you think it is because of your race? Call me and lets talk about it.

BLS-all checks are in the mail as of today. Including contribution checks. I mailed them myself.

BLS-I was told checks would be ready to send out tomorrow Thursday April 28, 2016. Thanks for patience.

BLS- I have just contacted BLS' lawyer concerning payment. His reply was: "I've been in contact with them. First they had to match each claimant to the number of years worked. They are double checking that. Then I have to total the dollars per person and then the checks go out. Probably toward the end of next week."

BLS case is over. The deadline for submissions has passed. We went before the judge today and closed out the case. I will be processing claims which will take a day or so, then I will submit them to BLS. BLS will cut the individual check with a tax form. This process will take no longer than thirty days. Thank you for allowing me to represent you.

BLS--All who qualify and wish to join in the settlement, you must return paperwork by March 16, 2016. If you did not recieve a letter from me, please call my office.

BLS Plaintiffs: March 16, 2016 deadline for submitting settlement papers. All plaintiffs who were in the Foy or Kourtis case will not have to submit proof of claim but you must sign the documents and return it by March 16. ***There are eligibility criterion*** You may not be qualified for the settlement just because you signed up for the original case. If you did not receive a letter by the end of January, please text me at (631) 988-0976 or email me at [email protected]. We have a group discussion on email, you are welcome to ask questions or comment to other drivers. Thanks.

BLS-Due to BLS's tardiness in giving us the required information to end this matter, we have set a final date for completion of the settlement matter for March 16, 2016.

BLS-I have received the agreed upon information on the employees from BLS today (2 months late). I will be sending out letters to each driver to join the settlement. We have a hearing on January 6, 2016 at which time I hope to complete the settlement process.

Mortgage Defense-We are winning homes in court. 85% of houses in America have title problems. Hedge funds set up to find defaulting loans are posing as owners of notes and foreclosing on homeowners. Many homeowners give up without a fight. The funds win generally on legal procedure and technicalities (failure to answer on time, fail to answer correctly, failing to conduct discovery, and failing to recognize the issue in the case). They generally do not win on the merits; they win because there is no proper defense. If anyone you know is caught up in foreclosure, I would be happy to examine their case.

BLS-Plaintiffs--both sides closed on the preliminary class action agreement with Judge Hart today. We will send out settlement papers to you with instructions within 2 months.

Family Court--it is essential to have an attorney in a support or custody case at the beginning of the case. If a party waits, receives an order or temporary orders against them, it makes it much harder and may sometimes limit what an attorney may be able to do. You may think you can't afford an attorney but you really can't afford not to get one.

I am currently fighting the New York City Board of Education defending teachers with tenure from being fired. I have found that the city through their agents are manufacturing incidents to fire teachers. The teachers union has made deals that throw the teachers under the bus. These teachers must seek out private attorneys to fight for them.

Commonwealth-I just wanted to thank all of you guys for hanging in there. You taught your employer a lesson and I was glad to help.