ROCHESTER - February 28, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today the arrest of Groven Glenn, a certified nurse aide, for assaulting an 83-year-old female resident at Park Ridge Living Center nursing home in the Town of Greece. Glenn was charged with one felony count of Endangering the Welfare of a Vulnerable Elderly Person or an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person in the Second Degree and related misdemeanors after a surveillance video captured him viciously throwing a chicken bone at the resident and slamming her wheelchair into the door of her room.

City Hall, NY - February 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn announced details of new legislation that will protect New York City homeowners seeking to physically elevate their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Council Member Vincent Ignizo, lead sponsor of the legislation, Minority Leader James S. Oddo and additional Council Members joined at today’s announcement

New York, NY - February 20, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two years ago, Democrats and Republicans laid aside their differences and enacted a property tax cap that finally put the brakes on rising property taxes in New York.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The State Board of Real Property Tax Services will meet at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 19th, 2013. The meeting will be held in Conference Room A on the second floor of Building 9 on the W.A. Harriman State Campus in Albany.

ATLANTA - January 30, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U. S. Small Business Administration has extended the deadline for Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York to return their low-interest loan applications for physical damage to Feb. 27, 2013. Also, SBA announced the opening of a Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) in Brooklyn, NY today, Jan. 28 at 8 a.m. The Center provides one-on-one assistance to homeowners, renters and business of all sizes seeking disaster assistance for losses caused by Hurricane Sandy.

New York, NY - January 29, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and Housing Committee Chairman Keith L.T. Wright (D-Manhattan) today announced passage of landmark legislation (A.3354) to provide hundreds of thousands of New York City homeowners with significant property tax relief and create new affordable housing while spurring economic development and expanding the Loft Law. The bill expands New York City's Condominium and Cooperative real property tax abatement program by phasing out benefits to non-primary residences and spreading the benefit to hundreds of thousands of low and middle income homeowners. The value of the tax abatement will be phased in over three years based on the assessment of the home.

New York, NY - December 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- While New York City rents have rebounded in the past couple of years, renting still appears to offer a better financial value than buying in the Manhattan housing market, according to a recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

December 12, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- I am honored that the members of our Senate Republican Conference have voted unanimously today to reelect me as their leader. I appreciate their support and confidence, and look forward to being a strong voice for their priorities.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 29, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Yesterday, President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 2606, the New York Natural Gas Supply Enhancement Act sponsored by Congressman Michael Grimm and Congressman Gregory W. Meeks. The bill allows for the construction and operation of natural gas pipeline facilities in the New York portion of the Gateway National Recreation Area, creating up to 300 local construction jobs, generating revenue, and bringing clean energy to New York City.

Hauppauge, NY - September 24, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced his Recommended Budget for fiscal 2013 which is balanced, is under the NYS property tax cap, reigns in spending, freezes general fund taxes and does not contain any new layoffs. Bellone's first County wide operating budget comes just six months after County lawmakers received a report stating that Suffolk County faced a projected three-year budget shortfall of approximately $530 million and learned from Comptroller Joseph Sawicki that the 2011 deficit was approximately $60 million.

New York, NY - September 19, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- For the third year in a row, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano delivered to the Legislature a No-Property Tax Increase Budget that reduces spending for a second consecutive year and continues to deliver essential services for the people of Nassau. Aggressive fiscal management and a continued commitment to spending cuts is evident as County Executive Mangano and the Republican Legislative Caucus have cut over $290 million in spending from Nassau’s budget. Since 2009, County Executive Mangano has fostered a government of less spending, fewer employees and fewer appointees

New York, NY - September 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- NYCHA Chairman John B. Rhea announced the recent receipt of $44 million in low-income housing tax credit equity payments associated with NYCHA’s Federalization transaction. The purpose of the Federalization transactions was to make necessary repairs to the portfolio of 21 housing developments while also securing an additional $65-75 million in recurring annual federal operating and capital subsidies for 11,743 apartments at 13 of the 21 sites.

New York, NY - August 28, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- In advance of a New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) hearing on revisions to the Rent Stabilization Code, tenants, community leaders and elected officials banded together to call the proposed changes inadequate. Tenants and elected leaders demanded tough new enforcement rules, and called on Governor Cuomo to champion these efforts for stronger tenant protections.

Albany, NY - August 20, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed a series of bills as part of the NY-Sun initiative that will make solar energy more affordable for homeowners and businesses as well as create new jobs in the state’s growing solar energy sector.

NEW YORK, NY - June 27, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- City Comptroller John C. Liu and State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that a joint audit found New York City’s Department of Finance failed to collect an estimated $24 million in property taxes because it did not use available resources to identify property owners who did not report income from cell antennas.

New York, NY - June 12, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York State Senate today passed legislation to simplify the process for senior citizens and other qualifying homeowners to apply for and receive their STAR property tax exemption.

New York, NY - June 6, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York State Senate today passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-C-I, Port Jefferson), that would restore the STAR property tax rebate program. The bill (S7447) would provide $202 million in property tax relief to senior citizens in the 2012-13 school year and $1.2 billion in property tax relief to middle class families starting in 2013-14.

New York, NY - January 24, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- I am very encouraged that the Governor has again proposed a budget that closes the deficit by reducing spending and without increasing taxes or fees, and includes plans for job creation, property tax relief and other reforms to make sure tax dollars are spent wisely. These are long held priorities of the Senate Republican conference.

Albany, NY - January 24, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Mandate Relief Council will meet on Wednesday, January 25 in the State Capitol in Albany. The Council was created by the Governor and Legislature to address the skyrocketing costs facing local governments that have contributed to New York State's high property tax rates. Wednesday’s meeting will be the first public meeting of the Council, which will also be conducting public hearings across the state.

New York, NY - December 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Middle class tax cuts that will reduce tax rates for millions of hardworking taxpayers and the two-percent property tax cap highlight new state laws that will go into effect on January 1, 2012.

NEW YORK CITY, NY - October 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Carlos M. Velazquez & Associates, LLP, a growing real estate and real property tax law firm, has leased office space at 551 Madison Avenue on the corner of 55th Street, according to Barbara Eddington, managing director at Winoker Realty, who brokered the deal on behalf of the tenant along with Winoker’s Jerry Suchman.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Finance Commissioner David M. Frankel and Small Business Services Commissioner Robert W. Walsh today announced a new program aimed at granting business and residential tenants access to information about refunds that they could be entitled to.

Albany, NY - July 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today traveled to Monroe County to sign New York's first property tax cap.. The tax cap, a hallmark of Governor Cuomo's campaign and a priority of his administration's first year, will finally deliver relief to millions of homeowners and business owners across the state who for too long have been burdened by out-of-control property taxes.

Albany, NY - July 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today traveled to Erie County to sign New York's first property tax cap. The tax cap, a hallmark of Governor Cuomo's campaign and a priority of his administration's first year, will finally deliver relief to millions of homeowners and business owners across the state who for too long have been burdened by out-of-control property taxes.

New York, NY - July 1 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Governor signed the law passed by the Senate on June 24, 2011, and sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos. The law caps school and local government taxes to less than two percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is lower. The new law also includes $127 million in mandate relief savings to local governments, in addition to the creation of a Mandate Relief Council to identify and repeal unsound, unduly burdensome laws and regulations