What is the Family Medical Leave Act and who qualifies?
The Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) was enacted to protect the jobs of employees in need of time off from work to assist family members.  More specifically, it gives employees the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job protected leave in any 12 month period to care for a newborn or newly adopted child or a seriously ill parent, child or spouse.  The employer must hold the employee’s job or provide a similar job upon his/her return, continue group health benefits, and continue the accrued benefits earned by the employee prior to the leave (e.g., vacation time, seniority).

To qualify, the employee must work for an employer that has 50 or more employees, and the employee must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the year preceding the leave.

What are the 2009 changes and how do they apply?
On January 16, 2009, (more…)

Tags: family medical leave act, fmla, leave of absence, unpaid leave

Every homeowner should be aware that the responsibility for keeping up your real property, whether it is your personal residence or a rental property, is not merely a personal preference to be exercised only when you desire. The condition and appearance of the property is also a matter of public interest and, if you fail to maintain said property to the satisfaction of the municipality in which the property is located, you could find yourself being called before a judge in Housing Court.

New York State law grants the courts (more…)

Tags: housing code, housing court, housing court summons, housing court violations

In New York State Grievance Day is the opportunity for owners of Real Property to challenge their property’s assessment for real property tax purposes.

Each municipality has its own Grievance day. Generally towns hold Grievance Day in the spring – in Erie County towns it tends to be (more…)

Tags: equalization rate, grievance day, property assessment, real estate tax, tax