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I accidentally wound up with too much money in my Transit Check account. I'm hoping to load up some Metrocards with the excess money and sell them online — on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or somewhere like that. Is this legal? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 17, 2022 - 11 answers

my subletter was supposed to sublet my nyc apartment until june - i haven't heard from him since covid started, and haven't gotten the rent for march. i know he works at a cafe that's probably shut down now and that his parents have been helping him with the rent. things have been a little haphazard this whole time, but now he's not responding to texts/calls/emails at all. i'm worried and am not sure what to do! more details below... [more inside]
posted by lightgray on Mar 24, 2020 - 5 answers

A few years ago I owned a business. As part of the business dissolution, I received a relatively hefty sum in personal goodwill separate from the sale of the business assets and customer list. Unfortunately, at the end of the business sale process my life took a real turn and I never got everything handled with the IRS. I need to know who to talk to and in what order. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 10, 2019 - 1 answer

I am in process of opening a small store in Brooklyn and am looking for some trusted advice on how to get the "business" part of it properly done. I would like advice on whether to use an online service such as Legalzoom, or if anyone can recommend a good person to work with who can help set everything up. I am in North Brooklyn (Greenpoint/Williamsburg/Bushwick area). [more inside]
posted by catrae on Feb 26, 2019 - 7 answers

I am part of a NYC resistance group that formed after the election, and we are looking for a free/very cheap non-profit accountant and lawyer for advice. What is the best way to find some specialized assistance? [more inside]
posted by crocodiletsunami on Aug 25, 2017 - 5 answers

I live in an NYC rent stabilized apartment and I filed an HP Action against my slumlord because he shut our water off without notice for a day. I am also claiming harassment and retaliation. He turned it back on after I contacted a tenant's rights organizer. Court is in a few days and I want to win a rent abatement. No legal aid places in NYC are doing HP actions (I exhausted all options). I am terrified. What do I say before a judge to get a rent abatement? [more inside]
posted by Kombucha3452 on Dec 9, 2016 - 3 answers

The door to the roof of my new NYC apartment beckons to me with dreams of sunset glasses of wine and weekend lunch picnics, but am I inviting trouble? Does "unofficial rooftop access" exist? I know people in the city hang out on their roofs all the time, but exactly how kosher is this? And what is the limit? Do landlords on average just turn a blind eye? Details inside. [more inside]
posted by snappysnapper on Jul 8, 2014 - 27 answers

I'd like to start on online-base media/information/advice business, and I'm having trouble deciding on where to incorporate. [more inside]
posted by NYC-BB on Feb 18, 2014 - 4 answers

An activist performance artist is currently facing a year in jail for a 15 minute protest in a New York bank; the Manhattan District Attorney’s is charging him and his choir director with “riot in the second degree, menacing in the third degree, unlawful assembly, and two counts of disorderly conduct”. The case is well publicized and has first amendment issues; I’m curious about its economic implications. How much money will New York City spend bringing this case to trial? What if the trial goes past the one hearing? How much does it cost to jail someone for a year? Courtroom use; judge and prosecutor time; trials for other crimes having to start later, appeals: added up, what do these parts of a misdemeanor prosecution cost NYC in cash money?
posted by Haere on Dec 8, 2013 - 6 answers

Does anyone know the legalities / possibilities of renting out empty storefronts / loft spaces / warehouses for only 1 or 2 nights in NYC? I want to rent the space, bring some simple food and drinks, throw a party, and sell some art. Is this legal or even possible? [more inside]
posted by NYC-BB on Mar 17, 2013 - 9 answers

Legal advice for breaking lease in NYC? [more inside]
posted by skybluesky on Mar 16, 2012 - 2 answers

Who owns sidewalk tree planters in New York City? The city, or the owners of the building the sidewalk abuts? [more inside]
posted by tweebiscuit on Aug 16, 2011 - 9 answers

I'm a dude going to marry a dude in New York State. Said dude I am going to marry is a resident alien from the UK. Will the UK recognize the marriage? Does he become an American Citizen by marrying him? Does that counteract his UK citizenship? What are my rights, here?
posted by The Whelk on Jul 20, 2011 - 27 answers

NYC-filter: My apartment building's management is totally irresponsible and unresponsive. And they just raised the rent. Can I—or should I—take action? [more inside]
posted by functionequalsform on May 20, 2011 - 20 answers

How much does it cost for the city clerk's signature to be verified, on both a marriage license and a marriage certificate, by the county clerk of New York County? I cannot find this information anywhere and I need it for an apostille. [more inside]
posted by mdonley on Feb 7, 2010 - 5 answers

My maternal great aunt's husband just died; this guy had been lying to my great aunt for years, claiming they were destitute and living off of her while squirreling away all his money. It looks like he's trying to leave everything to his son, and leave her cold; where can my mother find a good inheritance lawyer in New York City? Neither my mother nor her aunt is rich. [more inside]
posted by korpios on Oct 26, 2008 - 7 answers

I am a culinary student in NYC studying the art of Pastry. I would like to start a small home business and make pastries to sell at local craft fairs. Does any one know how to go about this? How do the laws and regulations differ for home baking versus commercial baking? Is it even permissible to bake at home and sell at craft fairs? Would it be easer to rent out commercial space and then sell at the fairs? Help would be appreciated. Thanks! [more inside]
posted by Stagecraft on Sep 23, 2008 - 6 answers

NYC: i have a weird rent/sublet situation and would like some advice on how to protect myself, stuff, and money WITHOUT signing a lease. read on... [more inside]
posted by slograffiti on Sep 2, 2008 - 11 answers

Is there any chance of a 19 year old male getting in to a club in NYC next Friday? [more inside]
posted by phrontist on Jul 13, 2008 - 11 answers

How do I stop repeated door-to-door solicitation, inside a NYC apartment building? It wakes me up (I have to sleep during day shift) and it's really frustrating. [more inside]
posted by lorimer on Oct 31, 2007 - 41 answers

I got hit by a car on a bicycle while carrying a laptop. Bicycle & laptop are busted, but thankfully I'm not. What do I do now, legally speaking? [more inside]
posted by suedehead on Sep 7, 2007 - 19 answers

Have you done a short-term sublet (or housing swap)? If you were the renter: how did you evaluate applicants, and how did you help your subletter feel at home? If you were the subletter: what worked, and what do you wish the renter had done for you or told you? I'll be subletting my apartment in NYC but I'd love to hear from people in all areas & situations. [more inside]
posted by allterrainbrain on Feb 1, 2007 - 9 answers

A friend of my brother's was arrested last night in Manhattan for DWI. What can my brother do to help him out? [more inside]
posted by schustafa on Jan 5, 2007 - 3 answers