News & Press

8.02.12 | Foreclosure

Will 2012 See the Creation of “DeMarcovilles”?

In a letter to the editor of the New York Times, MFY shows how Fannie and Freddie Mac’s refusal to reduce mortgage principal will blight once thriving neighborhoods and add to taxpayers’ burdens.

7.23.12 | Tenants

Judge Allows ADA Suit Against NYCHA to Proceed

A federal judge has ruled that a suit brought against the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) by a Staten Island resident who is blind may proceed. The plaintiff is arguing that by refusing to accommodate his disability, and by providing him repeatedly with written notices that he is unable to read, NYCHA is violating …

7.13.12 | Foreclosure

Queens Ledger Alerts Homeowners to Dangers of “Shadow Docket”

The Queens Ledger cites the findings in MFY’s report, Justice Unsettled, to alert homeowners in Queens, which has the highest rate of foreclosure in the state, to the dangers of the “shadow docket.” Queens Ledger Alerts Homeowners to Dangers of “Shadow Docket”

7.09.12 | Workplace Justice

Home Care Workers Win $1 Million in Class Action Settlement

As many as one thousand women who care for New York’s elderly and infirm will share a $1,090,000 settlement in a groundbreaking class action lawsuit against McMillan’s Home Care Agency. This is the first case in New York State to reach class settlement for home care workers, in an industry rife with wage-and-hour violations. Home …

7.09.12 | Tenants

Ropes & Gray Joins MFY’s Externship Program

MFY Legal Services expanded its externship program with an associate from the law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP, who began work on July 9, 2012. Working closely with experienced MFY attorneys, the extern will carry a full caseload, providing advice, counsel and representation in housing court and before administrative agencies. Ropes & Gray Joins …

6.15.12 | Foreclosure

WBAI Interviews MFY on Foreclosure “Shadow Docket”

WBAI, a New York City public radio station, interviewed MFY Deputy Director Elise Brown and foreclosure Senior Staff Attorney Adam Cohen on “Talk Back,” on June 12, 2012, about MFY’s recently released report, Justice Unsettled, which describes the devastating impact of the “shadow docket” on the state’s distressed homeowners. Click here for a link to …

6.15.12 | Kinship Caregivers

MFY Urges State to Amend Law to Help Kinship Caregivers

MFY Legal Services’ Kinship Caregiver Law Project is working with child welfare advocates across the state to urge the state legislature to amend Domestic Relations Law 72 to give relative caregivers (e.g. aunts, uncles, older siblings, etc.) the same rights as grandparents when seeking legal guardianship or custody of a related child who has been …

5.18.12 | Foreclosure

“Justice Unsettled:” MFY’s New Report Urges Action to Save Thousands of Homes in Foreclosure

Justice Unsettled: How the Foreclosure Shadow Docket and Discontinuances Prevent New Yorkers from Saving Their Homes re-examines foreclosure filings studied previously to find that the shadow docket continues to grow, and that thousands of homeowners in foreclosure cannot gain access to settlement conferences that can lead to affordable loan modifications. Thousands of New York Homeowners …

5.02.12 | Adult Home Residents

Bed Bugs & Dangerous Conditions Plague Brooklyn Adult Home Residents

Residents of Surf Manor Home for Adults filed a class action lawsuit against the facility to address longstanding violations of their rights, including a perennial bed bug infestation, poor conditions, lack of essential services, and verbal abuse. A judge issued a temporary restraining order to prevent retaliation. Read more. Read Daily News article on Surf …

5.02.12 | Adult Home Residents

Daily News: They’re Itching for Relief

The New York Daily News reports on the conditions at Surf Manor Adult Home in Brooklyn, where with MFY’s help residents are suing the home for bedbug infestations and other unhealthy and dangerous conditions.