Housing Links

New/updated links: Changed links to all DHCR web pages (updated July 29, 2008); Rent Stabilization Code text (updated March 3, 2008); New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (updated February 18, 2008); Recent court decisions of interest (updated February 11, 2008).

Table of Contents

General Tenant's Rights and Rent Regulation Information Tenant and Housing Organizations Individual Building/Owner Research New York City Government Agencies New York State Government Agencies Elected Officials Housing Court Other New York State Courts Lawyers Free Legal Services Providers Attorney Directory Public and Charitable Assistance Resources Legal Research Resources General Legal Research and Citation Guides Court & Agency Decisions Laws and Regulations Landlord-Tenant Law Treatises Public Law Libraries and Collections

Periodicals and Publications Special Housing Types Mitchell-Lama and Limited Dividend Housing HUD-Subsidized Multifamily Housing NYCHA Public Housing Section 8 Leased Housing Other City- and State-Subsidized Affordable Housing Lofts SRO Hotels Co-ops, Condos, and Conversion Issues Special Populations Senior Citizens Young People People With Disabilities People With HIV/AIDS Domestic Violence Victims Other Links Pages

General Tenant's Rights and Rent Regulation Information

Met Council Factsheets
NYC Rent Guidelines Board - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Tenant's Rights Guide  (New York State Attorney General)
NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) - Office of Rent Administration  Information for rent-regulated tenants.
LawHelp KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - Housing  A comprehensive collection of 188 tenants' rights fact sheets and booklets. (Shorter URL: http://tinyurl.com/dvjgj)
Useful Information about Housing Rules and Regulations  (NYC Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development) (pdf).
New York City Affordable Housing Resource Center  Information about available affordable housing, public housing, Section 8, evictions, and repairs, and information and resources for senior citizens and people with disabilities.
Rent Smart  (NYS Consumer Protection Board). Includes model lease (pdf).
Fair Housing Guide  (NYS Division of Human Rights) (4.1 MB pdf). Also in Spanish.
New York City and State Housing Standards  Tables identifying key statutory provisions; links to additional resources.
Steven De Castro's housing fact sheets  Useful information for tenants from a tenant lawyer.
tenant-adviceandalert.com  Another tenant lawyer's web site.

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Tenant and Housing Organizations

City-Wide and State-Wide Organizations
Metropolitan Council on Housing  NYC's oldest tenant organization.
New York State Tenants & Neighbors Coalition, Inc.  Statewide advocacy for tenants and affordable housing.
Tenants PAC  Pro-tenant New York political action committee.
Housing Here & Now!  Coalition campaigning for affordable housing, code enforcement, and home rule over rent regulations.
Community Service Society Tenant Advocacy Project  Advocacy and services for tenants of public and federally subsidized housing.
Shalom Tenants Alliance  Coalition of tenants in over 90 buildings owned or managed by the Shalom/Ohebshalom family.

National Organizations
National Housing Law Project  A national housing law and advocacy center focused on affordable and subsidized housing.
National Low Income Housing Coalition  "Dedicated solely to ending America's affordable housing crisis."
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law  Resources for advocates including Clearinghouse Review and the Poverty Law Library.

Bronx
Neighborhood Initiatives Development Corporation  Serves Bronx CB 11 (Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Bronxdale, Van Nest, Laconia).
Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition  Serves the northwest Bronx.

Brooklyn
Brighton Neighborhood Association  Serves Brighton Beach.
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation  Serves Cypress Hills.
Fifth Avenue Committee  Serves lower Park Slope and South Brooklyn.
Make the Road New York  Serves Bushwick.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors  Serves Sunset Park.
Pratt Area Community Council  Serves Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant.
St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corp.  Serves Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

Manhattan
Cooper Square Committee  Serves 14th to Delancey Streets east of Bowery/3rd Ave.
Good Old Lower East Side  Serves 14th to Delancey Streets east of Bowery/4th Ave. and public housing residents on East Side below 14th St.
Hudson Guild/Chelsea Housing Group  Serves Chelsea.
Housing Conservation Coordinators  Serves Hell's Kitchen/Clinton.
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House  Serves the Upper East Side.
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation  Serves Washington Heights and Inwood.
Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council  Serves the Upper West Side.
University Settlement Society/Project Home  Serves the Lower East Side.

Queens
Make the Road New York  Serves western Queens.
Margert Community Corporation  Serves Far Rockaway area.
Queens Community House  Serves Queens.

Staten Island
Make the Road New York  Serves Port Richmond.

Other
Some of the following organizations provide assistance to tenants:

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Individual Building/Owner Research

(Ownership, management, violations, taxes, etc.)

NYC Map Portal  Enter address to see building-level map and find online property information and more.
Property Shark  One-stop access to public records, maps, etc. Unofficial, not always up-to-date, but very convenient.
HPDOnline  NYC Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) - Building registration and violations.
NYC Dept. of Buildings - Building Information Search  Building permits, violations, certificates of occupancy, etc.
NYC City Register (ACRIS)  Property transfer records (deeds, mortgages, etc.).
NYC Dept. of Finance - Property Tax Assessment Records: by block and lot number or by street address.
NYC Dept. of Finance - Property Tax Payment History
NYC Dept. of Finance - J-51 Benefit History  (see also this FAQ on tax abatements/exemptions).
List of buildings with rent-stabilized apartments from 2006 DHCR building registrations.
Database of buildings with rent-stabilized apartments from 1994 DHCR building registrations. Provided by Tenant.net.
Mitchell-Lama Housing Companies in NY State  Data on all DHCR- and HPD-supervised Mitchell-Lama developments.
HUD Multifamily Housing Data  Multiple databases covering buildings with a variety of HUD project-based subsidies.
NYS Dept. of State Corporation and Business Entity Database
NYS Dept. of State Licensee Name Search (Real estate brokers/salespersons, barbers, hearing aid dispensers, etc.)
NYS Dept. of Correctional Services Inmate Lookup

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New York City Government Agencies

NYC.gov - City of New York Home Page
2003-2004 Green Book  The official directory of the City of New York (4.5 MB pdf). Information on the current Green Book.
NYC Department for the Aging
NYC Department of Buildings
NYC HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA)
NYC Department of Homeless Services
NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA)  Public and subsidized housing
NYC Housing Development Corporation
NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA/DSS)
NYC Commission on Human Rights -- Housing
NYC Law Department
NYC Loft Board
NYC Marshals  The enforcement officers of the NYC Civil Court.
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities - Housing
NYC Rent Guidelines Board

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New York State Government Agencies

New York State Government Agencies and Offices
New York State Government Telephone Directory
NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) - Office of Rent Administration
NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) - Home Page
NYS Department of State - Real Estate Broker-Salesperson Page
NYS Attorney General - Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection
NYS Division of Human Rights
NYS Committee on Open Government - Your Right to Know  (FOIL, Open Meetings, Privacy)

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Elected Officials

They Represent You  Lookup elected representatives for any NYC address (League of Women Voters of the City of New York).
Links to elected officials' websites  (League of Women Voters of the City of New York).

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Housing Court (Housing Part, New York City Civil Court)

Housing Part, NYC Civil Court Home Page  Site highlights: New York City Civil Court Act  Statute establishing and governing the NYC Civil Court. (Loislaw*) (Free public source: Laws of New York)
New York City Civil Court Act § 110  Statute establishing the Housing Part of the NYC Civil Court.
The Legal Aid Society Community Website - Housing Answers to frequently asked questions about Housing Court cases.
City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court Top Ten Mistakes Tenants Make in Housing Court By South Brooklyn Legal Services.
Housing Court Records and Your Credit Report By the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project.

For court decisions, see Free Online Legal Research Resources - Court & Agency Decisions.

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Other New York State Courts

NYS Unified Court System
Courthelp.gov  The NYS Unified Court System's website for self-represented litigants.
Small Claims Part, NYC Civil Court
A Guide To Small Claims Court  By the NYC Civil Court.
Supreme Court, New York County - Civil Branch
Supreme Court, New York County "SCROLL" (Supreme Court Records On-Line Library): Index number search; multi-field search. Rules of the New York State Unified Court System WebCivil Supreme (replaces former Future Court Appearance System application).   Case status, motions, and appearances for Supreme Court cases assigned to a judge from 1986 to present.
Appellate Division, First Department
Appellate Division, Second Department
New York Court of Appeals
A primer on CPLR article 78 proceedings by tenant lawyer Steven DeCastro.

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Lawyers

Free Legal Services Providers

LawHelp.org/NY  Use this web site first to find offices serving your area and type of problem!
City Bar Association Legal Clinic and Hotline  Serves all of NYC.
Legal Aid Society of New York - Civil Practice  Programs and offices city-wide.
Legal Services NYC  Programs and offices city-wide. CAMBA Legal Services  Serves Brooklyn.
The Door Legal Services Center  Serves people between the ages of 12 and 21 city-wide.
Eviction Intervention Services  Serves 42nd - 72nd Streets from 5th Ave. to East River, Roosevelt Island.
Housing Conservation Coordinators  Serves 34th - 72nd Streets west of 8th Ave.
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House  Serves 59th to 96th Streets from 5th Ave. to East River, Roosevelt Island.
MFY Legal Services  Area served varies by program.
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp. Legal Services  Serves Washington Heights and Inwood.
West Side SRO Law Project  Serves SRO tenants on West Side north of 14th St.

New York State Attorney Directory

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Public and Charitable Assistance Resources

City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court Hotline  Referrals to charitable assistance for rent arrears.
Community Service Society Public Benefits Counseling and Eviction Prevention services.
Charitable organizations providing rental assistance
Top 10 Things You Need To Know About Paying Back Rent By City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court
Emergency Assistance (One-Shot Deal) information By EarnBenefits Online

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Legal Research Resources

General Legal Research and Citation Guides

Zimmerman's Research Guide  "An Online Encyclopedia for Legal Researchers," courtesy of LexisNexis.
New York State Law Reporting Bureau Legal Research Portal
Glossary of Legal Terms
English-Spanish Glossary of Legal Terms / Glosario de Terminología Jurídica Corriente (Inglés - Español)
New York Law Reports Style Manual  The official legal citation and style authority for NY state courts.

Free Online Legal Research Resources - Court & Agency Decisions

New York State Law Reporting Bureau

Official Case Name and Citation Locator  Find the Official Reports "cite-as" case name for New York state court decisions by entering the citation, or find the Official Reports citation for New York state court decisions by party name(s).

Loislaw (* see access note): Search officially reported or abstracted decisions of all New York State courts combined or search by court:

New York Court of Appeals decisions from 1992-present are also available from the Legal Information Institute and on Findlaw.

LexisOne  Free case law search/retrieval from last 5 years of NY Court of Appeals, NY Appellate Division, and US Courts of Appeals, plus US Supreme Court cases from 1790.

Appellate Briefs -- Appellate Division, Second Department

DHCR PAR decisions  (1990-1994 only) Provided by Tenant.net.

CITYADMIN - Search New York City Agency Decisions  (Loft Board, OATH, ECB, Buildings, BSA, Planning, etc.)

See also New York Law Journal, Landlord-Tenant Law Treatises and Public Law Libraries and Collections.

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Free Online Legal Research - Laws and Regulations

New York State Consolidated Laws  (Loislaw*) Search
New York State Freedom of Information Law

New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations (NYCRR)  (Loislaw*) Search
New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations (NYCRR) Free version from the NYS Department of State.
Unofficial versions of the New York City Charter and Administrative Code of the City of New York: New York City Local Laws, Resolutions, and Introductions 1990-present (NYC Council)
Rules of the City of New York
General Obligations Law, Article 7, Title 1 (Security Deposits) (Loislaw*) (Free source: Laws of New York.)

DHCR Rent Stabilization Guidance Documents and Forms: New York City Rent Guidelines Board Orders for Apartments and Lofts and for Hotels.


Multiple Dwelling Law (Loislaw*) (Free source: Laws of New York.)
New York City Housing Maintenance Code
Title 28 of the Rules of the City of New York: Department of Housing Preservation and Development NYC Building Code
NYC Window Guard Regulations New York City Health Code (24 RCNY) § 12-01 et seq.

NYPD Patrol Guide Procedures 214-12 and 214-13 (pdf)

Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL), Article 7 - Summary Proceedings (Loislaw*) New York City Civil Court Act (Loislaw*) (Free source: Laws of New York.) Uniform Rules of the New York State Unified Court System New York City Civil Court Directives & Advisory Notices  Also available as a single pdf file
Housing Court Judge Profiles & Part Rules

Title 24, Code of Federal Regulations -- Housing and Urban Development (current)
Fair Credit Reporting Act (Federal Trade Commission) Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Federal Trade Commission)
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Landlord-Tenant Law Treatises

Finkelstein and Ferrara, Landlord and Tenant Practice in New York
Dolan, Rasch's New York Landlord and Tenant, Including Summary Proceedings
Gallet, (Gould's) New York Landlord and Tenant Handbook
Scherer, Residential Landlord-Tenant Law in New York
HUD Housing Programs: Tenants' Rights, 3rd ed., published by the National Housing Law Project

Public Law Libraries and Collections

New York State Public Access Law Libraries Law libraries with public access in the greater New York area
New York County Public Access Law Library
Kings County (Brooklyn) Supreme Court Law Library
Law Library of Queens County
CUNY School of Law Library
City Hall Library (for New York City reports and publications)
Other public law collections in Manhattan

All of New York City's law school libraries and most of its university libraries are Federal Depository Libraries and several are designated by the New York State Document Depository Program as New York State Documents Reference Centers. These libraries must make deposited federal and state materials freely available to the public pursuant to the Federal Depository Libraries public access statute and the New York State Document Depository Manual. Library patrons using government document collections might have access to other research material and databases, depending on library policies. Complete list of Federal Depository Libraries in New York.

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Periodicals and Publications

Tenant/Inquilino  Monthly, bilingual newspaper for tenants from Met Council on Housing.

City Limits "New York's Urban Affairs News Magazine"

Clearinghouse Review  Bimonthly publication of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.
Gotham Gazette: Housing  Daily news website covering New York City issues.

Housing Court Reporter  Unofficial source for New York landlord-tenant decisions. Annual volumes issued 1983-current. Available at: HCR to the Minute  Citations and digest notes for recent landlord-tenant decisions.

Housing Law Bulletin  Monthly publication of the National Housing Law Project.
Landlord-Tenant Monthly  Print only, sample issue online.

Landlord-tenant law articles written or co-authored by Gerald Lebovits, Housing Court Judge, New York City Civil Court.

Memo to Members  Weekly bulletin of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Shelterforce  "The Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Building," published bimonthly by the National Housing Institute.  
Vendome Group  Landlord-oriented newsletters and digests; some online indexes & searching:
See also Landlord-Tenant Law Treatises below

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Special Housing Types

Mitchell-Lama and Limited Dividend Housing

Mitchell-Lama Housing Companies in NY State  Annual report with details on DHCR- and HPD-supervised M-L developments
NYS Department of Housing and Community Renewal - Housing Operations
Private Housing Finance Law, Article 2 (Limited-Profit Housing Companies Law)  (Loislaw*) The "Mitchell-Lama Law." (Free source: Laws of New York.)
Private Housing Finance Law, Article 4 (Limited-Dividend Housing Companies)  (Loislaw*) (Free source: Laws of New York.)
Occupancy regulations for DHCR-supervised Mitchell-Lama and limited dividend housing (9 NYCRR part 1727); also on Loislaw [see access note *] and New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations)
Complete regulations governing DHCR-supervised Mitchell-Lama and limited dividend housing companies (Loislaw*) (Free source: New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations)
NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Development's Mitchell-Lama Housing page
HPD regulations for city-supervised Mitchell-Lama housing (pdf)
Save Mitchell-Lama Mitchell-Lama Residents Coalition  Mitchell-Lama Residents Coalition Newsletter archives
Independence Plaza North Tenant Association
Affordable No More: New York City's Looming Crisis in Mitchell-Lama and Limited Dividend Housing  2004 report by NYC Comptroller (pdf)
State Comptroller's 2005 audit of DHCR supervision of Mitchell-Lama buyouts (pdf); Press release announcing audit report.

HUD-Subsidized Multifamily Housing (Project-based Section 8, Section 236, etc.)

HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1: Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs. Also available as a single 9MB PDF file.
HUD Office of Multifamily Housing Programs
National Housing Law Project - HUD Rental Housing
National Alliance of HUD Tenants  "A multi-cultural, tenant-controlled alliance of tenant organizations in privately-owned, multifamily HUD-assisted housing."
New York State Tenants & Neighbors  Information and advocacy for tenants of project-based subsidized housing.
Community Service Society Tenant Advocacy Project Assisted Housing Management Insider newsletter -- sample issue and 1993-2005 index

NYCHA Public Housing

NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA)
NYCHA Resident Handbook, "A Home to be Proud Of" (pdf).
Community Service Society Tenant Advocacy Project What Do I Need to Do If Someone Comes to Live in My NYCHA Apartment? (pdf) How Do I Handle Housing Authority Termination-of-Tenancy Problems? (pdf) probono.net-ny Housing Library - NYCHA  (signup required)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Public and Indian Housing
National Housing Law Project - Public Housing
ENPHRONT (Everyhwere and Now Public Housing Residents Organizing Nationally Together)

Section 8 Leased Housing

NYCHA Leased Housing Department
probono.net-ny Housing Library - NYCHA  (signup required)
NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) - Section 8 Program information for tenants and landlords.
HPD 2007 Section 8 Administrative Plan
probono.net-ny Housing Library - HPD Section 8  (signup required)
DHCR 2006 Section 8 Administrative Plan
US Department of Housing and Urban Development - Housing Choice Vouchers
National Housing Law Project - Section 8 Certificate and Voucher Program
Community Service Society Tenant Advocacy Project

Other City- and State-Subsidized Affordable Housing

Housing Stability Plus (HSP)  Rent supplements for homeless individuals, families with children, and adult families leaving shelter for permanent housing, administered by the New York City Department of Homeless Services.

NYC Housing Development Corporation  NYC HDC finances and administers the following programs:

Low-Income Affordable Marketplace Program (LAMP)
Mixed-Income Program ("50/30/20")
80/20 Rental Housing Tax-Exempt Finance Program
New Housing Opportunities Program (New HOP) (middle-income)
Mitchell-Lama Preservation Program
Coop Conversion Program
202 Preservation Program
Affordable Cooperative Housing Program
Liberty Bond Program

New York State Housing Finance Agency HFA finances and administers 80/20, All Affordable, and other affordable housing programs, and allocates federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

Lofts

Multiple Dwelling Law Article 7-C (Legalization of Interim Multiple Dwellings)  (Loislaw*) (Free source: Laws of New York.)
Lower Manhattan Loft Tenants
NYC Loft Board
Searchable Archive of Loft Board Decisions
Loft Board Rules (Title 29 of the Rules of the City of New York) (see also recent amendments)
Recent and proposed amendments to Loft Board rules

SRO Hotels

LawHelp.org -- Know Your Rights - SRO Housing
Notice of Rights and Duties of Hotel Owners and Tenants (DHCR Advisory Opinion 87-2)
West Side SRO Law Project  Serves SRO tenants on West Side north of 14th St.
East Side SRO Law Project  Serves SRO tenants citywide except West Side north of 14th St.
Manhattan Legal Services - SRO Project  Serves SRO tenants who reside on the East Side or anywhere below 14th Street.

Co-ops, Condos, and Conversion Issues

The following materials are available from the Office of the New York State Attorney General, Real Estate Financing Section:
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Special Populations

Senior Citizens

Housing Guide for Seniors  From the NYS Attorney General
Housing Resources for Seniors  Fact sheet by Met Council
NYC Department for the Aging  Administers the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program in rent-regulated housing. Clutter and Hoarding  Resources for addressing clutter and hoarding problems, from Cornell University Weill Medical College & the NYC Hoarding Task Force

Young People

The Door Legal Services Center  Counsel and advocacy services in civil matters to people between the ages of 12 and 21.

People With Disabilities

Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) Program
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
NYC Commission on Human Rights
New York State Division of Human Rights  Publications: Center for Independence of the Disabled - NY
NY State Accessible Housing Registry  Information about accessible apartments located throughout New York State.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law -- Fair Housing

People With HIV/AIDS

New York City AIDS Housing Network
Gay Men's Health Crisis - Legal Services and Client Advocacy  Serves New York City residents living with HIV/AIDS
HIV Law Project  Serves HIV-positive residents of Manhattan and the Bronx
Bronx AIDS Services Legal Advocacy Program  Serves Bronx residents living with HIV/AIDS
NYC HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA)
How to Get to a Place Called Home: A Handbook to Help People Living with HIV AIDS Find Housing in New York City (NYS Department of Health)
HIV/AIDS Discrimination (NYS Division of Human Rights)

Domestic Violence Victims

HousingLink Online Resources for domestic violence survivors seeking safe, affordable housing in New York City.
Domestic Violence and Housing (South Brooklyn Legal Services)

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Other Links Pages

Housing Rights Clinic Research Guide (Hofstra University School of Law)
Links to Other Resources (National Low Income Housing Coalition)
Housing and Homelessness Resources on the Web (National Housing Law Project)
ANHD Links (Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development)
Zimmerman's Research Guide  "An Online Encyclopedia for Legal Researchers."
New York City Documents A comprehensive resource guide by the Columbia University Libraries.

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* Loislaw links are accessible to attorneys admitted in New York State who register for a free New York State Library Borrower's Card. Registration provides free off-site access to the State Library's wide range of subscription databases.

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This page is maintained by Stuart Lawrence. The information presented on this page is not provided as a substitute for legal advice by a licensed attorney. The inclusion of external hyperlinks does not constitute assurance of the accuracy or reliability of the information, products or services contained on the linked sites, and the author does not exercise editorial control over the information you may find at these locations.

Noncommercial reproduction or redistribution of the contents of this page is encouraged.

Last update: July 30, 2008.