Latest Events
| Sun, Sep 5th, @9:30am - 12:00PM Tom Speaking @ First Baptist Church of Elba, NY |
| Sun, Sep 12th, @9:30am - 12:00PM Jason Speaking @ First Baptist Church (Three Mile Bay) |
| Sun, Sep 12th, @9:30am - 12:00PM Tom Speaking a Latham Bible Baptist Church |
| Sun, Sep 12th, @5:00pm - 07:00PM Jason Speaking @ Theresa Presbyterian Church (Theresa) |
| Tue, Sep 14th, @12:00pm - 09:00PM Primary Day |
| Thu, Sep 16th Jason Speaking @ Family Research Council HQ (Washington, DC) |
| Churches Moving Real Property May Soon Find Relief |
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Current Religious Corporations Law requires that when a religious corporation (church) wants to purchase, lease or sell any real property, a Supreme Court Judge must sign the transaction to make it legal. Attorneys generally handle the process and charge a large fee for the service. Pastors have informed me that they pay from five to ten thousand dollars in legal fees to get the judge’s signature on these transactions, and it might require several weeks or months to get the approval. This delay has caused some churches to cancel the transaction because of closing date restrictions. Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D – Westchester) introduced Assembly Bill A5067 to correct this problem for any transaction less than two hundred thousand dollars. Under this bill, the judge would only be involved in transactions of two hundred thousand dollars or more. The Assembly Corporations Committee passed the bill by a vote of 24 to 0 and the Assembly Codes Committee passed it by a vote of 19 to 0. A5067 awaits action in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, and I expect them to move it at any time. In past years, this bill has died in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. Recently, I had a meeting with the Chairman, Assemblyman Herman Farrell (D – Manhattan), and his counsel. Chairman Farrell agreed to move the bill quickly. Because Democrats control the New York State Senate, finding a Democratic sponsor would increase the likelihood of getting action on the bill. Senator Darrel Aubertine (D – Watertown) will be carrying the Senate version knows as S4163. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 01 May 2009 ) |