Digging Out from the Information Blizzard

News comes from many places: government sources, traditional news organizations, and lawyer and industry blogs. Two of the most resource rich units in New York City government for the real estate practitioner, the Department of Buildings and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, offer e-mail alerts.

The NYC Department of Buildings issues a free DOB Newsletter via e-mail in five topical areas: DOB News, Application Filing News, Plan Examination News, Inspections and Signoffs News, and Certificate of Occupancy News (http://www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/Admin/cgi-bin/udt/www.nyc.gov/%20portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.3d7edeea3d6d3fc40f3c743566a09da0/. The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development offers e-mail updates in six individual topics: Apartments and Homes for Rent or Sale, Requests for Proposals/ Qualifications/Offers, Housing Education Courses, HPD Press Releases, Residential Building Owner Information, and HPD Web site Features and Enhancements (www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.3dd384ea4a5ccc18844b575156a09da0/). The NYC Department of Finance does not broadcast its news via email but it hosts a section of property news on its Web site (www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/about/about_news_property.shtml). The NYC Department of City Planning offers a 'what's new' update list on its Web site (www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/about/updated.shtml).

RSS Feeds

News organizations and other providers of frequently updated information have begun to distribute their updates through RSS feeds instead of e-mail alerts. RSS requires the use of a feed reader, which acts like an automated e-mail program, but no e-mail address is required. After subscribing to a feed, the person receives updated contents delivered to his or her desktop each time the source is updated with new content.

GlobeSt.com (http://www.globest.com/) provides commercial real estate news with an in-depth local and regional focus as well as original content for the real estate business. Separate RSS feeds exist for New York City, Westchester County, and New Jersey.

The CoStar News Group (http://www.costar.com/) has separate RSS feeds for New York City, Long Island, Westchester, southern Connecticut, and northern New Jersey. CoStar provides commercial real estate news. The Real Deal (http://www.therealdeal.net/) offers news and analysis of the New York residential and commercial real estate market. RSS feeds and e-mail alerts are provided. Cityfeet (http://www.cityfeet.com/) is a commercial real estate site that offers its news via email only and in a searchable news archive. InmanNews (http://www.inman.com/), a residential and commercial real estate news service, offers current news feeds and archived articles. Inman also sponsors a blog (blog.inman.com.)

Blogs

Blogs (also known as blawgs in the legal community) are Web sites that exist chiefly to convey commentary and news, although they are also increasingly popular marketing tools. To facilitate currentness, the most recent entry displays on the top of the page and the older entries follow in reverse chronological order. In the Blawg Directory (http://www.blawg.com/), not many New York real estate entries appear among the over 1000 blogs tracked. A major blog index, Technorati (www.technorati.com), identifies many real estate, planning, and land use blogs, but again, most are not specific to New York or to real estate law.

The law firm of Finkelstein Newman Ferrara hosts the New York Real Estate Lawyer's Blog (http://www.nyrealestatelawblog.com/). Its frequent posts focus on litigation. The firm of Silverberg Zalantis LLP hosts a blog called New York Zoning and Municipal Law Blog (blog.szlawfirm.net). Although there are fewer than 10 posts on this zoning blog in 2007, the posts are useful summaries of recent cases.

Curbed (www.curbed.com), launched in 2004 for NYC, is a popular blog focusing on sales and rental prices, new developments, and neighborhood gossip. It offers insider information about local development efforts, often before it reaches the mainstream media. RSS feeds are offered for either the full content of the blog or for comments posted by readers of the blog.

Information

Keeping up with new material from different information sources can be time-consuming. Keep in mind that the New York Real Estate Law Reporter is available online on a subscription basis, providing in-depth information on all relevant real estate cases. Go to www.ljnonline. com for information.

Uncovering the Real Property Facts in NYC

ACRIS, the NYC Department of Finance, Office of the City Register Automated City Register Information System (www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/ jump/acris.html), accommodates search- es for real and personal property documents, such as deeds and mortgages, filed with the City Register. Searches are done by borough, block and lot numbers; document type; or party name. Scanned images of the documents can be viewed. The block and lot numbers of an address can be found or the address can be determined when starting with block and lot numbers. Prices, mortgages, filed liens, and legal descriptions for every property, including cooperatives since August 2006, appear.

PropertyShark (www.propertyshark. com) provides not only real estate listings, but also allows searches by address, or block and lot, or owner's name for New York City and by address or section/block/lot for other New York counties and cities. Its content includes building dimensions, building class, air rights, and much more. The New York City Property Information System from the Department of Finance (nycserv.nyc.gov/nycproperty/nynav/jsp/selectbbl.jsp) accesses the real estate tax assessment roll. The assessed value and property tax rate and amount can be determined for any property in New York City. Lot and building sizes are indicated.

BIS, the New York City Department of Buildings Building Information System (www.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/bis/bis.shtml), can be used to search for complaints or violations with the DOB or Environmental Control Board; get a list of jobs done on the property; view certificates of occupancy; identify alternate addresses; check landmark status, census tract and community board numbers and related information.

The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (167.153.4.71/hpdonline) Building Registration and Violation web shows HPD and Multiple Dwelling registration numbers, officers, corporate form of ownership, names of the managing agent and emergency contacts, open Housing Maintenance Code violations, and violations from the prior year.

HPD is also a co-sponsor of the NYC Housing and Neighborhood Information System (www.nychanis. com). NYCHANIS consists of three separate components: a Web-based information system, a series of electronic bulletin boards covering a variety of housing issues, and a forum for conducting periodic virtual town meetings.

The New York City Department of City Planning (http://www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/Admin/cgi-bin/udt/www.nyc.gov/html/%20dcp/home.html shows zoning maps and the Zoning Resolution. Other content includes redevelopment and rezoning proposals and plans and neighborhood profiles with statistical reports. It offers a GeoQuery database with an address translator, census fact finder, and map portal.

CityAdmin (www.citylaw.org/city-admin.php) is a collection of decisions from 15 NYC agencies The searchable database includes resolutions from the Board of Standards and Appeals (2002), notices from the DOB (1999), reports from the City Planning Commission (Sept. 2003), and permitting decisions from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (2002). It also includes the full text of the Loft Board orders (1996), the City Council Land Use Committee resolutions (2003-05), and the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure recommendations from the Manhattan, Bronx, and Brooklyn Borough Presidents (2006).

Conclusion

Learning to use Web tools effectively has become critical for the real estate practitioner. Bookmarking useful Web sites, subscribing to RSS feeds, or receiving email alerts are essential guides for cutting through the blizzard of information appearing daily.

Lynn Wishart is Associate Dean, Professor of Law, and Director of the Law Library at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

It seems that information flows unabated onto the desktop or into the PDA 24/7. For many years, information was contained by fee-based access to aggregators, like LexisNexis and Westlaw, or obtained through the services of a third party. In the last few years, the governmental units and private data creators have begun to distribute information directly through the Internet. Much property information now comes from freely available, or reasonably priced, sources on the Internet. And it is available 24/7.

An article published in the March 12, 2007 issue of the New York Law Journal (a sister publication of this newsletter) introduces many of the Web sites needed for real-estate litigation, real-estate transactions, and landlord-tenant practice in New York City. Some of the same Web sites are mentioned below, although this article is intended to complement the references given in the above-mentioned 'Harnessing the Internet,' by Adam Leitman Bailey and Colin E. Kaufman. This article looks first at ways to keep abreast of what is happening in the business and legal marketplaces, and then identifies local Web sites that provide significant amounts of data useful in real-estate transactions or litigation.

What's Up Ahead

News comes from many places: government sources, traditional news organizations, and lawyer and industry blogs. Two of the most resource rich units in New York City government for the real estate practitioner, the Department of Buildings and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, offer e-mail alerts.

The NYC Department of Buildings issues a free DOB Newsletter via e-mail in five topical areas: DOB News, Application Filing News, Plan Examination News, Inspections and Signoffs News, and Certificate of Occupancy News (http://www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/Admin/cgi-bin/udt/www.nyc.gov/%20portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.3d7edeea3d6d3fc40f3c743566a09da0/. The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development offers e-mail updates in six individual topics: Apartments and Homes for Rent or Sale, Requests for Proposals/ Qualifications/Offers, Housing Education Courses, HPD Press Releases, Residential Building Owner Information, and HPD Web site Features and Enhancements (www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.3dd384ea4a5ccc18844b575156a09da0/). The NYC Department of Finance does not broadcast its news via email but it hosts a section of property news on its Web site (www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/about/about_news_property.shtml). The NYC Department of City Planning offers a 'what's new' update list on its Web site (www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/about/updated.shtml).

RSS Feeds

News organizations and other providers of frequently updated information have begun to distribute their updates through RSS feeds instead of e-mail alerts. RSS requires the use of a feed reader, which acts like an automated e-mail program, but no e-mail address is required. After subscribing to a feed, the person receives updated contents delivered to his or her desktop each time the source is updated with new content.

GlobeSt.com (http://www.globest.com/) provides commercial real estate news with an in-depth local and regional focus as well as original content for the real estate business. Separate RSS feeds exist for New York City, Westchester County, and New Jersey.

The CoStar News Group (http://www.costar.com/) has separate RSS feeds for New York City, Long Island, Westchester, southern Connecticut, and northern New Jersey. CoStar provides commercial real estate news. The Real Deal (http://www.therealdeal.net/) offers news and analysis of the New York residential and commercial real estate market. RSS feeds and e-mail alerts are provided. Cityfeet (http://www.cityfeet.com/) is a commercial real estate site that offers its news via email only and in a searchable news archive. InmanNews (http://www.inman.com/), a residential and commercial real estate news service, offers current news feeds and archived articles. Inman also sponsors a blog (blog.inman.com.)

Blogs

Blogs (also known as blawgs in the legal community) are Web sites that exist chiefly to convey commentary and news, although they are also increasingly popular marketing tools. To facilitate currentness, the most recent entry displays on the top of the page and the older entries follow in reverse chronological order. In the Blawg Directory (http://www.blawg.com/), not many New York real estate entries appear among the over 1000 blogs tracked. A major blog index, Technorati (www.technorati.com), identifies many real estate, planning, and land use blogs, but again, most are not specific to New York or to real estate law.

The law firm of Finkelstein Newman Ferrara hosts the New York Real Estate Lawyer's Blog (http://www.nyrealestatelawblog.com/). Its frequent posts focus on litigation. The firm of Silverberg Zalantis LLP hosts a blog called New York Zoning and Municipal Law Blog (blog.szlawfirm.net). Although there are fewer than 10 posts on this zoning blog in 2007, the posts are useful summaries of recent cases.

Curbed (www.curbed.com), launched in 2004 for NYC, is a popular blog focusing on sales and rental prices, new developments, and neighborhood gossip. It offers insider information about local development efforts, often before it reaches the mainstream media. RSS feeds are offered for either the full content of the blog or for comments posted by readers of the blog.

Information

Keeping up with new material from different information sources can be time-consuming. Keep in mind that the New York Real Estate Law Reporter is available online on a subscription basis, providing in-depth information on all relevant real estate cases. Go to www.ljnonline. com for information.

Uncovering the Real Property Facts in NYC

ACRIS, the NYC Department of Finance, Office of the City Register Automated City Register Information System (www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/ jump/acris.html), accommodates search- es for real and personal property documents, such as deeds and mortgages, filed with the City Register. Searches are done by borough, block and lot numbers; document type; or party name. Scanned images of the documents can be viewed. The block and lot numbers of an address can be found or the address can be determined when starting with block and lot numbers. Prices, mortgages, filed liens, and legal descriptions for every property, including cooperatives since August 2006, appear.

PropertyShark (www.propertyshark. com) provides not only real estate listings, but also allows searches by address, or block and lot, or owner's name for New York City and by address or section/block/lot for other New York counties and cities. Its content includes building dimensions, building class, air rights, and much more. The New York City Property Information System from the Department of Finance (nycserv.nyc.gov/nycproperty/nynav/jsp/selectbbl.jsp) accesses the real estate tax assessment roll. The assessed value and property tax rate and amount can be determined for any property in New York City. Lot and building sizes are indicated.

BIS, the New York City Department of Buildings Building Information System (www.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/bis/bis.shtml), can be used to search for complaints or violations with the DOB or Environmental Control Board; get a list of jobs done on the property; view certificates of occupancy; identify alternate addresses; check landmark status, census tract and community board numbers and related information.

The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (167.153.4.71/hpdonline) Building Registration and Violation web shows HPD and Multiple Dwelling registration numbers, officers, corporate form of ownership, names of the managing agent and emergency contacts, open Housing Maintenance Code violations, and violations from the prior year.

HPD is also a co-sponsor of the NYC Housing and Neighborhood Information System (www.nychanis. com). NYCHANIS consists of three separate components: a Web-based information system, a series of electronic bulletin boards covering a variety of housing issues, and a forum for conducting periodic virtual town meetings.

The New York City Department of City Planning (http://www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/Admin/cgi-bin/udt/www.nyc.gov/html/%20dcp/home.html shows zoning maps and the Zoning Resolution. Other content includes redevelopment and rezoning proposals and plans and neighborhood profiles with statistical reports. It offers a GeoQuery database with an address translator, census fact finder, and map portal.

CityAdmin (www.citylaw.org/city-admin.php) is a collection of decisions from 15 NYC agencies The searchable database includes resolutions from the Board of Standards and Appeals (2002), notices from the DOB (1999), reports from the City Planning Commission (Sept. 2003), and permitting decisions from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (2002). It also includes the full text of the Loft Board orders (1996), the City Council Land Use Committee resolutions (2003-05), and the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure recommendations from the Manhattan, Bronx, and Brooklyn Borough Presidents (2006).

Conclusion

Learning to use Web tools effectively has become critical for the real estate practitioner. Bookmarking useful Web sites, subscribing to RSS feeds, or receiving email alerts are essential guides for cutting through the blizzard of information appearing daily.

Lynn Wishart is Associate Dean, Professor of Law, and Director of the Law Library at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.