Schuyler County has received $22,141.00 from the U.S. Department of the Interior under the 2022 Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, county officials announced Tuesday.
Notice of the Award was received by Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman on Monday (June 27). According to Getman, PILT payments are made for tax-exempt federal lands administered by the Department’s agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.That includes the Finger Lakes National Forest, located in both Schuyler and Seneca Counties, Getman said.
“PILT seeks to compensate local governments for the inability to collect property taxes on federally owned land,” Getman explained. “It’s a recognition that local governments provide significant support for national parks, wildlife refuges, and recreation areas.”
According to County Administrator Fonda Chronis, the funds can be used for essential local government services, such as emergency services, transportation infrastructure, law enforcement and health care.
“This program is an important example of how the federal government can act as a good neighbor to the county and help local governments carry out vital services,” Chronis said.
“The Schuyler County Legislature remains committed to utilizing revenue from every source to offset burdens on local taxpayers,” he added.
Schuyler County Treasurer Holley Sokolowski noted that the amount paid was approximately ten percent more than the previous year.
“It was also the highest amount received this year by any county upstate, with only Dutchess and New York Counties receiving higher awards,” Sokolowski said.
Monday, July 11, 2022
Schuyler County Receives $22K in Federal PILT Funds
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Schuyler County man jailed for failure to pay nearly $31,000 in back child support
According to the office of Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman, the man was found in willful violation of a prior court order because he failed to pay $30,993.72 in court-ordered support for the benefit of his two children. This failure to pay stretched back to at least November 2018, court records showed.
Based on the evidence, Stevens argued that the respondent should be sentenced to 60 days in jail, consecutive to any sentence for the Chemung County criminal matter.
The respondent was represented by Schuyler County Assistant Public Defender Mark Raniewicz. Raniewicz asked the court to consider his client’s circumstances, arguing that the respondent intended to get a job and pay support upon his release from incarceration and that the court should impose any jail sentence concurrent to any sentence in Chemung County.
After hearing from the attorneys, and giving the respondent an opportunity to speak, Schuyler County Family Court Judge Matthew Hayden confirmed the man had willfully violated the child support order, and determined that the respondent should be jailed. Therefore, he sentenced the respondent to sixty days incarceration, consecutive to any sentence in the Chemung County criminal matter and entered a money judgement for the past due child support. Hayden also directed that the respondent could be released from jail if he paid the full amount of back child support.
“These jail sentences send a message that will hopefully resonate,” Getman said. “Under New York State law, parents who willfully fail to obey court orders of child support can be sentenced to up to six months for contempt of court.”
“Parents who refuse to support their children can, and will, be punished when appropriate.”
The County Attorney’s Office represents the Department of Social Services in prosecuting child support cases brought in Family Court by that agency. In addition, the office provides support collection services for eligible custodial parents seeking assistance in establishing and enforcing orders for child support.
The County Attorney’s Office was assisted in the prosecution and presentation of the case by employees of the County’s Child Support Enforcement Unit.
The man’s name and address was not released to protect the privacy of his children and family.
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
Second Amendment Legal Update, July 2022
Monday, July 4, 2022
Monday, June 27, 2022
Public Comment Sought on Proposed Amendment for Uniform Standards of Eligibility in Family Court
1) “A person entitled to publicly funded counsel pursuant to [FCA 262, SCPA 407, or Judiciary Law 35(8)] shall be financially eligible for counsel when the person’s current available resources are insufficient to pay for a qualified private attorney, the expenses necessary for effective representation, and the reasonable living expenses of the person and any dependents.”2) “Counsel shall be provided at the first court appearance or immediately following the request for counsel, whichever is earlier. Eligibility determinations shall be made in a timely fashion so that representation by counsel is not delayed.”
3) “A parent or legally responsible person, as defined by law, shall be entitled to and provided with immediate representation by counsel: (i) upon the filing of a petition or pre-petition request under Article 10 of the Family Court Act for an order for immediate removal of a child or temporary order of protection; (ii) where the court has received notice of an extra-judicial emergency removal of a child; or (iii) upon the filing of a petition alleging abuse or neglect against the parent or person legally responsible. In accordance with this entitlement, counsel shall be provided sufficiently in advance of the person’s first court appearance and shall also be provided for parents during a child protective agency investigation ….”
4) A presumption of eligibility when the person’s net income is at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; the person is incarcerated, detained, or confined to a mental health institution, or is currently receiving, or has recently been deemed eligible pending receipt of, need-based public assistance, or within the past six months, has been deemed financially eligible for counsel in another court proceeding in that jurisdiction or another jurisdiction.
5) A determination denying counsel by the court or delegated screening entity shall be in writing, shall include reasons for the denial and procedure for seeking reconsideration, and shall be provided to the person seeking counsel.
The request for public comment can be found here.
Thursday, June 23, 2022
Notice of Entry: Judgment of Foreclosure
Judgment of Foreclosure with Notice of Entry Ind No. 19-145 by Steven Getman on Scribd
Monday, June 20, 2022
Virtual Court Navigator Pilot Program Announced
On June 6, the Virtual Court Navigator Pilot Program began scheduling appointments for unrepresented court users in: Albany, Columbia, Rensselaer, Ulster, Broome, Tompkins, and Chemung Counties as well as Erie County Surrogate’s Court.
Users in those counties who want schedule a time to meet with a virtual court navigator, can complete the online intake form.
For more information about the Virtual Court Navigator Pilot Program click here.
Monday, June 13, 2022
Beware these Cryptocurrency Investment Risks
• Highly Speculative and Unpredictable Value;
• Difficulty Cashing Out Investments;
• Higher Transaction Costs;
• Unstable “Stablecoins;
• Hidden Trading Costs;
• Possible Conflicts of Interest;
• Limited Oversight.
Even “legitimate” investments in virtual assets are subject to speculative bubbles and security issues, the report notes.
Members of the public who are worried that they have been a victim of investment fraud, can contact the Investor Protection Bureau or seek the advice of a competent attorney of their own choosing.
For more guidance on the possible risks associated with cryptocurrencies click here.
Monday, June 6, 2022
Second Amendment Legal Update, June 2022
For a complete PDF copy of this month's update, click here.
