Tanya Hobson Williams Archives - Tanya Hobson-Williams

Last updated by Tanya Hobson-Williams at June 5, 2020.

Statement from Tanya Hobson-Williams on the Death of George Floyd

The death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department is a tragedy and a travesty, an act of unconscionable violence from people we trust to protect and serve our communities.

What makes his death worse, however, is that his circumstances are not unique. Every day across America, Black communities are terrorized by the police, victims of brutality committed under the color of law. Such heinous acts should be punished as the crimes they are, but all too often, perpetrators of police brutality receive no more than a slap on the wrist.

“Change depends on people knowing the truth. Change depends on people speaking that truth out loud. That’s what movements do. Movements educate people to the truth. They pass along information and ideas that many others do not know, and they cause them to ask questions, to challenge their own long-held beliefs. Movements are the way ordinary people get more freedom and justice. Movements are how we keep a check on power and those who abuse it.”

Unita Blackwell, Politician and Activist.

Landlords Need to Give Notice Before Giving the Boot

A new law in New York State has changed the rules for landlords, preventing them from simply kicking tenants out of their apartments. Instead, landlords of unregulated apartments must now give thirty days’ notice if they intend to not renew a lease agreement, thus allowing tenants the opportunity to find new lodgings. It also forces them to give thirty days’ notice if they intend to increase the rent by five percent or more. Continue reading “Landlords Need to Give Notice Before Giving the Boot”

Five Things to Consider When Planning Your Estate

Estate planning is an important task for anyone advancing in years, especially for anyone with a large amount of property that will need to be allocated after your demise. But what do you need to consider when you’re planning your estate? What can you do to avoid catastrophe when the worst comes to pass? Well, here’s five questions to ask yourself when you’re planning your estate. Continue reading “Five Things to Consider When Planning Your Estate”

Covenants and Easements

If you’ve ever been involved in buying or selling real estate, you might’ve heard about “covenants” and “easements,” and maybe even had to go through some bureaucratic pains to deal with them. They’re certainly an important part of any discussion about the sale of property, since they can seriously impact how you use and enjoy that property. But what is a covenant or an easement, and how could it impact the sale of your property? Continue reading “Covenants and Easements”

The Benefits of Forming a Corporation

If you’re just starting out your business, or even if you’ve been in business for a while, you may have thought about forming a corporation. However, you may not know what’s involved in incorporating a business, or what the benefits and risks are of incorporating. Fortunately, incorporation isn’t as scary or difficult as it’s sometimes made out to be, and your business may be able to benefit immensely by incorporating. Continue reading “The Benefits of Forming a Corporation”

When to Consider a Power of Attorney

If you have family members that are growing older or have a loved one with diminished ability to care for themselves, you may need to consider a power of attorney. But what is a power of attorney? And when is it appropriate to consider for yourself or your loved ones? Continue reading “When to Consider a Power of Attorney”

Considering Advance Directives

If you or a loved one are advancing in age, or if your health is deteriorating, it may be wise to investigate the possibility of advance directives. Broadly speaking, advance directives are legal documents that convey your desires, if you are incapable of making those desires known yourself. The term “advance directives” generally covers four kinds of documents: living wills, health care proxies, powers of attorney, and Do Not Resuscitate orders (DNRs). Continue reading “Considering Advance Directives”

The Warranty of Habitability

When you sign a lease to rent an apartment, there are a few basic expectations you probably have about your new residence. One is that you will actually be able to live in the space you’ve rented. While this might seem like a reasonable request, there are many landlords who do not hold up that end of the bargain. Fortunately, the law protects your right to livable conditions, with what is known as the warranty of habitability. Continue reading “The Warranty of Habitability”

Landlord Groups File Lawsuit to Block New Rent Laws

Several groups that represent landlords in New York have sued to block new rent-control measures that were recently signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The new laws limit landlords’ ability to raise rent on rent-controlled apartments, even after their current tenants leave. This limits landlords’ ability to make money on those apartments, which they argue is an unconstitutional deprivation of their property rights. Continue reading “Landlord Groups File Lawsuit to Block New Rent Laws”

What is a Guardianship?

Chances are that, at some point in your life, you’ve heard of a “guardian” before, especially in the context of children, or older relatives, or people with certain disabilities. However, you might not know what a guardian is, or why someone might have one. Fortunately, the idea is easy to understand, and it’s good to know about just in case you, or someone you know, has a guardian appointed for them. Continue reading “What is a Guardianship?”