Justin M Grassi, Esq.

02/13/2020

Thank you to all those involved with the 16th annual Saratoga County Planning and Zoning Conference and for giving me the opportunity to be a speaker at this years event! I believe the event had record breaking attendance from members of Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Appeals, elected officials and municipal staff from Saratoga County and numerous surrounding counties for professional training related to planning and zoning matters. I look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

10/04/2019

I invited Jennifer Grassi once to a Planning Board meeting where I was representing the Board, she came but said it would likely be the last meeting she would attend. The City Council/Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings are certainly not entertaining for everyone, but they are like my second home. Whether you need representation navigating the approval process for a site plan permit, special use permit, area or use variance, subdivision/lot line adjustment or some other land use board approval, look no further than Jones Steves, Attorneys at Law.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — As is often the case at municipal meetings, although there are many itemized topics to be addressed on the bi-weekly agenda, often one or two items

10/01/2019

"Haunted" attractions are once again rising from the dead and becoming popular. I always find this season interesting. As you can imagine, there are a horrifying number of lawsuits during Halloween, especially personal injury claims.

In one case, during a trip to a haunted house a patron became batty with fear and ran straight into a wall, breaking her nose. Claiming that the dark wall and lack of lighting was an unreasonably dangerous condition she sued the establishment. The Court disagreed, finding that "the very nature of a Halloween haunted house is to frighten its patrons. In order to get the proper effect, haunted houses are dark and contain scary and/or shocking exhibits. Patrons in a Halloween haunted house are expected to be surprised, startled and scared by the exhibits but the operator does not have a duty to guard against patrons reacting in bizarre, frightened and unpredictable ways". If you are a fan of frights most courts have reached similarly fangtastic findings and ruled in favor of the scare.

So, if you are expecting a monster payout for getting frightened on Halloween, its just witchful thinking. Just because you can't handle your boos doesn't mean you can ruin our fun. If you plan to bring your little one out with you on Halloween and be mummy of the year, best remember that scare tactics are permitted! Have a gourd time this month!

(terrible puns all intended, I would make a skeleton joke but you wouldn't find it very humerus)

BRUNSWICK, N.Y. — Local haunted attraction Field of Horrors is opening this weekend for its sixth season of scaring guests from near and far.

09/27/2019

Recently, I have been involved in a spate of boundary lines disputes. While frequently involving lakefront properties or tight City lots, such disagreements can arise in a number of circumstances. In addition to the loss of basic property rights, they often involve a number of legal concerns, including things such as adverse possession and prescriptive easements. Sometimes, there may be a statute of limitations on the legal arguments you can raise so retaining counsel immediately upon finding a boundary line encumbrance can be very important.

09/06/2019

Jen and I recently celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary culminating with a beautiful view on the rooftop of the Saratoga City Tavern. Definitely enjoying working (and playing) full time in Saratoga again. Cheers to more years to come!

08/18/2019

This little guy turns five weeks old today! Although Thatcher James Grassi is obviously surprised by his bath, we have made sure there won't be any surprises when we are gone. We recently modified our Last Will and Testament to make sure he is provided for and created a Trust that will act to manage assets, such as any life insurance payouts, until he turns 25. Making sure the proper estate planning documents have been executed is just one less thing we have to worry about as new parents. Call me if you want to find out information on setting one up! 👶🍼🚼🤱

08/17/2019

Buying or selling real estate? Once a contract has been prepared for a real estate transaction, the next step will be retaining an attorney to review the legal provisions to confirm they are in your favor. This "attorney review period" generally lasts 3-5 business days and allows either party to propose modifications to the contract. The entire process can be challenging for first time home buyers so questions are always expected and welcome!

08/16/2019

On June 15th, Governor Cuomo signed into law the 'strongest tenant protections in history'. The new laws provide substantial benefits to tenants, often at the detriment of landlords. Among other things, the law is designed to limit significant increases in rent and give eviction protection by requiring an, in my opinion, overly-burdensome process for landlords to navigate. If you have questions about the new laws or are looking for landlord/tenant representation, hit me up! ☎📞⚖

Millions of New Yorkers woke up on Wednesday to the prospect of a city where their rents will barely rise, they’re safe from eviction and they’ll never have to put down more than a month’s security deposit.

08/10/2019

Hey friends, I am excited to announce that I have joined Jones Steves, Attorneys at Law in Saratoga Springs! I will be providing similar legal services as I always have but for a more "local" clientele in Saratoga County. I look forward to working with you all on all of your legal needs!