CORPORATIONS The most common form of
business organization, and one which is
chartered by a state and given many legal
rights as an entity separate from its owners.
This form of business is characterized by the
limited liability of its owners, the issuance of
shares of easily transferable stock, and
existence as a going concern. PROPERTY IS
OWNED IN SEVERALTY
C CORPORATION must
pay corporate income
tax.Then when profits are
distributed to the
shareholders,the
shareholders pay income
tax on the dividends as
well,which leads to a
situation of
double-taxation.
S CORPORATION functions as
corporation but like a partnership it
does not pay any corporate income
taxes.instead the corporations
income or losses are divided among
and passed through to it
shareholders.The shareholders then
must report the income or loss on
their own individual income tax
returns.
CONDOMINIUMS A form of
property ownership in which
each owner holds title to
his/her individual unit, plus a
fractional interest in the
common areas of the
multi-unit project. Each
owner pays taxes on his/her
property, and is free to sell or
lease it.TENANTS IN
COMMON
COOPERATIVES A type of
common property ownership,
such as when the residents of a
multi-unit housing complex own
shares in the corporation that
owns the property, rather than
owning their own units. also
called co-op. (you buy shares in
the corporation,instead of
renting or buying a unit,and is
given a PROPRIETARY LEASE for
a unit in the building.
TOWNHOMES An
attached home that is
not considered to be a
condominium.
SYNDICATE A group of investors who act
together when investing in a
company.JOINT
TENANTS,PARTNERSHIP<CORPORATION
etc)
JOINT VENTURE A contractual
agreement joining together two
or more parties for the purpose
of executing a particular
business undertaking. All parties
agree to share in the profits and
losses of the enterprise.
REIT (RE insvestment trust) Real Estate Investment Trust. A corporation or
trust that uses the pooled capital of many investors to purchase and
manage income property (equity REIT) and/or mortgage loans (mortgage
REIT). REITs are traded on major exchanges just like stocks. They are also
granted special tax considerations. REITs offer several benefits over actually
owning properties. First, they are highly liquid, unlike traditional real estate.
Second, REITs enable sharing in non-residential properties as well, such as
hotels, malls, and other commercial or industrial properties.
ABSOLUTE meaning complete
bundle of rights belongs to the
owner.
RESTRICTIVE COVENANT A clause in a
contract that requires one party to
do, or refrain from doing, certain
things. Often, a restriction on a
borrower imposed by a lender. also
called covenant. IT MUST BE
RECORDED,runs with the land.
DEED RESTRICTIONS Clauses in a deed
limiting the future uses of the property.
Deed restrictions may impose a vast variety
of limitations and conditions; for example,
they may limit the density of buildings,
dictate the types of structures that can be
erected, or prevent buildings from being
used for specific purposes or even from
being used at all. (title QUALIFIED FEE ESTATE)
CIVIL RIGHT ACT 1968 religion,national origin and ancestry became
protected classes.
INTERSTATE LAND SALES FULL DISCLSURE ACT
protects consumers from fraud and abuse in the sale
or lease of land. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING and HUD.
SEQR (state environmental quality review
act) requires to assess the environmental
impact of any activity or action approved by
a state agency or unit of local government.
EIS - actually a process that describes and
analyzes the proposed action.
SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS
can be private and public.
Private subdivision
regulations enable property
owners to maintain the
quality and consistency of the
residences in the subdivision.
SETBACK REQUIRAMENTS The
amount of space local zoning
regulations require between a
lot line and a building line; the
distance required from a given
reference point before a
structure can be built.
DOCTRINE OF LACHES
when the loss of legal
rights occurs due to the
failure to assert rights in a
timely manner.
PUBLIC LAND USE RESTRICTIONS are those imposed by the
government and the local state and federal level.
POLICE POWER The government's right to impose laws,
statutes, and ordinances, including zoning ordinances
and building codes, to protect the public health, safety,
and welfare.
ESCHEAT The reversion of property to the
state or county, as provided by state law, in
cases where a decedent dies intestate
without heirs capable of inheriting, or when
the property is abandoned.
EMINENT DOMAIN The right of a government to
seize private property for public use, in
exchange for payment of fair market value.
TAKING occur when the government acquires private
property for public use by appropriation.WITHOUT
COMPENSATION
PROPERTY REPORT The mandatory federal
and state documents compiled by
sub-dividers and developers to provide
potential purchasers with facts about a
property, prior to their purchase.
PLANING BOARD hold public hearings,investigates
solutions for the planning issues at hand,and makes
recommendations to the appropriate legislative
authority.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF PLANNING
BOARD *CREATING CAPITAL BUDGET
*DEVELOPING/CONTROLLING CITYS
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN *REGULATE
PLAT,DENSITY STREET,and TRAFFIC
PATTERS *REVIEWING SITE PLANS
*TAKING SPECIFIC ZONING ACTIONS.
MASTER PLAN (comprehensive plan) A
comprehensive plan made by a
government or government agency to
guide the long-term physical development
of a particular area.
OFFICIAL MAP is final and conclusive with
respect to the location and width of the
communitys streets,highways,drainage
systems and parks.
DENSITY which is the number of families that can
inhabit a plot of land.Planning boards must regulate a
communitys density to avoid overcrowding in
residential areas.
PLATS A chart or map of a certain area showing the
boundaries of individual lots, streets, and easements.
CUL-DE-SACS or dead end
streets that do not connect to
main roads.
DEMOGRAPHY is the study of the social and
economic status of a given area or population
CENSUS TRACTS which are relatively small areas
used to track the population if USA by US Census
Bureau.
INFRASTRUCTURE The basic physical systems of a
country's or community's population, including roads,
utilities, water, sewage, etc. These systems are
considered essential for enabling productivity in the
economy. Developing infrastructure often requires
large initial investment, but the economies of scale
tend to be significant.
TOPOGRAPHY physical characteristics of a parcel of land.
TOPOGRAPHY includes "water sources","native
vegetation","location of trees and rocks","soil
type","floodplains".
SURVEYS The process by which boundaries are
measured and land areas are determined; the
on-site measurement of lot lines, dimensions,
and position of a house on a lot, including the
determination of any existing encroachments
or easements.
ZONING
ZONING ORDINANCES are local laws that divide a city or county into
different areas,or zones.They set forth the type of use permitted under
each zoning classification and specify requirements for compliance.
Have ZONING MAP that divides the community into designated
districts. TEXT OF ZONING ordinance that sets forth the type of use
permitted in each zone,including specific requirements for
compliance.
MORATORIUM planing board impose moratorium that temporarily
suspends the right of property owners to obtain development
approvals while the local legislature takes time to consider draft,and
adopt land use regulations or rules to respond to new or changing
circumstances not adequately dealt with by its current laws.
ACCESSORY USES are uses or occupancy incidental or
subordinate to the principal use or occupancy of a
property.
VACANT LAND is unimproved land,or land with no buildings.
AS OF RIGHT ZONING prohibits discrimination among
landowners in a particular zone.If one landowner is permitted
to build a pence,all landowners are permitted to do that too.
CLUSTER ZONING allows developers to provide a varied
selection of lot sizes and housing choises within a single
area.The zone may consist ABUTTING PROPERTIES which are
directly contiguous sharing at least one common boundry.
It may also take the form of PLANNED UNIT
DEVELOPMENT (PUD) which is a special type of
subdivision in which developers do not have to comply
with all standard zoning and subdivision regulations.
INCENTIVE ZONING is a system by which developers
receive zoning incentives on the condition that
specific physical,social,or cultural benefits are
provided to the community.
SPOT REZONING illegal rezoning of single parcel
or small area to benfit one or more property
owners rather than carry out the objectives of
the master plan.
TRANSFER OF DEVELOPING RIGHTS occurs when a
developer buys the development rights from a property
owner who cannot use them.
ARTICLE 78 PROCEEDINGS refers to an article of the NY Practice
law and rules that allows aggrieved persons to bring an action
against a government body or office,or in the case of zoning
disputes.
NONCONFORMING LAW A use of property that is
permitted to continue after a zoning ordinance
prohibiting it has been established for the area.
VARIANCES is a form of administrative relief that allows
property to be used in a way that does not commply with
literal requirements of the zoning ordinances.
USE VARIANCES allow landowners to use their land ina way that is
not permitted under current zoning laws-such as commercial use
in a residential area.
AREA VARIANCES entitle landowners to use land in a way is
typically not allowed by the dimensional or physical
requirements of the zoning law.
SPECIAL USE PERMIT (conditional uses) A right granted by a zoning
authority to conduct certain activities not normally allowed within the
zoning district. Also called a conditional use permit.