Since the 19th Century, U.S. Immigration laws have sought to bar entry to immigrants who are likely to become “public charges.” In more recent times, that term has been defined as individuals who are likely to need means-tested public benefits, such as welfare and SNAP benefits. Until last year, the showing that a green card […]
Vermont Law
Vermont Trail Use in Legal Limbo Following Governor’s Executive Order
Act 250 May No Longer Regulate Vermont Trail Development and Use On October 5, 2020, the Governor of Vermont issued Executive Order No. 04-20. The Order suspended all currently pending litigation to which the State is a party related to the imposition of Act 250 jurisdiction on a Vermont recreational trail or trail system. […]
Vermont Section 545 May Ban Certain Real Estate Covenants and Easements
Vermont Property Owners Must Act Before December 31 to Preserve Land Use Rights By A.J. LaRosa, MSK Attorneys On October 12, 2020, Governor Scott signed S. 237, Act 179, into law. This bill was designed to promote affordable housing in the State of Vermont. Act 179 comes with major issues however. The […]
Immigration Service Avoids Shutdown but Warns of Delays
Written by Brian J. Sullivan – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receives its funding from application fees of those seeking immigration benefits – visas, green cards and citizenship. Because of policies adopted by the Trump administration, the number of such applications has dropped considerably, especially with regard to employment-based visas such as the H-1B […]
Statute of Limitations: Can a Town or City Issue a Notice of Violation?
Written by Elizabeth Filosa and A.J. LaRosa – Vermont law establishes a 15-year statute of limitations for municipalities to issue zoning violations. 24 V.S.A. § 4454. The Vermont Supreme Court recently ruled that this statute of limitations applies both to uses of property and structures or improvements that violate municipal zoning regulations. In re 204 […]
Keys for Out-of-State Buyers of Vermont Real Estate
If you are from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey or New York, there are some things you should know before you buy Vermont real estate, whether it is open land, a house, or a condominium. Vermont has some of the strictest land use laws in the United States and it is best to find experienced, local […]
Immigration Service Slow to Respond to Coronavirus Crisis
Written By Brian J. Sullivan Beyond the much-heralded partial closure of our borders, the offices responsible for administering U.S. immigration law have been slow and have acted in a piecemeal fashion in responding to the challenges posed by the Coronavirus outbreak. Here is a current list of representative measures that have been put […]
Can a Contract be Terminated Because of COVID-19?
Governments across the country have closed public institutions and private businesses such as bars, restaurants, and cafés to limit the spread of COVID-19. In addition, businesses outside of the hospitality industry have closed offices and scaled back operations pursuant to government-imposed “shelter-in-place” or “safer-at-home” orders. Even absent such orders, businesses are reducing operations pursuant to […]
