Friday, April 25, 2008

Notary Examination in detail

Notary Public examination center is located at 123 William Street, 19th floor, Downtown Manhattan. For those who are familiar with Berkeley College Downtown Extension Center, the building is located exactly on the opposite side of the street.

The exam is held every Wednesday at 9:30 am and 11:00 am. The test is based on the “first come first serve” basis and is relatively easy. When reaching the destination you may expect a long line in front of the building and a nice gentleman giving out flyers regarding the responsibilities of a notary public.

At about 9:15 the crowd is allowed to enter the building and directed towards the elevators.
When entering the room, the NYS employees show you to your seat where the forms are already awaiting to be filled out. The pencils, as well as the credit card authorization forms, are provided. You will also be fingerprinted.

All the necessary rules are explained in detail and the exam starts exactly at 9:30 or 11:00 in the morning. The test consists of 40 multiple choice questions. I suggest that you read the questions carefully because they can be tricky and confusing at times. Everyone gets a full hour to complete the test, which in fact should not take anyone more than 15-20 minutes. The State employees, however, keep you in the room until all the forms are reviewed carefully.

The results of the examination are mailed via USPS within the two weeks period.
You may also file for review of your exam, should you fail it. That form is also provided before you leave the examination room

Good luck everyone!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Affidavit of Service

Please click on the title to populate General Affidavit of Service


Instructions for Service of a Summons and Complaint
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/civgp50.pdf

Affidavit of Service By Mail
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/AffidavitServiceByMail.pdf

Affidavit of Service of Summons and Complaint (Other than Personal Delivery)
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/affserviceendorsedother.pdf

Affidavit of Service of Summons and Complaint (Personal Delivery)
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/affserviceendorsedpersonal.pdf

Application for Judgement
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/ApplicationforJudgment.pdf

Affidavit of Service of Judgment with Notice of Entry
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/enteringjudgmentsaffofsvce.pdf

Instructions for Service of Subpoena
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/instructionsservicesubpoena.pdf

Affidavit of Service of Subpeona to Testify
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/affsvsubpoenatestify.pdf

Instructions for Service and Affidavit of Service Requirements of a non-resident of the State of New York who was involved in a vehicular accident within the State of New York
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/VTL253Instructions.pdf

Instructions for Submiting a Demand for a Trail DE NOVO Following Arbitration
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/ArbitrationInstructions.pdf

Affidavit of Service of Demand for Trail DE NOVO
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/civil/forms/ArbitrationAffidavitofService.pdf



Case Brief

If you just started a new job in a law firm and most of your responsibilities consist of litigation and case briefing, look at the below format. This should help you to get your feet wet and make your first days on a job easier. Remember, the following is to be used internally in your office and NOT in the courtroom।
(The following is based on my notes and provided readings)

CASE BRIEF

Case Name:
Here you will include the names of the Plaintiff and the Defendant.

Case Citation:
If you see the parallel citation, include it as well. Also, do not omit the year of the decision. Look at the correct format of citing cases in the Blue Book. Keep in mind that whoever reads your brief needs to look at the case itself so you citation must be correct.

Procedural History:
This is a prior history and summary of the lower courts’ decisions। This is NOT the statement of facts. Do not include any unnecessary facts, such as “Joe hit John because…” Focus on what the prior court(s) has decided.

Statement of Facts:
This is where you summarize the facts of the case। Stating why Joe hit John and when is imperative in this part. Do not include all of the facts, however, just the significant ones. Write about those the court relies on when making the decision.

Issue(s):
Think of what the court is asked to determine. Formulate your issue based on a question format. Those usually start with “Whether”, “Is the…”, “Did the lower court…”,
1.
2.
3.

Answer(s):
Here you provide an answer to the issue. Explain it rather than saying “yes”, or, “no”.
1.
2.
3.

Reasoning:
Here you explain the court’s reasons for its decision. I was told by many of my professors, who are attorneys as well, that this part is the most important in the whole brief. I usually read the case couple more times before I complete this section.

Holding:
This is the easiest part. Here you include the actual decision the court has made. Those are at the end of the case and read “Affirmed”, “Reversed”, et al. This part should not be longer than one sentence.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Resource Center

Above are the links to some very important web sites. Those are almost required to know in a Real Estate world.





Real Estate Dictionary:



Online Forms:





NEW YORK CITY RESOURCES:

ACRIS:


ACRIS E-Forms Tutorial:


NYC Department of Buildings:


NYC Department of Finance:


NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development


NYC Tax and Water Charges Information:


NEW YORK STATE RESOURCES:

NYS Department of Taxation and Finance:
Uniform Commercial Code Forms and Search:


NYS Court of Appeals:


NYS Unified Court Syste


NYS Bar Associati








Notary Public

In order to be a valuable Paralegal you need to pass the Notary Public test. Notary Publics are commissioned by the Secretary of State. An applicant must submit to the Division of Licensing Services an application along with a $60.00 fee. Attorneys are appointed automatically as Notary Publics and do not have to pass the examination. The term of such commission is 4 years.
The County Clerk Office maintains the information and the records of the commission and signature. The public then can access the records and verify that information.

How to Prepare for the Test?

Those who are interested in passing the Notary Public test should contact the Division of Licensing Services and request the updated guide.

NYS Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
80 South Swan Street, P.O. Box 22001
Albany, NY 12201-2001
Tel: (518) 474-4429

Alternatively, visit the following web site:

http://www.dos.state.ny.us/

Where to take the test?

Walk-In Examination in NYC are held every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

123 William Street,
19th Floor,
New York, New York

Please contact the Department of State for more locations.

Real Estate Forms Only

Have you ever encounter a problem filling out various real estate forms? Was it because you did not know their purpose or because you were not familiar with the wording?




Being a Paralegal is not easy. It requires lots of research and knowledge that comes with experience. Don not be afraid to ask questions when you have difficulties understanding certain words or forms. Real estate vocabulary, or, legal vocabulary for that matter can be very confusing at times. It is important, however, to know where to find the answer before declaring inability. You do not need to know everything but make sure you find the resources to find your answers. Again, that is why I created this site. Your knowledge will come with practice but you do have to practice! Today, I am providing web addresses to some of the Title Comapnies, which can provide you with valuable information. Take a look at them and ask yourself a question, “Do I know when to use each one of them?” If not please get a real estate dictionary that explains the difference. They can be found online and are free of charge.


or