President Obama Being For Marriage Equality Does Not Make Marriage An Unqualified Good Deal
Originally published on forbes.com. President Obama has come out in favor of marriage equality, which seems to be generating quite a bit of excitement. As far as I can...
Donating TriBeCa Facade Easement Is Like Renouncing Your Super Powers
If the Cobblestone owners tried to mess with their building facade, there would be plenty of people in the neighborhood who would rat them out to the Landmark Preservations Commission for free. They don’t need people flying up from Washington to do it.
The case has almost exactly the same facts as 1982 East LLC which was another Manhattan historic facade donated to NAT that had no value due to already existing restrictions. Somewhat more entertaining were Boltar LLC where the appraiser came up with a hypothetical development that would not fit on the property and Esgar Corporation which involved a fantasy gravel mine.
Follow Me
Over and over again courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging one’s affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich or poor; and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands: taxes are enforced exactions, not voluntary contributions. To demand more in the name of morals is mere cant.