Real Property Law Section

Real Property Law Section

Welcome to the Real Property Law Section (RPLS) of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). We are knowledgeable and involved attorneys who encourage new members and law students to join the RPLS to enjoy its benefits and participate in its committees. You can join online today!

Currently, we have more than 3,800 members and thirty committees. Each committee devotes itself to a specific practice area within the real estate community such as Construction; Real Estate Finance; Condominiums and Cooperatives and Foreclosures, to name but a few. After joining the RPLS, you may join a committee by going to the Section Committee’s page on this website and contacting the Chair or Co-Chairs of that committee.

The RPLS’s highly active online Community is a vital resource for practitioners to address practice questions quickly and thoroughly. In 2020, there have been over 3,100 member posts with multiple responses to most. Often, the responding member will provide a case or a statutory reference fully addressing the question posed. The RPLS Community can also provide access to an attorney with a particular specialty necessary to assist you with a client or matter.

RPLS members also receive the Real Property Law Journal (RPLJ) published quarterly each year. The RPLJ has articles on a range of real estate topics including contracts, condominiums, recent decisions, and ethics. There is also a regular column on foreclosures provided by Bruce T. Bergman. Section members are encouraged to submit articles for publication. See the Publications portion of this website for more information about the RPLJ as well as an archive of prior articles and contact information for the editors.

The RPLS regularly offers high quality CLE programs. Members receive weekly emails alerting them to CLE events. For detailed information on upcoming CLEs, including program overviews and faculty listings, see the Events Calendar on this website.

Last but not least, the Real Property Law Section participates in NYSBA’s Annual Meeting in New York City each January. The annual meeting includes CLEs, rounds of committee meetings and many opportunities to meet and network with Section members. The RPLS also has an annual Summer weekend Meeting where members can gather in a relaxed atmosphere, learn from and get to know one another. Recent Summer Meetings have been held at resorts in New Hampshire and in rural Vermont. Members are encouraged to bring their partners, spouses and other family members to enjoy the destination.

The RPLS’s mission cuts across all aspects of real property law and includes:

Commenting on and encouraging appropriate legislation;
Working with title insurance companies, brokers, surveyors and other related industry professionals to improve transactional practices;
Identifying problems in the real estate industry and working to solve them;
Educating the public about the attorney’s role in protecting their interests in real property transactions and also, when necessary,

We look forward to more of our members becoming involved in our Committees and forging relationships with new members who always have much to contribute.

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Contact the Real Property Law Section Liaison

To learn more about this Section, please contact Amy Jasiewicz
[email protected]
(518) 487-5682

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Ira Goldberg

Ira S. Goldenberg

Ira S. Goldenberg of White Plains is the chair of the Real Property Law Section.

Goldenberg is a partner at Goldenberg & Selker. He represents boards of condominiums, homeowners associations and cooperatives, as well as developers, unit owners, sellers and purchasers.

A 36-year member of the State Bar, Goldenberg previously chaired the Section Delegates Caucus. He was a member of the State Bar’s Executive Committee. He was co-chair of the the Real Property Law Section’s Condominiums and Cooperatives Committee, as well as its Attorney Escrow and Electronic Communications & Meetings task forces.

Goldenberg graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University and earned his law degree with honors from George Washington University Law Center.

Online Community

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Real Property Law

View article from the upcoming issue of the N.Y. Real Property Law Journal 2021 | Vol. 49 | No. 1

The First Quarter of 2021 Is Over: Where Are We?

N.Y. Real Property Law Journal

The N.Y. Real Property Law Journal features substantive articles relating to the practice of real property law on various topics including property transactions, leases, zoning, disclosure, and cooperatives and condominiums. Also included are a regular column entitled, “Bergman on Mortgage Foreclosures” as well as updates on Section news, programs and events. Co-edited by members of the Publications Committee, with editorial assistance from a St. John’s Law School student editorial board, the N.Y. Real Property Law Journal is published by the Real Property Law Section and distributed to Section Members free of charge.

The Journal is published as a benefit for members of the Real Property Law Section and is copyrighted by the New York State Bar Association. The copying, reselling, duplication, transferring, reproducing, reusing, retaining or reprinting of this publication is strictly prohibited without permission.

The N.Y. Real Property Law Journal encourages article submissions on topics of interest to members of the Section. Writing an article for a NYSBA Section publication is a great way to get your name out in the legal community and advertise your knowledge. Our authors are respected state-wide for their legal expertise in such areas as property transactions, leases, zoning, disclosure and cooperatives and condominiums.

MCLE credit may also be earned for legal-based writing directed to an attorney audience upon application to the CLE Board. NYSBA Guidelines for Obtaining MCLE Credit for Writing as well as a Publication Credit Application are available.

If you have written an article and would like to have it considered for publication in the N.Y. Real Property Law Journal, please send it in electronic document format (pdfs are NOT acceptable), along with biographical information to any member of the Publications Committee (listed below). Accepted articles fall generally in the range of 7-18 typewritten, double-spaced pages. Please use endnotes in lieu of footnotes. The Co-Editors request that all submissions for consideration to be published in this Journal use gender-neutral terms where appropriate or, alternatively, the masculine and feminine forms may both be used. For further requirements for the submission of articles, please refer to our Author Guidelines, or contact any member of the Publications Committee listed below.

Marvin N. Bagwell, Esq.
[email protected]

William P. Johnson, Esq.
[email protected]

Matthew J. Leeds, Esq.
[email protected]

Prof. Robert J. Sein
[email protected]

N.Y. Real Property Law Journal Archive

Reprint Permission and Disability Accommodations

Author's Guidelines

Section Publications

N.Y. Real Property Law Journal Fall 2020

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Resolution of the Real Property Law Section Concerning Real Estate Closings During COVID-19

A Guide to the Real Property Law Section

Real Property Law Section Blog Archive 2007 – 2013

Contract of Sale— Condominium Unit

Explanatory Notes Accompanying Revisions to Standard Form Condo Contract

Owner’s Rider to Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect (AIA Document B104-2007)

Commentary to Owner’s Rider to Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor (AIA Document A107 – 2007)

Commentary to Owner’s Rider to Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect for Projects of Limited Scope (AIA Document B104 – 2007)

Local Practice Guide for Residential Real Estate Transactions

Even though we all practice law in the same state, many aspects of a residential real estate transaction differ depending on where a property is located. Particularly Upstate, closing customs and practices vary widely from one county to the next. These practices include whether a contract is drafted by a realtor or an attorney, if a realtor-drafted contract is subject to attorney approval or disapproval, the length of the required title search, who orders and pays for title searches and even the type of deed.

An attorney who works on a transaction outside of his/her own home county may be at a disadvantage because local attorneys, title agents and realtors have different expectations about how the transaction will be conducted. Conversely, a local attorney may have difficulty convincing an attorney from outside of the area that “this is how we do things here.” This Local Practice Guide is designed to help bridge this gap. The Guide is organized on a county by county basis and will serve as a reference to the various local real estate customs and practices as well as provide a guide to local mapping and tax reference resources.

This Guide is provided exclusively as a benefit of membership in the NYSBA Real Property Law Section.

View List of Counties

Real Property Law Section Diversity & Inclusion Plan – January 2021
Real Property Law Section New Section Committee Chair Guide
Real Property Law Section District Representative Guide
Real Property Law Section Bylaws – Updated 2018
Resolution of the Real Property Law Section Concerning Real Estate Closings During COVID-19

Legislation

Chart of Legislation
Status of Pending Legislation
Guidelines for Reviewing Legislation
Guidelines for RPLS Legislation Memos

Real Property Law Section Committee

Attorney Professionalism Award

Each year, the Real Property Law Section has honored an outstanding individual real estate practitioner with its Professionalism Award. The Section’s Award Committee will be seeking nominations this summer for the 2021 award, to be presented virtually during the Section’s Annual Meeting in January 2022.

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Outstanding Community Contributor Award

The Section created the Outstanding Community Contributor Award to recognize members who have made significant contributions to the Community, and to express its appreciation. The Section’s Award Committee will be seeking nominations this summer for the 2021 award, to be presented virtually during the Section’s Annual Meeting in January 2022.

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Scholarships

The Real Property Law Section will be accepting applications this summer for its two law student scholarships in the amount of $5,000 each. The scholarships will be awarded virtually at the Section’s Annual Meeting in January 2022.

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