Howard Beach Queens

Practice Areas

Bankruptcy Solutions

The purpose of federal bankruptcy legislation, sometimes known as Title 11 of the United States Code or the “Bankruptcy Code,” is to provide an opportunity for financial reorganization or a fresh start for legitimate debtors who are unable to fulfill their obligations.

Foreclosure Solutions

As you are undoubtedly aware, many homeowners are in arrears on their mortgages as a result of the 2020 recession brought on by the coronavirus. At first, most lenders had been understanding and would have granted a brief suspension of the late payments.

Debt Negotiations & Settlements

Clients regularly hire the Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. to represent them in negotiations with banks, mortgage holders, credit card issuers, auto financing providers, landlords, tax authorities, and other creditors.

Mortgage Loan Modifications

The most common strategy used by our firm to prevent a house in severe mortgage arrears from going into foreclosure is a mortgage modification. Mortgage modification and other potential Retention Options are the potential goals of most homeowners in foreclosure because most people experiencing serious hardships with their mortgages are looking for “Retention Options

Credit Card Solutions

For consumers, credit card debt and other unsecured personal loans are the most common types of debt. There are a few legal options for handling credit card debt, including the following: Litigation, bankruptcy, and/or negotiated settlements are the three options.

Debtor Litigation Defense

Many of The Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C.’s clients face the possibility of litigation or collection activities from their creditors because they are accused of having debt that they are unable to pay or because they contest the existence, amount, or obligation of the debt.

Landlord Tenant Solutions

Landlord-Tenant Law is one of our firm’s areas of expertise; we defend landlords and tenants in a variety of legal proceedings before the Landlord-Tenant Court and the New York Supreme Court. When it comes to eviction and/or collecting large amounts of past due rent.

Distressed Real Estate

A. Pre-Contract When a seller (the “Seller”) sells real estate to a buyer (the “Buyer”), there are usually a number of important steps involved. A seller will first list their property on the market for sale. A real estate broker is frequently hired by the seller to help locate possible buyers for their property.

Student Loan Solutions

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” as Benjamin Franklin famously said. This phrase has recently been amended by popular opinion to include student loans. Since most jobs these days require a bachelor’s degree, the amount of debt that Americans owe on their student loans

Tax Debt Solutions

Many people have trouble keeping up with their tax payments to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“NYS”), which includes sales taxes, income taxes, payroll taxes, and other state taxes, as well as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), which includes individual income taxes.

Howard Beach is situated in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Queens, bordered to the north by the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, and to the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel. Its eastern boundary runs along 102nd–104th Streets in South Ozone Park, while its western border is marked by 75th Street in East New York, Brooklyn. This neighborhood predominantly features low-rise single-family houses.

Part of Queens Community District 10, Howard Beach falls under ZIP Code 11414 and is patrolled by the New York City Police Department’s 106th Precinct. In terms of representation, it is politically affiliated with the New York City Council’s 32nd District.

Early development

Howard Beach was founded in 1897 by William J. Howard, a Brooklyn glove manufacturer who utilized a 150-acre goat farm near Aqueduct Racetrack to source skin for kid gloves. In that year, Howard expanded his land holdings, filled in the area, and constructed 18 cottages along with a hotel near the waterfront. The hotel operated until it was destroyed by fire in October 1907. Howard continued to acquire more land, forming the Howard Estates Development Company in 1909. By 1914, he had amassed 500 acres through dredging and filling operations. Howard laid out streets, installed water mains and gas lines, and built 35 houses priced between $2,500 and $5,000.

The Long Island Rail Road established a station named Ramblersville in 1905, with a Post Office bearing the same name opening shortly afterward. In 1915, a casino, beach, and fishing pier were added to the area, prompting a name change to Howard Beach on April 6, 1916. Development progressed, with ownership expanding to a group of investors who began selling lots for around $690 each in 1922. However, development was initially limited to areas east of Cross Bay Boulevard near the LIRR station, now known as Bernard Coleman Memorial Square. The remainder of Howard Beach, except for the southern area around Russell St. and 102nd Street, was marshland. This southern area, known as Ramblersville, was dotted with small fishing bungalows along Hawtree Creek and Jamaica Bay. Despite its proximity to the Howard Beach station, the LIRR established a separate station a quarter-mile south down the line at Hamilton Beach in 1919.

Post-1980s

Hate crimes

In 1986 and 2005, Howard Beach was the site of two highly publicized hate crimes.

On December 20, 1986, a tragic incident occurred where one African-American man was killed and another was beaten in Howard Beach. The incident amplified racial tensions in New York City. The victim, 23-year-old Michael Griffith, originally from Trinidad and living in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, was fatally struck by a car after being chased onto a highway by a group of white youths. They had assaulted him and his friends simply for being in their neighborhood.

Then, on June 29, 2005, several local white men in Howard Beach attacked three African-American men using baseball bats. One victim sustained serious injuries requiring hospitalization. The police arrested two perpetrators in the case. Nicholas Minucci, one of the assailants, claimed that the victims had attempted to rob him. Minucci, who had used a racial slur during the attack, was found guilty on June 10, 2006, of robbery and racially motivated assault against Glenn Moore. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in prison on July 17, 2006.

Hurricane Sandy

As Hurricane Sandy approached New York on October 28, 2012, city officials issued evacuation orders for residents of Zone A neighborhoods, including Howard Beach’s Hamilton Beach area, which are low-lying and vulnerable to storm surges. Although most of Howard Beach was situated in Zone B, where evacuations were voluntary, many residents chose to stay, influenced by the relatively minor damage caused by the previous year’s Hurricane Irene.

When Sandy made landfall on October 29, it brought with it a ten-foot-high storm surge from Jamaica Bay, flooding both Old and New Howard Beach, as well as neighboring areas like Broad Channel and the Rockaways. This inundation, along with sections of Lindenwood and nearby Ozone Park, caused significant damage to homes, businesses along Cross Bay Boulevard, the Howard Beach–JFK Airport subway station, and the IND Rockaway Line trestle, disrupting power to Howard Beach for three weeks.

In the aftermath of Sandy, Howard Beach, along with Gerritsen Beach and Red Hook in Brooklyn, were provisionally re-classified as Zone A neighborhoods by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the New York City Office of Emergency Management. The Howard Beach post office reopened on April 5, 2013, following extensive repairs.

Howard Beach, like many neighborhoods in New York City, is comprised of several smaller neighborhoods, including Howard Beach proper, Old Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Ramblersville, Spring Park, Rockwood Park, Lindenwood, and Howard Park. Sometimes, Old Howard Beach, Ramblersville, Howard Park, and Hamilton Beach are collectively referred to as “Old Howard Beach” instead of by their individual names. Howard Beach itself is a small peninsula bordered by the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue to the north, Jamaica Bay to the south, Hawtree Creek to the east (which separates it from Hamilton Beach), and Shellbank Basin to the west (which separates it from Cross Bay Boulevard).

Cross Bay Boulevard serves as the main commercial thoroughfare in Howard Beach, transitioning into Woodhaven Boulevard to the north in Ozone Park. In the 1970s and 1980s, the boulevard was primarily lined with locally owned shops and restaurants. However, starting in the 1990s, chain stores and restaurants began to establish a presence, and today, many well-known franchises have outlets along the boulevard. Entertainment venues, such as the Kiddie-Park and Cross-Bay Lanes, were once popular attractions but experienced decline and closure in the 1970s and 1980s. The Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge, named after a former member of the United States House of Representatives who represented the district encompassing Howard Beach, spans Jamaica Bay and connects mainland Queens to Broad Channel.

Hamilton Beach

Hamilton Beach is a middle-class neighborhood located in the borough of Queens in New York City. Its boundaries include the 102nd Street Creek to the north, the IND Rockaway Line (A train) tracks and JFK Airport to the east, Hawtree Creek to the west, and Jamaica Bay to the south. Despite its name, Hamilton Beach has no relation to the Hamilton Beach Company and is named after individuals named Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Beach.

Historically, Hamilton Beach had a Long Island Rail Road station until the mid-1950s when it closed in connection with the sale of much of the branch’s right-of-way to the New York City Transit Authority. Today, it is a small community with one long strip, 104th Street, connected to ten dead-end blocks. Surrounded mostly by water, access to Hamilton Beach is limited, with one entrance by car and two by foot, including a boardwalk from the A train station at Coleman Square to 104th Street and the Hawtree Basin pedestrian bridge.

Hamilton Beach features amenities such as a small park at the southern end, which includes a 200-foot baseball field, a handball court, a small jungle gym area, and a beach. Additionally, Gateways Hamilton Beach Park, located just south of 165th Avenue, is the last stop for the Q11 bus. Historically, Hamilton Beach had dirt roads, cottage or shack-type houses, and no sewer system, but since the early 21st century, there has been significant development, with new houses under construction on almost every block.

Lindenwood

Lindenwood is a section of Howard Beach, developed in the 1950s and 1960s on landfill property, considered part of New Howard Beach. Primarily, it features six-story orange- or red-brick apartment buildings constructed in the early to mid-1960s, smaller co-op “garden-apartments” built in the 1950s, and two-family homes, some attached, built in the 1960s. The hi-rise apartment buildings are either co-op or condominiums, with Heritage House East and West being among the first condominium apartment buildings in New York State. Additional townhouses were built in the 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s near the Brooklyn border.

The neighborhood’s demographic is mostly ethnic Jewish and Italians, along with some ethnic Hispanics. P.S. 232, now known as the Walter Ward School after the neighborhood’s late City councilman, is an elementary school built in the early 1960s. The Lindenwood Shopping Center, situated in the middle of the neighborhood, comprises a supermarket and about 20 stores. Adjacent to the Lindenwood Diner is another small strip mall on Linden Boulevard. Additionally, there was a second supermarket called the Village behind the shopping center, which was later repurposed into a medical center after several failed attempts at other ventures.

Based on data from the 2010 United States census, Howard Beach had a population of 26,148, showing a decrease of -7.5% from 2000. Covering an area of 1,471.79 acres, the neighborhood had a population density of 17.8 inhabitants per acre. The racial composition was predominantly White (76.8%), with smaller proportions of African American, Native American, Asian, and individuals of two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents made up 16.8% of the population.

Community Board 10, encompassing Howard Beach, southern Ozone Park, and South Ozone Park, had 125,603 inhabitants as of NYC Health’s 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 81.7 years, surpassing the citywide median of 81.2 years. The majority of residents were youth and middle-aged adults, with lower proportions of college-aged and elderly individuals. The median household income in Community Board 10 was $73,891 in 2017. Approximately 19% of Howard Beach and South Ozone Park residents lived in poverty in 2018, with a higher rent burden compared to boroughwide and citywide rates. As of 2018, Howard Beach and South Ozone Park are considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not undergoing gentrification.

Howard Beach is represented in the 15th State Senate district by Joseph Addabbo Jr. and in the 23rd State Assembly district by Stacey Pheffer Amato. It falls under District 32 in the New York City Council, represented by Joann Ariola.

After redistricting in 2012, the neighborhood is divided between the 5th and 8th congressional districts. The 5th District includes parts of Howard Beach east of 104th Street, represented by Gregory Meeks, while the 8th District covers the remainder of the neighborhood west of 104th Street, represented by Hakeem Jeffries.

Howard Beach, southern Ozone Park, and South Ozone Park are served by the 106th Precinct of the NYPD, located at 103-53 101st Street. In 2010, the 106th Precinct ranked 26th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime. Due to its proximity to the Belt Parkway, car theft rates are high in the area. However, as of 2018, Howard Beach and South Ozone Park have a lower rate of violent crimes per capita compared to the city as a whole, with a non-fatal assault rate of 32 per 100,000 people. The incarceration rate is also lower than that of the city overall, at 381 per 100,000 people.

Crime rates in the 106th Precinct have decreased significantly since the 1990s, with crimes across all categories decreasing by 81.3% between 1990 and 2018. In 2018, the precinct recorded 6 murders, 16 rapes, 183 robberies, 246 felony assaults, 133 burglaries, 502 grand larcenies, and 97 grand larcenies auto.

Howard Beach is home to a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire station, Engine Co. 331/Ladder Co. 173, situated at 158-99 Cross Bay Boulevard.

In Hamilton Beach, fire protection services are provided by the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department. This department includes Engine 2 (Brush Unit), Engine 4, Engine 6, Ambulance 947 & 947-1, along with two Chiefs vehicles and a water pump.

In 2018, Howard Beach and South Ozone Park experienced a higher rate of preterm births compared to the citywide average, with 97 preterm births per 1,000 live births compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide. However, births to teenage mothers were less common in this area, with 14.2 births per 1,000 live births compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide. The uninsured population in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park was estimated to be 8%, lower than the citywide rate of 12%.

The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park was found to be lower than the city average. Twelve percent of residents in this area are smokers, lower than the citywide average of 14%. However, 27% of residents are obese, 19% are diabetic, and 34% have high blood pressure, compared to the citywide averages of 22%, 8%, and 23%, respectively. Additionally, 21% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.

Eighty-three percent of residents consume some fruits and vegetables daily, slightly lower than the city’s average of 87%. In terms of self-reported health, 77% of residents described their health as “good”, “very good”, or “excellent”, similar to the city’s average of 78%. However, there are fewer supermarkets compared to bodegas in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park.

The nearest major hospitals serving the area are Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn and Jamaica Hospital in Jamaica.

As of 2018, Howard Beach and South Ozone Park have a lower rate of college-educated residents compared to the rest of New York City. While 28% of residents aged 25 and older have a college education or higher, 23% have less than a high school education, and 49% are high school graduates or have some college education. In contrast, 39% of Queens residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher.

The percentage of students excelling in math in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park increased from 33% in 2000 to 61% in 2011, while reading achievement rose from 37% to 48% during the same period.

The rate of elementary school student absenteeism in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park is lower than the rest of New York City, with 18% of elementary school students missing twenty or more days per school year, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 82% of high school students in Howard Beach and South Ozone Park graduate on time, which is higher than the citywide average of 75%.

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