FAQs

The Agricultural Worker Project serves farmworkers across New York State who need legal help with employment issues, housing, and wage claims.

Services include fighting wage theft, addressing unsafe working conditions, securing housing, employment discrimination, and other civil legal matters.

Yes—the AWP staff travels to labor camps all across NY state, providing bilingual legal education materials and legal representation.

You can call our HelpLine, apply online, or attend one of our outreach events: 

You can also contact the Agricultural Worker Project (AWP) for free:

• Toll-free from the United States: 1.800.804.8575
• Toll-free from Mexico: 1.800.248.2429
• Toll-free from Jamaica: 001.877.248.2429
• Via WhatsApp/cell phone: 845.422.6624

Yes—we operate across Central New York and conduct off-site clinics in rural and agricultural communities to ensure access to legal help.

We support clients applying for social security disability assistance, SSI and SSDI benefits, and related civil legal issues like housing and family law.

Yes—we guide you through how to apply for SSDI, what is SSDI, the difference between SSI and SSDI, and how to access SSDI benefits, SSI benefits, or social security disability housing assistance.

You can work with an SSDI attorney or disability lawyer to appeal your claim and increase your chances of winning disability with a lawyer.

You can apply online or call us directly for support in applying for SSDI, SSI, and even SSDI back pay or back-dated claims.

We assist with orders of protection, custody, divorce, and related family law issues—all provided by compassionate domestic violence lawyer advocates.

Our team offers family law legal representation at no cost, helping you secure safety and legal rights during a crisis. If we are unable to represent you due to a conflict or lack of capacity, the family court will assign a free lawyer to represent you if you cannot afford to hire a lawyer. 

You can apply online through our website or call our help line to speak directly with a domestic violence lawyer who understands your situation.

Absolutely—victims may also get support with eviction or housing authority issues as part of our holistic approach to safety and stability.

We serve clients across Central New York in Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and Otsego counties.

If you’re age 60 or older and reside in one of the 13 Central New York counties LASMNY serves—or have low income and limited resources—you may qualify for free elder law assistance.

Our services include help with wills and estate planning, health care proxies, powers of attorney, Medicaid planning, housing problems, elder abuse or neglect, consumer issues, and family-related legal concerns.

Yes—but if your case is referred by your local Office for Aging (OFA), income and resource limits do not apply; otherwise, you’ll need a low-income status to qualify. 

If you're in OFA-funded counties (Broome, Herkimer, etc.), contact your local Office for Aging and ask for legal help. If they can’t assist, you can apply online, call LASMNY’s HelpLine, or visit one of our offices.

We provide elder law services to seniors age 60 + in Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and Otsego counties, with additional coverage for qualifying low-income seniors in five others.

Your estate includes all of your assets and liabilities at the time of your death. This can include real estate, personal possessions, bank accounts, investments, and any debts you may have.

Estate planning is the process of preparing to manage your estate after your death, or to manage your assets in the event you become ill or incapacitated. It's a way to put your wishes in writing and give legal authority to your loved ones to act on your behalf if you're unable to do so yourself. 

The three basic documents are: a Last Will and Testament, a Health Care Proxy, and a Power of Attorney.

A Last Will and Testament, or simply a Will, is a document that specifies how you want your possessions to be distributed after you pass away. It also allows you to designate an Executor, who is in charge of carrying out the wishes outlined in your Will.

If you pass away without a Will, the law decides how your things will be distributed among your next of kin.

You can replace your Will with a new one or sign a "codicil," which is an amendment. However, you cannot write on the Will or remove the staple once it's signed, as either action will invalidate the document.

Your Executor must present the original Will to the surrogate's court, which will validate it. The court will also handle any claims for liabilities against the estate. Once the Will is validated and all liabilities are addressed, your Executor will distribute everything as the document directs.

A Health Care Proxy is a document that allows you to name a proxy, who can make medical decisions for you if you become incapacitated and are unable to communicate your wishes.

If you don't have a Health Care Proxy and a major medical decision is needed when you are incapacitated, doctors will typically ask your spouse or, if you're unmarried or your spouse is unavailable, your children about your wishes. 

A Power of Attorney is a document that gives an agent the authority to manage your financial affairs as if they were you. This document doesn't take away your own authority; it simply gives someone else the ability to handle your affairs as well.

Without a Power of Attorney, no one will be authorized to handle your financial affairs if you become sick or incapacitated. Having one can be helpful for tasks like paying bills or writing checks if you're laid up for a long time.

An agent must honor your wishes as long as you can communicate them, even if they disagree. If you are unable to communicate, they must act in what they believe is your best interest and keep records of their actions.

A Power of Attorney is no longer valid after your death, as it only allows someone to manage your affairs while you are alive. You need a Will and an Executor to manage your affairs after you pass away.

Yes—you’ll get free legal help from an eviction lawyer if you’re at risk of losing your home.

Our housing attorney team can assist with defense strategies, filing objections, and negotiating with landlords to stop an unlawful detainer eviction.

Absolutely—we help clients challenge housing authority actions and enforce the implied warranty of habitability in their rentals.

You can apply online, call our help line, or meet with a local tenant eviction lawyer to discuss your options and start building a defense.

We connect clients to foreclosure assistance grants, rental assistance programs, and other services to help you remain housed.

We provide free legal assistance to homeowners threatened with foreclosure, helping with negotiations, loan modifications, and court representation.

Yes—we help you apply for available grants and counsel you through affordability and fairness programs.

We support clients in court by negotiating with lenders, filing defenses, and ensuring your rights are upheld throughout the process.

Contact us right away—call our help line or apply online so we can review your case quickly and begin defending your home.

Typically, help is available to low- and moderate-income homeowners; we’ll review your financial situation to determine if you qualify.

You are a tenant covered by these rules if:

• You own your mobile home and rent the lot; or
• You rent both the mobile home and the lot from the park.

You are not a tenant under this law (regular LL/T rules apply) if:

• You rent a home from someone else, and that person rents the lot from the park.

No. In a non-payment eviction, only unpaid rent can be the reason. Utility bills, late fees, or pet fees do not count.

A 30-day written notice (called a “predicate notice”) must be given. The notice must:

• Clearly state the amount of unpaid rent (no extra fees).
• Be delivered in person, to someone at your home, or left at your door AND mailed (regular + certified mail).
• Give you 30 days to pay or move out.

Good cause is required to evict tenants in mobile home parks.  Not paying rent is the most common cause.  Others include:

• Illegal use of the property:  No notice is required.  The Park can go straight to court.
• Violation of safety laws:  No notice is required, but there must be a danger to other tenants.
• Lease/rule violation:   A 10-day notice to fix the violation is required. Then, a 30-day notice to move out if the issue is not fixed (or Park says you are a repeat violator).
• Change in land use:  A 2-year notice is required before an eviction case can begin. The court may award a stipend to you if you own the home, and it must be paid before you can be evicted. 

If the property is being used for any illegal purpose or business, then the Park can try to evict you.

• Important Note: In an illegal use case, the park does not have to give you any predicate notice at all.  The Park can start an eviction proceeding in court without serving a predicate notice.

If you have violated some law or ordinance that is dangerous to other people’s safety and welfare, the park can try to evict you. The law can be a federal, state, or local law or ordinance.

• Important Note: In the event of a safety law violation, the Park may start an eviction proceeding in court without serving a predicate notice.

If you or another occupant has violated a lease term or other rule or regulation of the Park, the Park can try to evict you after giving you a chance to correct the violation.

The Park has to give you a written 10-day notice to cure:

• The Notice must specify which lease term, rule, or regulation was violated.
• The Notice must specify that you have 10 days to correct the violation from the date of receipt.
• If you fail to correct the violation OR you are a persistent violator—which means that you repeatedly violate the term or rule—then the Park has to give you a 30-day notice to move out.

If you do not correct the violation within 10 days of receiving the cure notice and you do not move out within 30 days of getting the move-out notice, then the Park can start an eviction case against you in court.

If the park owner wants to change the use of the land, such that it is no longer used for renting mobile homes, the Park has to give a notice of the proposed change to both owners of the mobile homes who rent lots and tenants who rent both the mobile homes and lots.

The change in use notice has to be formally served on you in the following manner:

• Someone hands the Notice to you; 
• Someone who lives or works at your mobile home is given the Notice, like a family member or babysitter; or
• The Notice is left on your door and mailed to you using both regular mail and certified/registered mail.

A park can start an eviction case against you in court only after two years from the day the notice was served on you.

Important Note: if you own the mobile home and rent the lot, and the park wants to change the use of the land, then the park has to pay a stipend to you based on a court order. A court would calculate the amount of the stipend, which can be up to $15,000.

In New York State, tenants can legally be evicted only through a warrant of eviction issued by a court. If a landlord tries to evict you without first getting a warrant from a court, that is a crime, and you should call the police.

1. A park can start an eviction case against you in a court in the city, town, or village where the Park is located.
2. The Park must file a Notice of Petition and a Petition with the court to start an eviction case against you.
3. The park has to have you formally served with the court papers in the following manner: 

• Someone hands the Notice to you;
• Someone who lives or works at your mobile home is given the Notice, like a family member or babysitter; or
• The Notice is left on your door and mailed to you using both regular mail and certified/registered mail.

You have to be served at least 10 days before the first court appearance, and you cannot be served more than 17 days before the first court appearance. This is called the “10-17 days rule.”

If someone personally gave the notice to you or someone who lives or works at your home, then the day you are served is used to determine whether you were served at 10 days, but not more than 17 days, before the first court appearance.

If the court papers were left at your home and mailed using regular and certified mail, then the park has to file proof of service with the court within three days. 

This proof of service is usually in the form of an “Affidavit of Service.” The day the Affidavit of Service is filed with the court is used to determine whether you were served at 10 days, but not more than 17 days, before the first court appearance.

If you are served with court papers, call our Housing Preservation Line at (315) 793-7083!

The caption lists the names of the parties involved:

1. Petitioner: The person or entity bringing the eviction case—usually the landlord or park owner.

• Tip: Check if this is the actual owner of your manufactured home park.

2. Respondent(s): The person or people being evicted—you and possibly others who live in your home.

• Tip: If someone who pays rent isn’t listed, you can ask the judge to dismiss the case.

This document tells you:

• The date and time of your first court appearance
• The court’s address and the address of your home
• What the park is asking for (e.g., eviction, money owed)
• You have the right to respond, either in person or in writing, up until the first court appearance

Click here to see a sample.

This tells the mobile home park’s side of the story, including:

• Their claim to be the owner or landlord
• That you are their tenant
• A description of your home in the manufactured home park
• The reason for the eviction (e.g., non-payment, lease violation, illegal activity)
• What they want from the court (eviction, back rent, etc.)

Click here to see a sample. 

You can ask the judge to hold off on evicting you. 
You’ll need to explain why you need more time:

• You have had no luck finding housing (show phone call logs, emails, applications, etc.).
• You have medical conditions that make moving harder (provide proof to the extent possible).
• You have children in local schools who will be hurt by moving abruptly.

If the judge rules for the Park, the judge will sign a warrant of eviction.  If the tenant is behind on rent, the judge may also sign a monetary judgment. 

After the judge signs the warrant, a sheriff’s deputy, city marshal, or constable will serve the warrant. Hand delivery is not required. 

The amount of notice a tenant receives before execution varies. The warrant will state the earliest date it can be executed. 

It depends on why the eviction was granted and whether you own your manufactured home:

• Most evictions: Usually, 90 days’ notice
• Health/safety risk evictions: 30 days’ notice
• Non-payment of rent evictions: 30 days’ notice
• BUT If you rent both the home and the lot:  as little as 72 hours' notice

That is illegal. Only a court-issued warrant can result in a legal eviction. Call the police if the landlord tries to remove you without it. You can also file a complaint with the New York Attorney General.

A security deposit is a sum of money you pay to your landlord when you move in. This deposit can be used to cover damages beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid rent, utility bills that you were responsible for, and any moving or storage costs for your belongings if you leave them behind. If there are no damages or money owed when you move out, you should receive your deposit back.

It can’t be more than one month’s rent. Even if your credit isn’t perfect, landlords can’t ask for more.
Example: If your rent is $1000/month, the maximum security deposit can only be $1000. Even with a $200 pet deposit, the total maximum amount owed is still only $1000, not $1200.

Your landlord can keep part or all of it if you didn’t pay rent, damaged the apartment (beyond normal wear and tear), left behind unpaid utility bills, or they had to pay to move or store your belongings.

Yes! After you sign the lease and before you move in, your landlord must offer you a chance to walk through the apartment together, make a written list of any existing damage, and sign the list together to avoid confusion later.

Your landlord is required to return your full deposit or provide a written explanation of any deductions within 14 days of your move-out date. If they choose to withhold any amount, they must return the remaining balance. If your landlord doesn't meet this deadline, they lose the right to keep any portion of your deposit.

Try to work things out directly. You can also file a complaint with the New York Attorney General (online or by mail) if your landlord does not return the deposit or charges more than one month’s rent.
For issues like damage or rent owed, go to Small Claims Court.

It’s a local court where you can sue for money (up to $5,000 in City Court or $3,000 in Town/Village Court). You don’t need a lawyer.

You can get all or part of your deposit back. If your landlord knowingly broke the law, you might get up to two times the deposit.

Bring as much evidence as possible: lease copies, photos/videos, inspection reports, messages with your landlord, receipts, and witnesses. Your landlord must prove that what they kept was reasonable, but you should show why it wasn’t.

If the judge agrees with your landlord, you may get nothing back or be ordered to pay more money if they prove you owe it.

Yes. File within 30 days. Appeals are complicated, and you should reach out for legal help.  Call our Housing Preservation Line at (315) 793-7083.