Do I have to file a Freedom of Information Request (FOIL) for Property Records?
Do I have to file a Freedom of Information Request (FOIL) for Property Records? QUESTION Our town puts out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for bids to buy a parcel of property. Bids arrive to the town. Does we have to FOIL for the records? Or are they available to us as part of the […]
Erie County – Finally, answers on sheriff’s helicopter use
Erie County: Finally, answers on sheriff’s helicopter use The Erie County Sheriff’s Dept wants a new helicopter at a cost of $10 million. Investigative Post filed a FOIL request to find out how often the current helicopter has been used. The FOIL request was initially denied on the basis that providing flight records would endanger lives […]
New York City: How to File a Freedom of Information Law Request and Avoid Process Pitfalls
New York City: How to File a Freedom of Information Law Request and Avoid Process Pitfalls A news website called the City has put together a helpful guide on how to file a FOIL request in New York City. The Author Paul is the founder of the NY Coalition For Open Government and has truly […]
Muckrock SEJ Workshop
Muckrock SEJ Workshop For folks involved with environmental issues you may be interested in the training being provided below. Two reporters will offer tips on what they learned after filing FOIA requests with all 10 EPA regions and dozens of other requests at the state and local levels during this investigation. They’ll also walk through how you […]
Buffalo paralegal Nathan Feist wins lawsuit against the City of Buffalo for denied FOIL request
Buffalo paralegal Nathan Feist wins lawsuit against the City of Buffalo for denied FOIL Requesting Kudos to Buffalo paralegal Nathan Feist who filed and won a lawsuit against the City of Buffalo regarding the denial of his FOIL request. The judge ordered the city to provide the records Nathan requested. Handling a lawsuit on your own […]
Can I Get My FOIL Request Certified?
Can I get my FOIL request certified? QUESTION I received a FOIL request back with an answer I know is false. Then with in the ten day limit, I requested the department head and the Town Attorney certified those answers so I know they are correct. The Town Attorney stated she will not allow for […]
Time limit for filing suit
State audit: State DOT failed to respond on-time to FOIL requests Here is another example of how bad NY laws are. In NY, if your Freedom of Information Law request is denied or if your local government violates the Open Meetings Law, you have a four-month deadline to sue. Four months is amazingly short, and many […]
State audit: State DOT failed to respond on-time to FOIL requests
State audit: State DOT failed to respond on-time to FOIL requests Kudos to the NY State Comptroller for doing an audit regarding the NY State Dept of Transportations compliance with the Freedom of Information Law. The Author Paul is the founder of the NY Coalition For Open Government and has truly loved seeing it become […]
NYC must pay New York Times legal fees in freedom of information case
NYC must pay New York Times legal fees in freedom of information case 4 years of litigation regarding a letter! Here is an example of how crazy litigating a Freedom of Information Law denial can get. It took over 2 years of litigation for the NY Times to obtain the letter and then another 18 months to […]
Keeping public records secret is costing Mass. state and local agencies
Keeping public records secret is costing Mass. state and local agencies In NY State if your FOIL request is ignored or denied, your only recourse is to hire an attorney and sue. In NY State if your local government is not complying with the Open Meetings Law, your only recourse is to hire an attorney and […]
