The law firm of Pease and Gustafson, LLP implemented some exciting changes in 2016.  While continuing to provide quality legal representation in a variety of fields, the firm seized upon several opportunities to grow.  In October, the firm opened a branch office located at 71 Market Street in Potsdam.  The addition of the Potsdam office demonstrates the firm’s continued dedication to client service by permitting greater convenience for individuals and businesses located near the county seat. Pease and Gustafson also hired an associate, Daniel C. Ramsey, to join their growing legal team. Dan comes to the firm from the St. >>More

Pease and Gustafson, LLP is pleased to announce the opening of its new branch office in the Village of Potsdam. The office, located at 71 Market Street, offers more convenient access for clients living in the surrounding Potsdam/Canton area. The office was opened in response to our continued growth, and represents our dedication to meeting the needs of our clients. Pease and Gustafson is a general practice law firm staffed by four attorneys and six legal assistants.  Our areas of practice include: real estate; business law; municipal law; bankruptcy and foreclosures (on behalf of creditors); wills, trusts and estates; adoptions; landlord/tenant matters (on >>More

Town of Louisville Eric Gustafson, attorney for the Town of Louisville, assisted with the sale and issuance of a $7,145,000.00 E.F.C. Drinking Water Statutory Installment Bond in early February. The funding will allow the Town to finance work that was completed as part of its Water District 3 project, which included the design and installation of a new distribution system and storage tank, as well as system consolidation.  The water district project, which began in 2013, encompassed certain areas of the Town that lacked access to public water.  The new district also stretched into a small portion of the Town >>More

The Massena Arts and Theater Association, Inc. (MATA) closed on its purchase of the historic Massena Theatre from MPG Development, LLC on June 1st. A combined grant/loan package from the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and the SeaComm Federal Credit Union made this transfer possible. Lynn Fountain, Board member and Secretary of MATA, provided pro bono, legal services to MATA in its negotiations with the IDA, and Eric Gustafson, attorney for SeaComm, also provided free legal services on this real estate deal. Closed since the early 1990s, the renovation of the Theatre will provide a much needed boost >>More

We’re proud to announce that Dan has been awarded this year’s Business Leadership Award from the Greater Massena Chamber of Commerce. The award was presented by Dr. William Orlando at the May 7th event. Dr. Orlando described Dan as an attorney who “wears many hats,” mentioning in turn his roles as local businessman, as well as past President and member of each of the Business Development Corporation for a Greater Massena, the Massena Memorial Hospital Foundation, and the Lions Club. The award is a testament to Dan’s ongoing commitment to the community.

Earlier this year, the NY Legislature approved a property tax freeze as part of the 2015 State Budget, resulting in changes to several laws including the General Municipal Law, Real Property Tax Law, and the Tax Law. In brief, the property tax freeze targets taxes on the primary residences of home-owners with a STAR exemption located in municipalities where local governments and school districts have approved budgets that do not exceed the property tax cap (the “Tax Cap”). This freeze becomes effective for school districts starting with the 2014-15 school year, and for municipalities and special districts in fiscal years >>More

On March 31, 2014, Governor Cuomo signed legislation that made important changes to the New York State estate and gift tax laws.  In brief: Estate Tax Exclusion Amount Under the new law, effective April 1, 2014, the New York estate tax exclusion amount (which was formerly at $1 million) is increased incrementally until the state exclusion matches the federal estate tax exemption, as follows: For individuals dying on or after April 1, 2014 and before April 1, 2015, the exclusion amount will be $2,062,500; For individuals dying on or after April 1, 2015 and before April 1, 2016, the exclusion >>More