Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the state and local tax world which overturns precedent going back to 1992. The decision, South Dakota v. Wayfair, No.17-494 (June 21, 2018), means that state and local taxing jurisdictions throughout the country can now compel online sellers to collect sales tax for sales made to customers in that particular state or local jurisdiction, even if the seller does not have a presence there. Continue Reading U.S. Supreme Court Overturns Quill: Online Sellers Can Now be Compelled to Collect Sales Tax

Bill Allows Issuance of Additional Alcoholic Beverage Licenses within Boundaries of Formally Owned or Operated Military Installations

Source: News From The Assembly Democrats

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Eric Houghtaling, Joann Downey and Joseph Egan to issue additional alcoholic beverage licenses to a project area in three municipalities and at which a federally owned or operated military installation is closed and transferred to a government entity for the purpose of conversion, redevelopment, or revitalization advanced Monday in the Assembly.

Under the current law, a municipality may issue one plenary retail consumption license, for bars and restaurants, for each 3,000 of its population. This bill provides that an increase in population resulting from residential development in a formerly federally owned or operated military installation would not be included in the calculation issued to new licenses.Continue Reading Bill Expanding Issuance of Alcoholic Beverage Licenses Advances

As seen on: NJ1015.com
By: Michael Symons 

After years of talk, a bill that could significantly expand the number of restaurants that can sell beer, wine and spirits has finally gotten an initial vote in the Legislature.

The plan is likely to be altered as it moves ahead, and last week’s action by the Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee was designed in part to compel more serious conversations about the long-discussed but long-delayed prospect of ending strict limits on liquor licenses that date to the end of Prohibition…Continue Reading NJ Getting Ready to Allow More Bars, Restaurants that Serve Alcohol

As seen on: NJ.com
By: Paul Mulshine 

In all my travels south of the Mexican border I have never come across a beach town, no matter how small, that lacked a store that would sell you a cold beer on the same terms as a cold soda.

The towns without electricity were actually the best. There, the beer-and-soda truck would deliver a huge block of ice with the beverages.  If you reached down far enough, the beer would be so cold that it would freeze when you popped the cap…Continue Reading In New Jersey, Drinkers May Finally Triumph Uber the Liquor Cartel

Proposed Legislation Would Permit Conversion to Mixed-Use Projects without Obtaining Use Variance

Legislation introduced this week in Trenton would provide a temporary relief period during which owners of certain underutilized shopping centers and office parks could qualify to convert such properties to mixed-use projects without the need to obtain a use variance from the host municipality.

The bill, A-5229, introduced by Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald, would provide for a 25-month period commencing with the effective date of the bill during which a proposed mixed-use development would automatically be deemed a permitted use if certain criteria are met.  The legislation would override local zoning standards and permit developers to redevelop these stranded assets without the need for a use variance, allowing developers to seek required approvals from the local Planning Board if the required submission is made within the 25-month period.Continue Reading ADAPTIVE RE-USE: Relief on Tap for Owners of “Stranded” Shopping Centers and Office Parks

It should come as little surprise that as the world becomes ever more interconnected so too does the international investment market. The United States commercial real estate market has been a major beneficiary of foreign investments over the last several years and, in turn, U.S. based sellers, lenders and landlords have had to recalibrate their due diligence procedures. One significant difference when dealing with foreign investment opportunities is the use of a Letter of Credit which will give assurance to the U.S. seller, lender or landlord that the foreign entity or individual has the sums of capital that it purports to have and that the capital is available for its stated purpose. While fairly simple in form, a Letter of Credit requires proper review and negotiation to ensure its effectiveness and this article will provide an understanding of its mechanics.
Continue Reading Letters of Credit in Commercial Real Estate: A Primer

As seen on: The Town Crier
(New Jersey State League of Municipalities’ Legislative Blog)

Our State’s liquor licensing laws date back to the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment in the 1930’s. The world is a different place. And those laws have tended to stifle competition and to hamstring local economic development options.

New Jersey municipalities looking to revitalize downtowns and Main Streets, could use some new tools. Thus, the League of Municipalities supports A-2452, which would create new liquor licenses for restaurants meeting certain criteria…
Continue Reading Hopes Are High for Legislative Action on Restaurant Liquor License Bill

As seen on: jonschultz.com
By: Jonathan Schultz

Online retailers like Amazon have completely transformed the way we go shopping. We now have access to a 24-hour selection of everything we could possibly want, and the expansion of warehouses and logistical hubs mean that our biggest retailers can ship our items to us quicker than ever. If you’ve fully embraced the online marketplace, you’re not alone. Millions of people are ditching brick-and-mortar stores for internet shopping, and big box companies are feeling it.

The good news about competition is that it breeds creativity and ingenuity. Brick-and-mortar retailers have to now come up with exciting new ways to keep their customer bases, and one of these popular methods is pop-up shops. They used to be more prevalent for seasonal sales like Halloween, now they’re trendy, effective, and easy to implement, making them the go-to marketing strategy for retailers. Here are some reasons why pop-ups are brick-and-mortar retailers compete with online shipping.
Continue Reading 3 Hidden Benefits Retailers Love about Pop-Ups