The New York Society Library, which was owed $300,000 in overdue fees from George Washington, accepted a replica copy of "The Law of Nations" from the late president's estate yesterday. The original had been taken out by Washington on October 5, 1789, and was discovered to have not been returned recently. NYSL chairman Charles Berry wasn't about to hold a grudge, and announced, "I hereby absolve George Washington and his representatives for any overdue library fees incurred." How nice of him! more ›

Beloved forefather George Washington was nothing but a criminal, and stole over $300,000 from our country! At least, that's with calculated inflation. Washington allegedly checked out two books from the New York Society Library on East 79th St over 200 years ago, and has yet to return them! But that's nothing compared to the heartbreaking news for Tea Partiers that Washington was just a liberal Nazi socialist using the big government institution of a public library. more ›

An elderly German architect; his 35-year-old Greek roommate; and a 6-foot-5-inch, 350-pound Dean & DeLuca security guard were indicted yesterday on charges of kidnapping and robbing the agent for a Manhattan property owner. Prosecutors say that some time last year the brawny Kakhaber Gogoladze, a Georgian national in the U.S. illegally, approached the unidentified property agent and told him to get in a car. He was driven to the apartment shared by 70-year-old Ekkehart Schwarz and Vasileios Giamagas, who were $267,000 behind on the rent for a lounge space at 68 West Third Street (pictured), where they'd failed to open a nightclub. more ›

Gov. Paterson publicly addressed the state of New York's budget and described it as "too big and too bloated." Belt tightening is the prescribed solution according to the Governor, with state spending to be cut by 5-10% in the latest fiscal year. That is a pretty dramatic reduction, but Paterson was quick to reassure that it was equally important that the state not raise taxes either, noting that many residents were decamping to lower-tax states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina, which were also more affordable. more ›

Slowpokes and procrastinators beware: Late fees from overdue library books in New York could be costing you points off your credit score. The New York Times has an article today that describes how the The New York Public Library and the Queens Public Library have been using a private company named Unique Management Services, which is a collections agency that library late fines are referred to when not paid by book borrowers. One rabbi in Far Rockaway found this out when he tried to apply for a mortgage! more ›