April 8, 2002

Nasty feud erupts among wealthy neighbors in Edgewater Point, New York, peninsula in Long Island Sound over seemingly minor property disputes that could have legal implications for similar enclaves; developer Melvyn Kaufman sued over concrete pier of Dean and Elizabeth Kehler, and ended up suing three more neighbors, as well as property owners assn for not enforcing rules; neighbors say Kaufmans misinterpret covenants for their own benefit; photos; map (M)

The Archdiocese of New York said that six priests who have been named in allegations of sexual misconduct have been ''asked to leave their current assignments,'' and ''are not to represent themselves as priests.''

New York Archdiocese removes six priests named in sexual misconduct cases from their current assignments and tells them not to represent themselves as priests; six are not identified but all are on list of accused priests that church has given to Manhattan Dist Atty Robert Morgenthau (M)

Judge Delays Ruling on Suit To Block Hewlett's Merger A state judge in Delaware delayed a decision on a request by Hewlett-Packard to dismiss a case filed by a dissident director, Walter Hewlett, to block its $18.3 billion takeover of Compaq Computer. After a rare two-hour Sunday hearing in Delaware Chancery Court, Judge William Chandler III told lawyers for both sides that he would contact them soon with his decision on whether to allow Mr. Hewlett's complaint to go forward as planned in two weeks. [Page C2.]

Critics of financial structure in New Jersey, where per-capita property-tax rates are highest in US, hope current fiscal plight will stir enough interest to reform tax system altogether; idea of constitutional convention on property tax reform grows along with resentment of widespread local tax increases; charts comparing state's revenue sources with those of other states (M)