|
EXCITED
ABOUT 2008? WE ARE! |
|
Since 1989, we
have been serving Florida’s multi-family property managers with
the filing of evictions, lease preparation for single family
homes and advice on the myriad legal issues which arise each
day. As our client base has increased, we have firmly believed
that sufficient staff is necessary to process cases with
lightning speed and to be there for our clients when they need
us most. Our firm is comprised of 3 attorneys and 18 full time
support staff. Amidst all our growth, we have had no prices
increase since the year 2000 and continue to meet the needs of
our major management company clients and smaller property
management firms.
Click here
to see what
we have in store for 2008.
Back to Top |
|
ALL PAST NEWSLETTERS ARE NOW ONLINE |
|
In October 2004, we launched our first email Legal Newsletter
and have consistently provided you with legal information and
industry news free of charge each month. In response to numerous
requests from our clients, we now have all of these past issues
online for your reference and use. Have a burning question or
topic of interest? Just email us, and we will try to provide you
with an article.
Click here
for 35 past Legal Newsletter Issues.
Back to Top
|
|
RENTAL
REGISTRATION FEE VICTORY |
|
$9000.00 to
register your apartment community with the county? $6000.00 per
year for each year thereafter? Hard to believe, but these were
the fees in Collier County until last month. Now, an apartment
community of any size will simply pay a fair, flat, $30.00
annual fee. The dedication and hard work of a few members and
staff of the Naples Area Apartment Association and the Florida
Apartment Association paid off recently, when Collier County
finally decided to make the change. A special thanks to the
Commissioners who contributed to providing affordable housing in
Florida.
Click here
to see how
a few people made a huge difference for the industry.
Back to Top
|
|
NEW MOVE-IN FIRE DANGERS |
|
Your new tenant is moving in and has not yet had the electric
service turned on. She places some boxes on the electric stove,
a convenient place to pile items, as the kitchen table has not
yet arrived. The electricity gets turned on. You guessed it.
Fire. Each year we see fires in units due to this simple
mistake. Educating your tenants can prevent these completely
unnecessary and costly occurrences. Put this in your move-in
info sheet ASAP.
Back to Top
|
|
THE
UNAUTHORIZED OCCUPANT WHO IS A CRIMINAL |
|
The
unauthorized occupant you have living in your rental property
with the tenant turns out to be a convicted felon with a mile
long rap sheet. Will this speed up your eviction, make it easier
to file the case or give you an edge in court? No. The criminal
background of an unauthorized occupant is completely irrelevant.
The main issue is whether you can prove that there is indeed an
unauthorized occupant actually residing on the premises.
Click here
for some
tips on the Unauthorized Occupant.
Back to Top
|
|
LOCK OUT PROCEDURES |
|
The phone rings at 3 a.m., and it is a person who is locked out.
Your maintenance tech thinks it is a tenant. Your company has a
policy of assisting locked out tenants and giving access to the
unit. The tech looks at the ID, and is familiar with the person,
having seen him at the pool, in the office and when handling
maintenance requests. The tech opens the door for the person,
and you find out the next day that the person (the tenant’s
former boyfriend) was not on the lease and cleaned out the
apartment of all the real tenant’s valuables. Now who is in hot
water?
Click here
to see
how you can avoid this expensive mistake.
Back to Top
|
|
RELEASING
CREDIT REPORTS AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS |
|
First and
foremost: Don’t do it. Period. The reason is complicated,
scary and rarely understood. Resist the owner’s pleas.
Releasing this information subjects your office to a federal
law with very big teeth. Don’t let it put the bite on
you.
Click here
to
see how to
handle the request to release credit reports.
Back to Top
|
|
SELFSTORAGELEGAL.COM -
Boat, RV and
Vehicle Storage |
|
Boat, RV or
Vehicle (collectively “vehicle”) storage is a different kind of
business compared to the traditional self-storage, particularly
when the vehicle will be stored anywhere except in a separate,
enclosed storage unit. The business model is quite different,
while this may be a part of the self-storage operator’s
business. The liability is high, and many issues must be
addressed. Whether you are renting storage in a lot, a covered
building or individual storage units, vehicle storage presents
several unique issues.
Click here
to read Self
Storage Law expert attorney Jeffrey Greenberger’s article “Boat,
RV and Vehicle Storage”.
Back to Top |
|
COMMERCIAL
LAW AND YOU
- Exclusivity and Use Clauses |
|
You place an
exclusivity clause in your lease stating that the tenant can
operate a “bagel bakery”. A national chain tenant moves right
next door and begins to sell donuts. Your “bagel bakery” tenant
is furious, and your lease may not have properly addressed the
issues of exclusivity and use. The lawsuits begin, and now you
are in the middle of the mess. Does your attorney understand the
importance of proper lease drafting in this situation?
Click here
for info on
exclusivity and use provisions by attorney Kevin Jursinski.
Back to Top |
|
THE FAIR HOUSING CORNER -
“HAPPY
HOLIDAYS VS. MERRY CHRISTMAS”
By Cathy L. Lucrezi, Attorney at Law |
|
 Merry
Christmas! Happy Hannukah! Good Kwanzaa! Have a Nice Day?
When it comes to housing, the choice of words and decorations is
more than political correctness. You can celebrate the holiday
season without being a “fair housing scrooge”.
Click here
to be
merry, happy and fair at the same time.
Back to Top |
