Blogs & Resources

This blog post is part II in a series of posts providing an overview of important considerations for commercial real estate lease agreements. Regardless of whether a landlord or tenant, there are numerous issues that all parties should consider prior to entering into a commercial lease agreement. Part I addressed mandatory and suggested commercial real estate lease agreement terms and the legal duties and obligations of the parties involved. Part II will discuss the enforceability of certain lease agreements, tort liability for both landlords and tenants, and the use of personal guarantees.

Parties must consider numerous issues when entering into commercial lease agreements. Such considerations encompass everything from the express and implied duties of each respective party to the remedies afforded to each party in the event of a breach. This blog post is Part I in a series of posts providing an overview of important considerations for commercial lease agreements. Part I discusses mandatory and suggested commercial lease agreement terms and the legal duties and obligations of the parties involved.

The recent amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (the “FRCP”) became effective on December 1, 2015, and they govern all cases pending and commenced on and after that date. The changes impact several rules of the FRCP, including those governing early case management, the scope of discovery, and preservation of electronically stored information (“ESI”). These amendments will undoubtedly have an effect on civil litigation practice. Key changes were made to the overall scope of discovery in an effort to address the increasing costs and considerable expense of resources involved in the discovery process. This article focuses on the changes to the rules of discovery and how those changes may affect civil litigation practice.

Generally, the ability to serve on a condominium association’s board of directors is overlooked and not raised as an issue. While this may seem like good news for the association, it could create issues in the future. This blog will discuss the limitations on who may serve on the board of directors for a condominium association.

When a real estate transaction fails to close, there are a multitude of legal issues that arise for the buyer, seller, and real estate broker. Often times the buyer’s earnest money binder or “deposit” is being held by a third party escrow agent. Both the buyer and seller are making conflicting claims to the binder. Section 475.25(1)(d)1., Florida Statutes, sets for the statutory procedure that real estate professionals should follow in the event of conflicting binder claims. Remember that real estate agents and brokers are regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation so they must follow some specific procedures in the event of a binder dispute. These procedure are outlined generally by Florida Realtors® and include seeking an Escrow Disbursement Order, Arbitration, Mediation or Interpleader. This blog will focus on the use of Interpleader Actions for escrow binder disputes in Florida.

Whether due to economic hardships, mismanagement, unforeseen circumstances, or even fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, a condo or homeowners association may find itself in desperate need of help.  Additionally, properties that have been neglected may also be running afoul of local code compliance regulations or may be so far […]

In Florida, one of the most attractive and desirable features of waterfront property is the incredible view. Concerning waterfront property ownership, it can be difficult to distinguish where your private land rights cease, where your neighbor’s private land rights begin, and the rights of the State with sovereign submerged land […]

Ownership of waterfront property is particularly desirable in Florida and often involves unique real property considerations.  It is often difficult to distinguish where the private land rights cease and the sovereign land ownership begins.  As a result, a subset of real property law has emerged to address what is called […]

“Who is going to fix this?” and “Who is going to pay for this?” These are common questions facing unit owners and associations when condominium property needs repair. The answer will most likely be found in the condominium declarations, which typically describe the boundaries of each unit. But sometimes the declarations fail to adequately describe those boundaries; and the fine line delineating who is obligated to repair becomes indiscernible and worse, debatable. This is especially true when describing windows, doors, sliders and skylights in the associated with the condominium unit. Because the materials used are exposed to both the inside and outside of each unit; the condominium declarations must be very clear where the unit owner’s interest begins, and also where it ends. This post provides a brief overview of the Florida condominium association’s obligation to repair and maintain windows under Florida law.

By: Brandon C. Meadows, Esq.

Lenders take heed: the Florida Supreme Court recently amended the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure governing mortgage foreclosures. Additionally, the high court promulgated several standard forms, which reflect the amended rules. The recent rule amendments and forms are in response to the recent legislation regarding mortgage foreclosures, including the new Section 702.015, Florida Statutes, which set forth the new pleading requirements for foreclosure complaints. The purpose of the statute is to “expedite the foreclosure process by ensuring initial disclosure of a plaintiff’s status and the facts supporting that status, thereby ensuring the availability of documents necessary to the prosecution of the case.”