Living Trusts, Arbitrations and a Riddle! By-Dale Alberstone, Esq.
Hello everybody. It marvels me how often apartment owners enter into leases in the name of their family living trust, or worse still, file lawsuits under the name of the trust.
Legal Q & A By-Franco Simone
Q: Another landlord I know told me that my rental property is exempt from California rent control known as the Tenant Protection Act of 2019. What types of rental properties are exempt from rent control?
DetailsLegal Q & A By-Dennis Block
Question One: I recently purchased a house at a foreclosure sale. The previous owner refuses to talk to me and states he will not be vacating the house. He told me that I would be arrested as a trespasser if I came back to the house. How can this be since I am the owner…
DetailsDon’t Let Your Estate Plan Become “HAZARDOUS” to Your Family! By-Kenneth Ziskin
Sound estate planning is not just about taxes, although that is often the “hazard” that motivates apartment owners to do, or update, their estate planning. Instead, it is really about taking care of everyone you love and everything you own. Of course, the tax component of good estate planning means there can be more wealth to take…
DetailsRecoup Up to 50% of Seismic Retrofit Cost from Tenants By-David Crown
You can never be too ready. After a 6.4 earthquake in Ridgecrest this past Fourth of July and a 7.1 in the same region just two days later, Southern California residents understandably felt some tremor terror. Most of us were more concerned about what hadn’t happened than what had — the U.S. Geological Survey says…
DetailsSomething to Think About #91 – Information, Not Advice Part 11 By-Klarise Yahya
As we know, stocks are equity interests. The holder of a share of stock has a partial ownership in the corporation. If the company prospers so do the shareholders, but the opposite happens as well. If a company disappoints, share prices will reflect as much. Thus, stock values are notoriously volatile. Sometimes they can soar…
DetailsCOVID-19 – Eviction Lawsuits Proceed in California Despite Relief for Some Tenants By-CalMatters
The wheels of the eviction process are still turning in many parts of the state, and renters remain subject to ejection for many reasons. Questions are emerging about how to handle cases not related to the pandemic. Pandemic or no pandemic, landlords’ attorney Dennis Block is still trying to evict renters. As public health authorities advise Californians…
DetailsHow the New State ADU Law Affects Apartment Owners By-Sheri Swist
Apartment owners may not think of Alternative Dwelling Units (ADUs), commonly known as “granny flats,” as being applicable to their multi-family structures. Previously, ADUs were only considered additional living quarters on lots that have a single-family home, such as guest houses or garage conversions. They often had restrictive and burdensome requirements such as an owner…
DetailsWhat Does it Mean to “Replace Debt” in a 1031 Exchange? By-Alex Madden
1031 Exchanges and Debt Replacement The reason for selling and buying real estate via a 1031 exchange is to defer capital gains tax that would otherwise be due on the sale. By “exchanging” one or more pieces of property for one or more like-kind pieces of equal or greater value, and by adhering to IRS…
DetailsCity Hall Scandals and the Housing Shortage By-Noni Richen, President of San Francisco Small Property Owners Association
Can you believe what is happening at City Hall? All the revelations of questionable conduct and decisions are shocking and disappointing. The investigation is dubbed “an FBI wide-ranging corruption case.” It seems we should be bracing ourselves for the next volley. Wouldn’t it be great to have an investigation of all departments by an impartial…
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