Dear AOA and its Members: Having practiced real property law for the past 45 years (I was admitted to the California State Bar in November 1976), I have decided to retire as an attorney, hang up my shingle, spend my spare time with my family and friends, and pursue my passions for traveling, scuba diving…
RESIDENT MANAGERS: SUMMARY OF CALIFORNIA WAGE, HOUR AND RENT LAWS FOR 2022 for owners and management companies who employ less than 26 total employees. (Effective January 1, 2022) DALE S. ALBERSTONE, ESQ. ALBERSTONE & ALBERSTONE 269 S. Beverly Drive, Suite 1670, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Telephone: (310)…
Hello everybody. Most everyone hopes that 2022 will bring about world peace, tenants who pay their full rent on time each and every month, and an end to the COVID-19 virus. As the legal writer for the Apartment Owners Association, my hope for AOA members is more modest, but nonetheless extremely important. In fact, it…
Hello everybody. It has been five years since I last published a general article about tree law for AOA members. So, this month I thought I would provide a refresher discussion on that topic and update it at the same time. Overview Most frequently, tree disputes arise out of tree limbs from the tree of…
Hello everybody. It has been many years since I have written about the methods to prevent a neighbor from acquiring a prescriptive easement on an owner’s property. Because a prescriptive easement can permanently deprive an owner of his or her property rights, the methods to prevent that are worth reviewing. For purposes of this article,…
Hello everybody. Airbnb and other types of transient occupants continue to be a big headache for landlords. After all, while the Internet allows free or nearly free advertisements by owners to acquire new tenants (which is a good thing), it also empowers tenants to sublet their apartment to temporary occupants for more than the rent…
Hello everybody. In the context of lawsuits filed by tenants or resident managers against their landlords or employers, ask any landlord or employer, and even their attorneys, what their objective would be if they went to mediation while the lawsuit was pending. Almost all of them will tell you that the objective would be to…
Hello everybody. Four topics (other than COVID-19 laws) continue to be in the forefront of our legal news. So instead of addressing one subject in depth as most of my articles in this column do, I will briefly discuss recent developments in four specific areas of law, namely: Arbitrations with Resident Managers, Arbitrations in Residential…
Hello everybody. On July 1, 2021, resident manager laws will change in many cities in California. Fortunately, the resident manager laws promulgated by the state of California will not change again in any significant fashion until January 1, 2022. My column this month will address a number of the 2021 changes of city laws and remind…
Hello everybody. Although I have written on this topic before, a great many landlords, and even some judges, continue to believe that title to real estate can be held by a living trust. (I am sure they didn’t read my prior articles, but judges should know the law without having read anything that I have…