Nov 05 2008
Question One: I recently purchased a house in a foreclosure proceeding. There are
occupants in the house. What notice is required to force them to vacate?
Answer One: If the previous owner or his family is occupying the house, a "30-Day
Notice To Quit" is required. If the persons who are occupying the house are tenants, the
new law [...]
Sep 04 2008
(Published in November 2003 issue of Apartment Owners Association of Los Angeles Magazine)
By Michael K. Elson, Esq.
Generating income is the primary goal of any entrepreneur. Equally important to businessmen and investors is the desire to avoid personal financial liability for the obligations of the business. The invention of the traditional corporation and more modern [...]
Aug 22 2008
by the Fair Housing Council
It’s the stuff of urban legends. It always comes up in fair housing trainings – be it classesI attended years ago as a sales agent, or in classes I conduct for the Fair Housing Council now. Everyone’s heard of it; everyone wants to know how to get his/her hands on it…some call it [...]
Aug 19 2008
One property manager I knew told the story about the time she was talking to a landlord about her rental property and said, “The law says…”
The landlord replied aghast, “There are laws!!??
Yes ma’am, there are laws. And in most states, those laws were written to protect the “poor, abused, downtrodden” bad tenant. Also, in most [...]
Aug 18 2008
Some say about-face puts unfair burden on existing tenants
August 18, 2008
By Robert Griswold
Q: I work for a local humane society and was wondering about the rights of tenants to have pets in their rental unit. We frequently receive calls from tenants with pets claiming that they received a 30-day notice to terminate their tenancy because [...]
Aug 14 2008
Question 1:
Question 1:
I need access to a tenant’s apartment as his unit provides access to a central plumbing fixture. I have written him a letter asking permission to do these repairs along with three different phone calls. He is yet to respond and I am desperate to make this repairs. What can I do [...]
Jun 12 2008
I am taking the liberty to go outside the format in this issue.to warn our members of adisturbing situation that has arisen in the eviction courts.A trend is now occurring, where tenant defense attorneys are
now requesting jury trials. It should be first noted that all litigants have the right to a jury trial, if a
proper [...]
May 26 2008
After the tenant has been evicted, and you have obtained a money judgment for the back rent,
attorney’s fees, and court costs, you can pursue the money rightfully due. Turn your judgments
over to collection where they will aggressively pursue the judgment debtor until you are paid in
full. There is almost always no additional charge for collection [...]
Jan 12 2008
Fair Housing does not allow us to ask applicants about PREVIOUS drug, alcohol or
mental problems. We are allowed to ask if they PRESENTLY have any of these
problems; but, the question itself will get us few honest replies from most of the very
people we are screening against.
The landlord can cause the applicant to volunteer the information [...]
Jan 12 2008
Governor Schwarzenegger, agreeing that landlords should not be forced to serve as de
facto immigration cops, signed AB 976 into law. The new law goes into effect on January
1, 2008 and will prohibit local governments from passing local ordinances that require
landlords to inquire about a tenant’s immigration status and report that information to
local governments. Given the [...]
Dec 02 2007
Question One:
I have Section 8 (subsidized housing) in rent control and non-rent control areas. I have been having great difficulty dealing [...]
Nov 16 2007
THE LAW FIRM OF DENNIS P. BLOCK AND ASSOCIATES is a law firm specializing in tenant eviction. This firm started in 1976 and is the leading eviction law firm in the State of California. To date, we have handled over 130,000 evictions. We are dedicated to serving the legal interests of landlords and income property [...]
Nov 15 2007
Question 1- I have a tenant who insists in sitting in the common areas and chain-smokes.
All of the tenants are complaining. The tenant is on a one-year lease. Is there anything
that can be done?
Answer 1- Under California law, the tenant is prohibited from creating a nuisance. A
nuisance is defined as causing an unreasonable interference with [...]
Nov 12 2007
Creating Income with Charitable Planning
Many people assume charitable giving simply involves giving money away, never to be seen
again. But implementing a charitable giving program may actually help investors achieve
important financial goals while saving substantially on taxes. And current market and interest rate
conditions can make certain charitable gifting vehicles even more beneficial.
A properly structured gifting program [...]
Nov 11 2007
Hawaii: A tenant who claimed her Chihuahua dog was “medically necessary to her
mental health” fails to prove her claim and is evicted after the court refuses to find a Fair
Housing Amendment Act violation.
The tenant leases an apartment from her landlord pursuant to a lease agreement which
contained a “no pets” provision. The tenant obtained [...]