In my real estate law practice, clients often ask about land trusts and how to use them in Ohio. The truth is that in my opinion these structures needlessly complicate an investor’s deal structure and don’t provide any benefits that aren’t already available with an Ohio LLC. They’re often pushed by ‘strategists’ who don’t have […]
Home sale fraud by the seller is so common that we deal with it nearly every day. When I hold a consultation with a client, it’s often helpful to give examples of prior instances of fraud where a court held the seller liable. This gives us a yardstick of severity by which we can judge […]
One of the questions I wish clients would ask more is whether their division of ownership is a fair one. Most owners, in their fairness calculation, apply the following formula: 100% ÷ number of founders This advanced calculus may appear fair and equitable, but the reality is that it ignores many dimensions of the co-founder […]
Mechanic’s liens are the easiest way for a contractor to collect from deadbeat customers. The legal process, however, is not easy. Below we’ll detail some of the requirements and give a practical overview of the process. Why a mechanic’s lien? A mechanic’s lien has the same effect as a mortgage on property. If you successfully […]
Every time there’s a torrential downpour, we can count on many new homebuyers calling us with stories of wet basements and leaky roofs. These problems can put a homeowner out thousands. It’s only fair that a seller who advertised the home as perfectly dry and habitable should be held to account for concealing a leaky […]
Many promissory notes and mortgages contain a provision awarding attorney’s fees for foreclosing on the borrower. This even includes Fannie Mae’s uniform mortgage for Ohio. Many lenders can and do successfully collect attorney’s fees on collection and foreclosure judgments. However, as we know elsewhere in real estate law, just because the contract says you can […]
We see it all the time — an investor bought a property that seemed like a sweet deal, but turned out to have a mortgage on it from a prior owner. No wonder it was so cheap! The investor calls me up and asks me what we can do about it. Let’s set aside the […]
We’ve heard a lot of talk, speculation and venting about the two big programs in the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”). We’ve written about those programs elsewhere. But there’s one big benefit hidden in here that only applies to businesses that have been closed by government […]
This is a living document that I will update from time to time as I receive more information from the government, lenders, and the experiences of borrowers. In a nutshell, here are the broad strokes of the program: It’s a loan that can be forgiven to the extent of your payroll, rent, utilities, and mortgage […]
The U.S. Congress has just passed the largest stimulus (nay, “recovery”) bill of all time to help the country weather the COVID-19 crisis — the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” or the ‘‘CARES Act’’. There’s a lot in here from straight up pork to direct payments to individuals. I’ve been following this process […]