Governor Ron de Santis has issued Executive Order 20-112 which commences Phase 1 of his “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Stop Plan” to reopen the State of Florida. While the plan is light on the details, the following locations are remaining closed or reopening with restrictions:
AFFECTED BUSINESSES
Restaurants can reopen with 25% capacity indoors and outdoor seating will be allowed, all with social-distancing of at least 6 feet and only seating parties of 10 or few people. Bar counters shall remain closed.
Bars, pubs and nightclubs that derive more than 50 percent of gross revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages shall continue to suspend the sale of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.
Gyms and fitness centers shall remain closed.
Vacation rentals shall remain prohibited.
In-store retail centers can operate at 25% of indoor capacity, so long as they continue to abide with the safety guidelines issued by the CDC and OSHA.
Both outpatient and inpatient elective surgeries will restart statewide.
Museums and libraries can open at 25% of capacity only if their local government allows it. Interactive exhibits shall remain closed.
Enforcement
Any violation of this order shall constitute a second-degree misdemeanor pursuant to section 252.50, Florida Statutes, and is punishable by imprisonment not to exceed 60 days, a fine not to exceed $500, or both.
What should I EXPECT NOW?
As a Florida resident, employee, potential business owner and/or consumer, you are probably now considering the pros and cons of attempting to return to your regular, pre-Covid-19 life. Rest assured, whether it be interpreting a lease, negotiating with your lender for a loan modification or ensuring your business is compliant with these new and ever changing regulations due to the coronavirus, you should speak with an attorney to see which options work best for your specific situation.
The attorneys at G&R Law are able to assist you and will work with you during these trying times and within your financial means to ensure you are able to take your first steps towards recovering from the effects of Covid-19.
Please click on the link to contact G&R Law and book your free of charge telephonic or virtual appointment.
Have you been furloughed or fired from your job, are you concerned about what will happen when your next rent payment comes due, how you are going to put food on the table for your family? Worried you and your family are going to be evicted? It’s a good time to panic right, don’t worry, you are not alone. Many Floridians are in a similar position due to the effects of COVID-19, i.e., the Coronavirus. However, you may have a way out of an impossible financial situation, depending on the contents of your residential lease. Click on this link for more information on small businesses.
WHAT CAN I DO IF I HAVE BEEN FURLOUGHED OR FIRED?
Obviously, with no money coming in and not being allowed to work its a good time to panic right. No, its time to assess what we have and how long it’s going to last us and what steps we need to take to be in a better position and survive. First, you need to know what money you have on hand to live off of, this means “CASH” and “CREDIT”, what are your expenses, make a list. Once you make a list of your expenses, look at which ones you can cut out to save money. From what we know of other countries who were hit by the coronavirus earlier, we can estimate that this pandemic may last about four months. Therefore we need to plan to survive for maybe five or six months to be conservative. Remember, we may not go back to things right where we left off, it may take some time.
Once you know what monies you have available, which include your credit card limits and your monthly expenses, you will know how many months you can survive. Now that you know this valuable information, you should figure out ways to lower your expenses or eliminate some of them. Do you really need Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, etc? Maybe, but maybe you don’t need the pet groomer. Once you trim expenses, figure out ways to lower your bills, whether it’s calling to get a better cable rate or phone rate, etc. Once you’ve trimmed the fat on your expenses then you need to find out ways to obtain new forms of income. File for unemployment, I know its tedious, time consuming and demoralizing but its something coming in to help pay the bills. The Federal Government is sending stimulus checks to most Americans, don’t go on Amazon and spend it, add it to your list you should call “survival cash” because for now, this is a one-time event. Don’t panic, things will get better!!!
do you have a lease, should you keep paying the lease?
First, it may be a good time to talk to your landlord, he/she should understand that we are in a crisis and you have been forced to stay home and have lost your job as a result. You may be able to discuss alternatives in payment, maybe work out a different payment plan where you don’t pay for two or three months and then pay an additional amount toward the end of the lease to catch up. Right now, most jurisdictions are not allowing for evictions to go forward in the court system and if your landlord knows that he may be more willing to enter into a different payment arrangement with you as he knows he can’t evict you for the moment. But don’t think this will last, at some point, the court will allow the landlord to begin evictions and if you haven’t been paying and haven’t changed your agreement, the landlord can evict you if not now, eventually. Always try to formalize any agreement with the landlord in writing, even if it’s just an email back and forth where the terms are written and you both agree.
If you can’t agree with your landlord in changing your payment for these months, then you should review or have your contract reviewed by an attorney. Many contracts contain provisions for different scenarios that are unknown but could happen during the lease like a storm which makes the home unlivable, etc., allowing the tenant relief from having to pay rent. One of these provisions often found in a contract is called a “force majeure clause”, which if contained in your lease, may excuse the tenant from complying with their normal obligations when certain circumstances beyond their control arise, making performance inadvisable, commercially impracticable, impossible or illegal. While these types of clauses vary; if one is contained in your lease, it may provide you with another option if you are unable to pay your rent by the due date.
The attorneys at G&R Law are able to assist you in this time of need, whether it is reviewing your finances to help you with a budget or your lease to see if it contains this force majeure clause free of charge. If your lease does contain a force majeure clause, G&R Law will work with you during these trying times and within your financial means to negotiate with your landlord on your behalf and ensure you are able to stay in your home for as long as possible.
Please click on the link to contact G&R Law, to set up your free of charge telephonic appointment.
Renting on websites like Airbnb, VRBO or other online rental sites has become very popular for homeowners with properties in popular destinations like Florida. The sites are easy to use and setup for renting but usually don’t tell you very much about your particular state, local or community restrictions or the requirement of collecting state and county taxes. Many homeowners simply put their homes on these websites without being informed or doing their own research and then later receive a notice that they are in violation of state, city, county or association ordinance or law. It is not always easy to find out if you’re in compliance and it takes a bit of research to determine if you are truly ready to rent your home on a rental website.
As an example I will use the Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida which is a popular tourist area but this example will apply in some way to most locations. If you want to rent a home in the Florida Keys you have to first be aware of its location to determine what length of time you are allowed to rent. Buried in the county’s website is a map with color shading and codes which you have to decipher to determine what length of time your location is allowed to rent. This determination is crucial as to whether you can even advertise or rent less than the restrictive 28 day limit imposed by Monroe County Code 134-1 (k). The code is confusing and arbitrary in that it applies to certain areas and not others and basically has the effect of pit falling homeowners into violation that have not properly researched the ordinance and its restrictions. In certain areas like Islamorada and Marathon for instance, you can rent for less than 28 days but not less than 7 days. As an owner, the disparate treatment between owner’s property rights to rent seem unfair where some property owners just because of their location have a further right to the use of their land than other similarly situated homeowners in the general area.
The county has investigators combing rental websites and posing as interested renters and if your home is simply advertised for nightly rentals (whether or not it is being rented on a nightly basis) the county will claim a violation of the code by merely “advertis(ing) or hold(ing) out for rent.” Advertising alone according to the code is sufficient for a code violation. The county doesn’t send first time violators a courtesy notice for compliance, instead it sends a violation notice and hearing date to assess a hefty fine. The Board of County Commissioners has developed or internally agreed to the imposition of a fine for first time violators by multiplying the nightly advertised rental rate by 30 (30 days of rentals) which in most cases amounts to thousands of dollars in fines for first time violators. The Monroe County website seems to bury any information as to rentals, in its “Links for Residents” page and it fails to provide any useful information for homeowners who want to rent their homes. You have to know that on the code enforcement page they have something called “Vacation Rental Program” which may or may not apply to you depending on the location of your home to determine what applies to your situation.
Fines Imposed for Violation of Ordinance
As you can imagine, the number of homeowners who are first time violators is enormous and the county holds hearings where the room is filled with first time violators who look like dear in the headlights, the county attorney after hearing the evidence presented by the investigator recommends to the magistrate judge the imposition of the hefty fine and the magistrate judge finds the homeowner in violation and imposes the hefty fine or reduces somewhat the fine as he/she sees fit. The practice of imposing these hefty fines for first time violators in my opinion is as a revenue stream for the county which I am sure represents millions in revenue and is why they do not provide first time violators with a simple notice for compliance and why the information is buried on their website. I am sure most first time violators would comply with the ordinance if they were simply noticed for non-compliance.
Ordinance History
The county’s stance and the history behind the ordinance seem to be that the 28 day restriction was imposed to protect neighborhoods from the impact of transient tenants on the surrounding area including the environment and to provide affordable housing. If this is so, why doesn’t it apply to every single residence in all of Monroe County. This claim is a falsehood in that the properties are meant to be occupied at all times by the number of tenants the property was designed to hold and permitted by the county for its impact to the surrounding area. I have found no evidence which shows that the cost of housing is reduced or more affordable because this ordinance is in place. Homeowners can find many more tourists/renters willing to rent for a shorter period of time and pay a higher rate than renters willing to rent for a minimum of a month at a lesser rate. The Florida Keys is constantly advertising to bring in more tourism, these homes are perfect for short term visitors who are seeking the comforts of a home which often times is more affordable than a hotel. Allowing shorter term rentals would make the area more alluring to visitors and more beneficial to the surrounding businesses in the area and generally more tax revenue for the county. Most short term renters in the Florida Keys are looking to stay for a few days maybe a week and enjoy the various water activities in the area and the local dining and shopping.
Whether the imposition of the county ordinance is a restraint on a homeowner’s rights or whether other similarly situated homeowners are being treated differently by not having to comply with this ordinance or whether this ordinance serves to protect the surrounding neighborhoods or provide more affordable housing or whether its true purpose is to lessen competition with hotels are all worthy debates which should be further discussed and possibly changed by the voters of Monroe county.
State and Local Taxes
In Monroe County, once you determine whether your property falls under the 28 day ordinance, your not ready to rent, you must then determine whether Airbnb or other advertising company is paying the occupancy taxes of the state and any local taxes. For instance, Airbnb on its website states that it is paying the state and local taxes for the property. If you look at the setting for Gross Earnings on the Airbnb tab under “Progress” and “Transaction History” they will provide you the occupancy tax that they are collecting and paying on your behalf. Normally, the Florida Department of Revenue requires you to register and pay this tax annually, quarterly or monthly, when I inquired as to registration, a representative stated that since Airbnb was paying directly, the requirement to file and register was basically waived but you could register if but would not need to file. I suggest calling the Florida Department of Revenue and the Monroe County Tax Collector’s office and confirming your tax filing requirements before placing your property for rent to make sure you are in compliance.
Conclusion
As described in the example above with the Florida Keys, it is imperative that you do the necessary research before placing or having someone place your property for rent online as you could be heavily fined for renting or even just advertising for rent in places like the Florida Keys. Also, don’t forget to contact your state and local taxing authority to make sure you are in compliance with any reporting requirements. If you have any questions or have received a notice please don’t hesitate in contacting our offices.
Después de que él y ella digan “Sí”, comienza la planificación de la boda y la locura. La pareja está enamorada y esperando su futuro juntos, todo es color de rosa… Pero el matrimonio es como un contrato que tiene un aspecto comercial, igual que cuando usted compra una casa o un coche usted firma un acuerdo de por vida. La mayoría de los contratos contienen lo que se puede y no se puede hacer y las consecuencias por incumplimiento del mismo; los contratos de matrimonio no tienen términos ni condiciones y sólo un acuerdo prenupcial puede definir lo que sucederá si las partes se divorcian. La mayoría de las parejas no quieren pensar en ello, pero casi el 50% de los primeros matrimonios terminan en divorcio, es como tirar una moneda al aire, hay 50/50 de probabilidades. Ya sea que tenga activos, dinero o algo que proteger o está comenzando y no aun no tiene nada, permita que G&R Law le redacte su acuerdo prenupcial. He aquí 5 buenas razones para ello:
Explica cómo se dividirán los bienes en caso de divorcio o separación
2. Ahorra dinero en honorarios legales en caso de divorcio ya que todo se ha coordinado de antemano
3. Especifica si alguien tiene que pagar pensión alimenticia
4. Define quién vivirá en el hogar si hay una separación o divorcio
5. Asegura una transición pacífica cuando el matrimonio no funciona, las partes pueden incluso permanecer amigos.
Si tiene preguntas sobre el uso o la redacción de acuerdos prenupciales o postnupciales, por favor póngase en contacto con G & R Law, somos un bufete de abogados en Coral Gables, Florida.
After she or he said “Yes”, the planning of the wedding and craziness begins. The couple is in love and looking forward to their future together. Couples should see marriage as a contract and that it has a business aspect to it, just like when you buy a house or a car, you sign a contract. Most contracts contain what you can and can’t do and the consequences for breach of the contract. Marriage contracts do not have any terms or conditions and only a prenuptial agreement can specify what happens if the parties divorce. Most couples don’t want to think about divorce, but almost 50% of first marriages end up in divorce, flip a coin, its 50/50. Whether you have assets, money, or something to protect or you are just starting out and have nothing, you should have a prenuptial agreement from G&R Law for these 5 reasons:
Prenup will explain how everything is divided in the event of divorce or separation;
Prenup saves money in legal fees in divorce as everything has been agreed to ahead of time;
Prenup will specify whether someone will have to pay alimony (money paid by one party to the other for a period of time);
Prenup will specify who lives in the home if the parties separate or divorce;
Prenup insures a peaceful transition when the marriage does not work out, the parties may even stay friends.
If you have questions regarding the use or construction of prenuptial agreements or postnuptial agreements, please contact G&R Law, we are a law firm in Coral Gables, Florida.
After spending almost a decade in prison, Orenthal James Simpson, more famously known as O.J Simpson or The Juice, is looking at early parole as soon as October 1 for good behavior. At the moment O.J Simpson still owes a little over $30 million to the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman after being found liable for their deaths by a civil jury in 1997. It is reported that after being released from prison Mr. Simpson will find sanctuary from his creditors in the sunshine state of Florida.
The state of Florida has been notoriously known for protecting its citizens from creditors with its generous asset protection laws. In Florida your home is truly a castle, a castle so strong that not even the Dragon queen, Daenerys Targaryen, can penetrate its walls. Article X, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution establishes this protection against creditors. Let’s break down homestead exemption and how it helps you as a homeowner. Under the Florida Constitution, Homestead exemption accomplishes three types of exemptions:
Exemption from forced sale before and at death
Restrictions on devise and alienation
And exemption from taxation per Art. VII, Section 6 (will be discussed in greater detail in next blog)
First off let’s define what constitutes a Homestead. A homestead is the home where you and your family reside in, which comprises of land, house, and outbuildings.
The state of Florida prohibits creditors to force an individual to sell its homestead in order to pay back a debt, including their heirs. Unlike other states, Florida’s exemption from forced sale provides an even greater protection by not limiting the value of certain real property that can be protected from creditors.
In addition to protection against creditors, Florida homestead exemption protects the right of spouses/family members living in that homestead, regardless of whether you are on the title of that property or not. The restrictions on devise and alienation give the homestead owner a basic outline on how he/she can transfer their homestead. In life, restrictions on alienation impede the owner of a homestead of selling his property by requiring the consent from his/her spouse. In death, restrictions on devise impede the owner from devising his property in the event he is survived by a spouse and/or minor children. For example, should a husband die and in his will leave his homestead to his mistress rather than his wife, the transfer would be denied by the court. Or rather in life, should a husband decide to transfer his homestead to his mistress, he would first need the consent of his wife in order to do so. On the other hand he would be able to transfer his non-homestead property however and to whomever he wishes.
It is no wonder that O.J. Simpson finds comfort in knowing that a homestead he may acquire will be protected here in Florida. Should he buy and reside in a new home here in our sunshine state, his property and assets therein would be securely protected behind our Florida Homestead Exemption laws from his “creditors”, the families of his victims, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. But while O.J. Simpson may think he’s outsmarted his creditors, in the end no one can run from the Dragon Queen, Daenerys Targaryen.
Before you sign a contract, take a look at the section regarding dispute resolution. This usually is a section which discusses what happens when a dispute arises between the parties and where and how they resolve their issues. Meaning, if we don’t agree or their is a breach of contract do I just sue, mediate or arbitrate. Most attorneys who write contracts don’t litigate or spend much time thinking through the dispute resolution process or they write in such a way where it benefits only their client. Its up to you to know and seek legal advice so that you know what your signing and how you will resolve disputes when they arise.
Just so you are aware of the differences between going straight to court, mediating or arbitrating disputes, I am going to simplify for the sake of the length of this article what each means as you could go into depth in each of these areas. If you don’t have a clause of any kind regarding dispute resolution in your contract and someone breaches the contract, the aggrieved party does have recourse, he/she can simply file a lawsuit in court. Lawsuits are expensive and they usually mean that the parties are no longer working together and are in a major dispute which can only be resolved by a judge or a jury. Sometimes its prudent to include a mediation provision which allows the parties to meet and have a mediator try and resolve the dispute before going forward into court and filing a lawsuit. The beauty of mediation is that it is non-binding, the parties can reach a resolution regarding the dispute at mediation or agree to disagree. If they agree at mediation the parties may move forward working together and the contract may go forward. Arbitration is a replacement for the use of the public court system, basically the parties can stipulate in a dispute resolution clause that they elect to have disputes determined by an arbitrator, depending on the complexity it may be one or three arbitrators. Some of the advantages in using arbitration are that the disputes remain private, the arbitrator or arbitrators are chosen by the parties and usually have knowledge of the subject matter, and the arbitrators are more efficient and actively involved in the resolution of the matter. Obviously, this comes with a price, generally arbitration is more expensive than the public court system as the parties pay for the services of the arbitrator, his staff, and the arbitration company which governs the arbitration.
Its important to review and receive the proper advice when it comes to the dispute resolution section of a contract, pay attention to the law that is applicable, whether the law of your state applies, where venue or the place where the dispute will be litigated is stipulated, sometimes it may be thousands of miles away, talk to your lawyer regarding whether your agreement should include mediation, civil court, arbitration or a combination to better suit resolution of disputes that may arise. The best time include language for dispute resolution is before the dispute arises!!!
As a new business owner or entrepreneur, your excited to start your business and build out your dream location and begin to sell your services or merchandise. Before you sign the lease that was given to you most likely by the landlord for that new store or office you should keep in mind that it was most likely written to protect the landlords interests and not you as the tenant.
Commercial lease agreements are typically lengthy and wordy documents and provide for all manner of issues related to the premises. Aside from providing the stipulated rent and other common provisions, they include topics such as who is responsible for the maintenance of the building, who will pay the property taxes, etc. It is important to review very carefully these agreements to insure that you as the tenant are aware of your responsibilities.
Did you know that:
You can negotiate with the Landlord for tenant improvements in the form of monies provided by the Landlord to be used for the build out of your location;
You can negotiate an exit strategy in the event that your business does not do as well as you hope;
You can negotiate when your lease starts, meaing not when you sign but when your are actually ready to open, the allows for you to make your improvements or remodeling to the location without having the burden of making lease payments;
You can negotiate the rental increases.
Tenants should be knowledgeable about what they are signing, Landlord’s typically want the business owner to sign a personal guarantee when entering into a lease, this can be problematic when the lease contains an acceleration clause which allows for the Landlord to collect the remaining balance of the rental term and personally sue the guarantor for payment.
It is important to have these complicated commercial leases reviewed and negotiated prior to signing by an attorney who is knowledgeable in the area, it will be the best investment your new business can make.
FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that this office is deemed a debt collector and any information obtained may be used for that purpose. However, if you are in bankruptcy or received a bankruptcy discharge of the debt, this communication is not an attempt to collect the debt against you personally, but is notice of a possible enforcement of the lien against the collateral property. We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.
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