Additional Information: He has never paid for medical insurance, alimony or child support. He has the means to pay and has finally been paying child support of $500 a month and ignoring the rest saying “oh, well she’s almost 18.” We live in MA, and in the Fall she will be attending an expensive college in Chestnut Hill, and the money would allow her to focus on school and her studies instead of having to
A couple who purchased a condo in a building that turned out to be contaminated with toxic chemicals can recover only 65% of their losses, because they could have arranged an environmental inspection of the property before they bought it but didn’t do so, a Court of Appeals recently decided. The couple bought a condo unit in a converted factory. The developer had installed a vapor barrier, but never actually decontaminated the dangerous chemicals on
Many people are surprised to discover that their standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover them in the event of a flood. If you want flood insurance, you generally have to buy a separate policy. Typically these policies are sold by private insurers, but are backed by the U.S. Government through the National Flood Insurance Program. Some federally backed mortgage programs require homeowners to buy flood insurance if they live in a high-risk area. Some
Owning a home provides a lot of tax advantages. Sometimes, though, the rules can be tricky. Here’s a brief introduction to some of the many tax rules involved in buying, selling, or refinancing a home. But remember, the rules are complicated, and there are always exceptions. You’ll want to consult a real estate attorney or tax advisor to see how the general rules apply to your specific situation. If I own a home, can I
Additional Information: What are some of the benefits of converting to condos? My brother and I inherited a duplex in Watertown and we’re considering converting them to condos. We may or may not move into the respective units and wondering if the benefits outweigh the expense. ATTORNEY ANSWER: It depends upon the real estate market in your area – in some places conversion into condos is a good economic move and in others it is
Additional Information: I currently live in an apartment in Cambridge. The apartment is in my grandmother’s 4 unit building where I pay rent. If she wanted to convert the units to condos, what are the steps she would need to take? Can she convert one at a time or is it best to convert all 4 at once? ATTORNEY ANSWER: You cannot convert a building into condominiums without converting all apartments. The first step in
Additional Information: My business partner and I are about to buy a commercial office building in Roslindale and I’d like to use a friend who is a real estate closing attorney. Are there really that many differences between a commercial real estate deal and buying a house? ATTORNEY ANSWER: Yes there are differences – If the attorney in question, no matter how much of a friend, is not generally familiar with commercial transactions, I would
Additional Information: I am about to sign a P & S for commercial property in the South End. What are some of the common pitfalls involving a commercial real estate deal? ATTORNEY ANSWER: First thing I suggest is the buyer find out if there are existing tenants in the building, if so are they subject to lease agreements and for how long and of course what is the rent being collected. A review of all
Additional Information: I sold my Watertown restaurant for $25k (building not included) and have a signed sales agreement showing the purchaser agreed to pay $1000 per month. So far, the purchaser has only paid $800 and refuses to pay anymore. They are not doing well with the business and are saying I misrepresented what the restaurant was worth. It kills me to see the restaurant not doing well, when it was thriving when my family
Additional Information: I am about to purchase a restaurant in Jamaica Plain from real estate brokers and they are proposing to be the agents for the restaurant sale transaction. They’ve presented the restaurant’s operating expenses and income and positive cash flow. Should I bring in my own attorney to help me purchase this restaurant? ATTORNEY ANSWER: I would strongly recommend hiring an attorney to assist you. For starters you want to have someone review the
Additional Information: I’m about to open a restaurant and will do some renovations before opening. In a standard restaurant lease, what is a typical permit contingency clause? If I’m unable to get permits to do the necessary renovations, what kind of notice would I need to give in order to get out of the lease? I am working with a well regarded Boston restaurant architect and he has great ideas, just not sure the permits
Additional Information: I am hopefully going to open my first restaurant in the Greater Boston area and have just reviewed the lease. Who typically covers liability insurance? The restaurant owner or the landlord, or both? If a customer falls and injures him/herself, and I don’t have my own liability insurance, wouldn’t I be at risk if the restaurant got sued for personal injury? ATTORNEY ANSWER: The landlord typically insures the commercial property for loss due
Additional Information: My husband and I have already signed a contract to sell our condo in Newton. However, we have since changed our minds and no longer want to sell. What can we do to get out of selling our home? ATTORNEY ANSWER: Having signed a valid contract, your options may be limited. The sooner you approach a buyer or buyers the better. Some sellers approach a prospective buyer with the truth, offer to reimburse
Additional Information: I own a three family home in Brookline, Massachusetts and I want to record a declaration of homestead. I live in one of the units and rent out the other two. Can I do that? Will the declaration of homestead be effective? Does it matter that I live in the home? ATTORNEY ANSWER: As an owner occupant you may file a declaration of homestead, which will provide protection from creditors. The declaration of
Additional Information: There was a fire in a neighbor’s condo unit and there was resulting water damage to my unit. I received an estimate from the Association’s Insurance company and am not satisfied with the estimate since it does not provide adequate compensation to cover expenses for necessary repairs. What should I do to get better settlements? ATTORNEY ANSWER: First review the condominium documents and the insurance policy. If possible, you may need to make
Additional Information: Our Boston condo association has recently filed papers to foreclose on a condo in our building for unpaid condo fees. The unit is owned by an LLC and the tenants are asking for a new key to be made because they lost it. As an association can we deny this request? What services do we have to offer if they are not paying their fees? ATTORNEY ANSWER: I would advise any condominium association
Additional Information: Can a lawyer help me valuate the business or would I need to seek out a business consultant for that? Also, isn’t it pretty standard for the purchase agreement to contain language that allows an “out” for the buyer if the lease agreement isn’t satisfactory? Isn’t my application for liquor license contingent upon having a lease? ATTORNEY ANSWER: Generally an attorney is not the person to determine the value of a business. An
The Boston liquor license lawyers at Walters, Shannon, & Jensen focus on local alcohol license transfers in Boston and throughout the Greater Boston region. In that capacity, our attorneys represent local businesses such as package store proprietors, club and restaurant owners, and tavern and bar owners who require liquor licenses. Our liquor license attorneys know the applicable Massachusetts laws, and have appeared many times before licensing commissions, including the Boston Licensing Commission, on behalf of
Additional Information: My HOA is fining residents, but there is no statutory authority to do so. Condos are authorized to levy reasonable fines, but HOAs are not subject to GL 183a. Is there any case law here? My understanding is that HOAs are fining their residents all over Massachusetts. ATTORNEY ANSWER: If the Condominium Association has by-laws and or rules and regulations which provide for fines in the event of a violation, I believe they
Additional Information: Can a home owners association legally shut the water off to one of it’s members for non payment of its dues for a shared well? One member owes back fees of over a thousand dollars for their part of a shared well, can the water use be legally shut off to them for non payment by the association? ATTORNEY ANSWER: No, this is called “self-help” and is not allowed. If the Association or
We are happy to provide a consultation to all first time clients.
Please complete the form below and we will contact you.
Copyright © 2022, Brookline Attorneys | Real Estate | Estate Planning | Small Business | Municipal Law
Attorney Marketing by Bardorf Legal Marketing