Airbnb Rentals Pose Novel Issues for Condominium Associations and Unit Owners
Airbnb and other similar web-based services provide anincreasingly popular alternative to hotel accommodations byconnecting travelers to local owners or occupants who wantto earn extra revenue by renting out their homes, or perhapsjust a room in their home, on a short-term basis. Travelerslike it because they can rent anywhere from fully furnishedluxury homes to spartan rooms…
Handling Condominium Fee Delinquencies in Your Association
A fundamental aspect of condominium unit ownership is the requirement to pay a proportionate share of the condominium’s common area charges. Common area charges generally include the cost of items such as landscaping, snow removal, maintenance, management fees, master insurance premiums, and common utilities, among others. The failure of one or more unit owners to…
An Oil Spill Close to Home:Your Legal Liability, Clean-Up Costs & Insurance
Oil spills are in the news today and on people’s minds, thanksin part to the gusher in the Gulf of Mexico. Clean up of thatspill will likely run in the billions of dollars.Have you ever thought about who would pay for clean upof an oil spill at your home? No matter who spills the oil,the…
Congress Ends “Apply and Suspend” Strategy to Maximize SSA Benefits
On November 2, 2015, President Obama signed the recently passed ‘compromise’ budget which avoided a shutdown of the Government. This bipartisan compromise budget bill was worked out by members of Congress and officials in the Obama Administration. Each side won some and lost some in the negotiations to pass a budget that will keep the…
Department of Developmental Services (“DDS”)
The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is anagency under the Executive Office of Health and HumanServices. Its name is reflective of the expectations about thepersons with disabilities it serves in the community. However,unlike its name suggests, DDS does not serve all persons inthe Commonwealth with developmental disabilities, rather itserves only those persons residing in the…
Landlord’s Duty to Repair Expanded
Since 1972, a landlord has had a duty to repair defects that violate municipal building codes in common areas of a commercial building, and the landlord could be held liable for negligence if a tenant or visitor was injured, either by the unsafe condition or from improperly made repairs. The duty was limited to common…
Update For SSI, SSDI Recipients: Most Will Receive Economic Impact Payments Automatically
The US Treasury Department has begun to issue economicimpact stimulus payments for eligible individuals. Those withadjusted gross income up to $75,000 for single filers, $112,500for head of household filers, and $150,000 for married filingjointly will receive the full stimulus payment amount of $1,200for individuals and $2,400 for married filing jointly. Eligibleindividuals will receive an additional…
Congress Passes Legislation That Will Enable Military Members to Name Special Needs Trusts as Beneficiaries of a Survivor Benefit Plan
On December 15, 2014, Congress passed the Disabled Military Child Protection Act which allows military families to protect their Survivor Benefit Plans (SBP) by allowing the benefits to be directed to a qualified special needs trust. If there are any funds left in the trust when the disabled beneficiary dies, the funds are paid back…
Legal Issues at the Intersection of Estate Planning and Elder Law
Clients in the retirement age bracket are sometimes referred to as the “Sandwich Generation” by the mainstream media. That is, they are caught between caring for their own children and, at the same time, providing care to their aging parents. This group of individuals has specific legal needs that should be addressed by an attorney…