Practice areas
Residential and commercial matters for owners, managers and investors, from the first written demand through judgment and enforcement.
When rent is not paid, the sequence matters: a proper written demand, a correctly drafted petition or complaint, timely service and a court appearance that is prepared for. This office handles each step for individual owners, family portfolios and management companies, and keeps the ledger reconciled so the amount claimed is the amount owed.
Holdover matters turn on the predicate notice. A notice to cure or notice to quit that is defective in form, timing or service is the most common reason a case is dismissed and restarted. We draft and serve the predicate notices, bring the proceeding and see it through to possession.
Commercial leases are enforced on their own terms. We review the lease and guaranty, serve the default and termination notices the lease requires, and pursue possession and the money owed, including claims against personal guarantors.
Much of what this office does never reaches a courtroom. A demand letter that states the account accurately, separates rent from late fees and other charges, and sets out what happens next is often enough. When it is not, the letter becomes the first exhibit.
Possession returns the unit; a money judgment recovers the arrears. Where the former tenant or guarantor is collectible, we obtain the judgment and enforce it through the tools the court provides.
The strongest position in any proceeding is a lease that was drafted properly. We prepare and review residential and commercial leases and riders, advise on security deposits, late fees and notices, and act as ongoing counsel for management companies.