Autumn 2016 Real Estate Law Newsletter

 

A Season of Fellowship

Throughout history, autumn has been associated with transition. Many beginnings and endings occur during the autumn season. As the weather begins to cool, fruits, vegetables, and grains become ripe for harvest. The end of summer brings the beginning of the school year; with it, new relationships, goals, and opportunities. As baseball season comes to a close, the football and basketball seasons get underway. Long, sunny days are replaced by shorter, colder days.

During these times of transition, autumn is commemorated with fellowship — celebrations of new and existing relationships. So in this month’s edition of our real estate law newsletter, we focus on the theme of fellowship — from enjoying a festive evening with guests during our firm’s annual Oktoberfest celebration, to sharing insights about the Bay Area real estate economy through blogs, webinars, and radio shows.

Highlights in this month’s issue:

–Relive the excitement of our firm’s annual Oktoberfest celebration through an interactive web feature

–Pre-register for our upcoming webinar about California landlord basics, presented by attorneys Henry Chuang and Ashlee D. Adkins

–Listen to the podcast from Simon Offord’s appearance on the Brian Copeland radio show

–Read the most recent blog article by Julia M. Wei about the potential impact that an upcoming marijuana ballot initiative could have on commercial leasing

–Learn about the newest member to our team, Lauren Hochleutner

–Catch up on recent updates from the firm, including speaking engagements, birthdays, leadership appointments, victories, and more

We hope you enjoy reading the autumn edition of our newsletter!

HOA disputes

Every year in September, over 6 million people converge on Munich, Germany for the world’s largest beer festival. During the 16-day long Oktoberfest celebration, dirndl- and lederhosen-clad attendees enjoy bratwurst, beer, and bouncing brass bands in an atmosphere of Gemütlichkeit, which best translates as “good cheer”.

Over 6,000 miles away from Munich, our firm seeks to harness the same spirit and excitement of Gemütlichkeit by hosting an annual Oktoberfest celebration, in conjunction with the Law Office of Jeffrey C. Miller. On October 21st, over 100 clients, colleagues, and friends joined us for an evening of seasonal brews, Bavarian food, and festive cheer at Oktoberfest 2016!

See highlights from this year’s celebration by clicking “View More” below.

View More

9th Circuit Update

Rental property investments can be a lucrative business in the Bay Area, given the high rent amounts and high demand for housing. However, California is one of the most tenant-friendly states in the country. For owners and investors alike, there is a labyrinth of laws that a landlord must navigate in order to stay in compliance with the law — and thus out of trouble.

On December 16th, attorneys Henry Chuang and Ashlee D. Adkins from our firm will be presenting a webinar about the basics of being a landlord in California. This webinar will cover important landlord and tenant topics, including:

  • Tenants’ Rights in California
  • Leases, Terms, & Fees
  • The Application Process
  • Dispute Resolution Techniques
  • Disability, Discrimination, and Deposits
  • and much more!

Pre-register for our free webinar by clicking the “Register” button below.

Register

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On September 29th, attorney Simon Offord appeared as a guest on The Brian Copeland Show on KGO 810. The popular radio talk show is hosted by Brian Copeland, an award-winning actor, comedian, author, and radio personality.

During the real estate clinic, Simon spoke about trends in the Bay Area real estate market and answered questions from callers, along with a panel of local real estate agents.

You can listen to the entire podcast of this month’s show, including Simon Offord’s insights, by clicking the “Listen to Podcast” button below.

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One of the many (many!) initiatives on the ballot for the upcoming election on November 8th is Proposition 64, the “Adult Use of Marijuana Act”. The initiative seeks to effectively legalize the recreational use of marijuana to adults over the age of 21. Marijuana use in California has increased since the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996, when the medicinal use of marijuana was first legalized. Since then, the budding marijuana economy has expanded rapidly to serve the growing user base, with growers and dispensaries popping up all around the state.

However, marijuana businesses have faced numerous real estate and lending hurdles, since marijuana use is still illegal under Federal law. Attorney Julia M. Wei discusses these challenges, and how the potential passage of Proposition 64 would impact commercial landlords and tenants, in her most recent blog article.

Read More

DID YOU KNOW?

You can find all of our firm’s published resources in one place on our website!

Access all of our resources, including

  • Past Newsletters
  • Articles
  • E-books
  • Infographics
  • Published Industry Materials
  • And much more!

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  • At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the California State Bar in San Diego, Peter N. Brewer was introduced as the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Law Practice Management and Technology section. Clayton Dodds also attended and began his three-year appointment as a member of the LPMT Executive Committee

  • Ashlee D. Adkins obtained a $45k judgment in the eviction of a commercial retail tenant in Contra Costa County
  • Simon Offord settled a deposit dispute on behalf of a seller when a buyer failed to close escrow on a property in Alameda County, successfully recovering costs related to the delay in closing with a new buyer
  • On October 14th, Director of Marketing Clayton Dodds was a featured speaker at the 2016 LMA Texas Think Tank in Dallas, TX, presenting about innovative law firm marketing solutions and initiatives
  • Office Manager Jessica Urioste attended an Association of Legal Administrators seminar on managing millennials on October 13th
  • Peter N. Brewer attended the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) Fall Fling at the University Club of Palo Alto on October 19th as a presenting sponsor
  • Henry Chuang celebrated his birthday on October 23rd
  • Clayton Dodds was appointed and confirmed to serve on the 2017 SF Bay Area Steering Committee for the LMA West region as a member-at-large

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