Mortgage due but daughter isn't paying. Is the IRS a threat? Q: I lent my daughter money to buy a home. It's been a couple of years since she made a payment to me. That’s mostly due to Covid shut-downs of her work and her health issues. Her home has continued to appreciate. I am [...]
Aging in place: forgetful seniors cause property damage Q: What do you do about forgetful seniors who are hellbent on aging in place and are causing property damage? We live in an upscale condo high rise building. We have a sizable group of aging residents who cause damage to units around them and common areas. [...]
Can't pay mortgage. Final payment is due. Now what? Q: Let's say your home mortgage's final payment comes due and you can't pay it before the due date. How many days do you have after the due date to make the final payment, without losing your home? A: If we understand your questions correctly, you’ve [...]
Bad Home Inspection: How do we report him? Q: We had a bad home inspection before we sold our rental property. Our buyers’ inspector came out to our property to do the inspection. I don’t live near the home and wasn’t there for the inspection. I went to the house a week later. I discovered [...]
Elevator not working. How do we deal with a broken elevator and help our condo residents when the main one is out of service for repairs? Q: Our elevators aren't working. We are scheduled to begin an elevator modernization project soon. The project will require that one of the two elevators in our building be [...]
HOA rules and regulations: How do we change them? Q: How do we change our HOA rules and regulations? I am a member of a common interest community of 12 individual homes. We are discussing making changes in our association documents, including our declaration, rules and regulations. We can make these changes with a membership [...]
Adverse Possession: If You Pay Someone's Property Taxes Do You Own the Property? Does paying property taxes give ownership? Q: My question is on adverse possession: If you pay someone's property taxes, do you own the property? I own five acres of land with two others. Two of us have paid all of the property [...]
Is a transfer on death deed smart? Family wants to know how they should transfer ownership of an expensive home. Q: Do you think it smart to do a “transfer on death” deed on real estate we own? Our home is quite valuable and we want to leave it to our heirs. My home state, [...]
Why do HOAs have so much power? Q: What does the law say about an HOA rule that has not been enforced for years? What are the procedures the HOA board must take before they enforce the rule? Can a management company fine a homeowner $100 per day for not following rules? Or does it [...]
How can property go to a spouse after death? Brother gave his sister the deed and never put his wife on title to their home. Q: Our local newspaper printed one of your articles, “Joint Property Co-Owner Dies Without Will.” My brother recently passed away. He was married but never made the effort to put [...]
