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Author Archives: Christopher P. Finney

The eviction moratorium, the ghosts of regulations past, present and future

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

Entertain us, if you will, as we serve as Jacob Marley to landlords in visiting the ghosts of eviction moratoriums, past, present and future.

After months of experience with the eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control, we now know that most residential evictions — even those for non-payment of rent — can proceed per normal procedures, at least until new regulations are issued and the moratorium never applied to eviction for issues other than non-payment (e.g., criminal activity and damaging the premises,)

The past

As reported here, the Centers for Disease Control on Friday, September 4, 2020 imposed a residential eviction moratorium for non-payment of rent in certain limited circumstances through the end of the year due to the impact of COVID-19. That relief required the tenant to certify that 1) the individual has used best efforts to obtain government assistance for the payment of rent, 2) the individual falls below the above-income thresholds ($99,000 for individuals and $198,000 for those filing jointly), 3) the individual can’t pay rent due to loss of income or medical expenses, 4) the individual is using best efforts to pay the rent or as much of it as he can, and 5) eviction would render the individual homeless.

And as we report here, the CDC clarified that Order, allowing for more vigorous actions by landlords pursuing eviction: Cross examination of a tenant who claims he has met the criteria, allowing commencement and pursuit of an eviction action even if the set out is not until after the first of the year, and imposing criminal penalties upon tenants making false certifications.

The present

Our experience in recent evictions is that many tenants cannot stand up under cross examination as to the CDC certifications: They usually have paid no rent at all, which hardly ever complies with the CDC “best efforts” criteria, and it is unlikely the eviction will result in homelessness for the vast majority of tenants.

In Hamilton County, before conducting the forcible entry and detainer hearing, the Magistrate has a separate evidentiary hearing on whether the CDC criteria are met — including allowing a landlord to cross examine a tenant — and then, when the tenant fails to meet this burden, allows the eviction hearing to proceed. In all, the takes an extra  5-10 minutes to try an eviction case and we have not yet failed to exceed the CDC standards.

The future

Add to all of this the fact that an eviction commenced today won’t result in a set out until well into January. Thus, the moratorium no longer has any application to new evictions being filed.

Finally, we don’t know either how the Trump administration will address the regulations after their year-end expiration until his term ends on January 19th, or how the new Biden administration will address the issue thereafter. For both Presidents, the issues are difficult: Millions of tenants are facing severe financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, but on the other hand, landlords have to pay bank loans, real estate taxes, building repairs, and for insurance. Many can’t meet their obligations if tenants are not paying their rent. Then, if they start en masse to default on mortgage loans, it could destabilizing banks as in 2007-08. These are not easy issues for anyone.

So, the next few weeks and months will determine a new course for landlord-tenant legal relationships. Stay tuned for more updates, and contact Chris Finney (513.943.6655) with any Ohio or Kentucky eviction issues you may have.

Do Realtors need to maintain commercial general liability insurance?

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

A Realtor recently posed this question to me:

How often are the agents getting sued when/if a client falls at someone’s house during a showing? To me it seems unlikely but recently in a CE course they tried to scare us.

My answer follows:

Liability generally is fault-based: Did you do something negligent to endanger a client? The standard is the normal “standard of care” a buyer expects from his Realtor. If the Realtor has that duty, fails to adhere to it, and someone is injured as a result, then liability may ensue.

  • Does a Realtor have a duty to-pre-inspect for hazards on and about a property? To turn on lights, to check for loose floor boards, to smooth edges of carpet that have curled? To make sure a buyer does not stick their hand in the electrical panel?

I never have heard of a scenario in which the Realtor was accused of negligence of this type, but I assure you if someone is seriously hurt, the Plaintiff’s attorney will sue everyone involved and attempt to say you “fell below the expected standard of care.”

So, prudence would call for everyone (Realtors, lawyers, appraisers, contractors, investors) to each have commercial general liability insurance against these types of risks. For Ohio real estate salesmen, this insurance would typically be maintained by his broker, and that coverage would extend to the agent. Each agent should not need to obtain his own coverage.

It is generally not expensive, but it is helpful to have.

Beyond that, there are certain special coverages that are advisable: Errors and omission insurance (sort of malpractice insurance for real estate brokers and agents), fiduciary coverage in case your employees steal from you or steal client funds (or property), and auto liability coverage, which is auto insurance for those engaged in commerce on your behalf (driving to and from appointments, getting signatures on contracts or delivering contracts, delivering keys, etc.).

For every business owner and individual, we recommend selecting a qualified insurance agent, and sit with him as the business is created, and as it grows over time, to discuss the amounts, deductibles, and types of insurance to maintain. Someday, you may be very happy that you did.

 

Jennings Kleeman

Congratulations to Jennings Kleeman, Ohio’s newest attorney

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

Finney Law Firm just added a new attorney, Ohio’s newest attorney, when Jennings Kleeman was sworn in to the Ohio Bar by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor today.

Jennings has joined our firm’s transactional group, which focuses on real estate, corporate and estate planning as our latest attorney. His initial focus will be on real estate and real estate title, both commercial and residential. Jennings served as a law clerk with Finney Law Firm before joining us an an associate. Read more about Jennings here.

Warm congratulations to Jennings Kleeman!

 

Finney Law Firm Property Tax Valuation

Tips on real estate title and debt in divorce proceedings

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

Over my years of practice, I have seen countless (and needless) debt and real estate title problems arising from divorce proceedings, some arising many years after the divorce decree goes on. In this blog entry, I address several of these.

For anyone going through a divorce, or who has already been through a divorce, I’d recommend “checking all the boxes” in this blog entry to avoid costly problems arising from a divorce. (Just because your divorce was years ago does not mean some of these problems won’t still raise their ugly head.)

  • First, on Day #1, cancel all joint credit cards and terminate all joint lines of credit. Time and time again, I have seen one spouse run up credit card charges on joint accounts, and run up lines of credit — maybe secured by a lien on the house — to the max either as the divorce is proceeding or after the divorce. Worse, they have spent it on jewelry, trips, cars, flowers and candy for the new girlfriend (classy!). On Day #1, and I mean Day #1, stop the soon-to-be ex-spouse’s access to joint credit.  Otherwise, when they go bankrupt or insolvent, you may be left holding the bag.
  • Terminate all accounts on which you are liable: The one that is most common is a cell phone account. But it might be a utility service (water, sewer, gas, electric), a joint account at a retailer, a business line of credit, etc. Close those accounts or take your name off of them. Do it in writing. Do it promptly as the divorce proceeds.
  • A common resolution of the division of the home (or other property) jointly owned by the divorcing husband and wife is that the divorce court orders one spouse to convey their 1/2 interest in such house or property to the other party. And associated with that that, the grantee then is ordered to refinance the mortgage on the house so that the grantor is released from the debt associated with the the-existing joint mortgage. That is fine as far as it goes, but countless times I have seen one or the other spouse not follow through on that. Here are some problems I have seen with this:
    • The ex-spouse who is supposed to grant the real property delays interminably and fails to do so. The grantee ex-spouse ignores the failure, sometimes for years. This is a huge mistake. Get that deed.
    • The grantee ex-spouse gets a deed, but tucks it into her dresser drawer and forgets about it. You have to record that deed immediately, otherwise intervening liens and bankruptcy of the grantor ex-spouse filings take priority! In the case I recall, the grantor spouse filed bankruptcy years later, and that 1/2 interest in the house went to the ex-spouse’s creditors rather than to the grantee. The problem was not fixable.
    • The grantee ex-wife was the signer on a line of credit for the grantor ex-husband’s business. That line of credit was secured with a lien on their marital residence that was ordered by the Court to be granted to the ex-wife. The ex-husband did in fact give the deed to the ex-wife, but ex-wife did not refinance the house as the divorce decree required (which would have almost certainly revealed the second mortgage securing the line of credit that she forgot). Thus, the second mortgage securing the line of credit was never released.  Thirteen years later, the ex-husband hit hard times financially, and ran up the line of credit — that was still secured with a mortgage against the ex-wife’s house. Ex-wife’s property is then subject to a six-figure second mortgage for the ex-husband’s post-decree debt, rather than free of that debt as it should have been. So, cancel all secured lines of credit immediately, and get a title exam on the granted house to assure title you are getting is clear.

These things are not automatically addressed by either a divorce filing or by the decree in a divorce. They have to be carefully implemented to conclusion. Everything bad that can go wrong in these steps does go wrong, time and time again. And while said ex-spouse may be on the hook for the breach of the divorce decree, that does not change the reality that the third party creditor has a right to get paid. And if the ex-spouse is flat busted, there will be no recovery from him or her. This is commonly the case.

At present Finney Law Firm does not handle most domestic matters.  But, these are some tips to form a discussion with your divorce attorney to assure all “I’s” are dotted and all “T’s” are crossed in divorce proceedings.

Please share this with a friend going through a divorce. It may save them headaches and a lot of money.

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio and Kentucky property tax valuation challenges vexing in 2021

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

To appeal your taxes or not appeal your real property taxes, that is the question.

For some property investors, 2020 has been a difficult year: Many retail properties, hotels and office buildings have suffered from high vacancies, high rental defaults, and slow-to-no calls from new tenants. For these categories of income-producing properties, the enormous challenges presented by COVID-19 seem to have caused a significant reduction in property values.

Thus, it makes perfect sense to challenge those values in 2021, right?

Well, not so fast. Here are some considerations:

State of Ohio

  • Tax valuation challenges filed in Ohio in 2021 are for tax year 2020, and the “tax lien date,” the target date for valuation decisions is January 1, 2020.
  • That is, of course, months before the deleterious effects of COVID-19 impacted the USA real estate market.
  • Therefore, an Ohio property owner is likely to lose a valuation challenge brought in 2021 based primarily or solely upon a downturn starting in March of April of 2020.
  • Even worse, a property owner is entitled to bring tax valuation challenges only once in a “triennial,” the 3-year cycle which Ohio uses for Board of Revision cases.
  • Hamilton County, Clermont County, Butler County, Franklin County (Columbus) and Montgomery County (Dayton) all start new triennial cycles in tax year 2020. This means that if a property owner brings and loses a tax valuation challenge brought in calendar year 2021 in those counties, the valuation by law must stay in place through tax year 2022 (first challenged again in 2023).
  • On the other hand, if a property owner waits until first quarter of 2022 to file a challenge (for tax year 2021) in those counties, he will have a much stronger basis for valuation reduction (valuation target date is then January 1, 2021).
  • On the other hand, Warren County, Lucas County (Toledo), Stark County (Canton) and Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) (among others) are in their last year of the triennial in 2020, meaning a property owner can bring a complaint in 2021 (win or lose) and then turn around and bring a fresh challenge in 2022.

So, an Ohio property owner should carefully consider whether to bring a 2021 challenge. It could bring great rewards or lock in an articificllay high value for three years, potentially unnecessarily.

State of Kentucky

Kentucky is an entirely different matter. Challenges of value — which are started by PVA meetings the first two weeks of May — in 2021 are for tax year 2021. Thus, the full impact of COVID-19 on property values are at issue in challenges in 2021. It is much more straightforward.

Conclusion

For assistance with an Ohio or Kentucky property tax valuation matter, contact Casey Jones (513.943.5673) or Chris Finney (513.943-6655).

 

 

 

Hamilton County, Ohio jury trials indefinitely suspended

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has spurred a second suspension of jury trials in Hamilton County, this one “until further notice.”

This applies to to both civil and criminal jury trials. As far as other proceedings (from conferences with the Judge to non-jury trials), it is “hit or miss” and each case and each Judge may have a different schedule. However, our experience is that things are proceeding, if slower than normal.

Read more on WLWT.Com here.

Ohio adds two new programs to assist small businesses with COVID crisis

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

The State of Ohio has added two programs to further assist small businesses with the unprecedented business interruption associated with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, (a) $125 million in Small Business Relief Grants and (b) $1.5 billion in refunds to small businesses from the Workers Compensation program. Details on both programs are below

  1. Small Business Relief Grant.

    The Small Business Relief Grant (“SBRG”) is designed to provide necessary relief to Ohio businesses that have been negatively impacted by the effects of COVID-19. The State has designated up to one hundred twenty-five  million dollars ($125,000,000) of funding received by the State of Ohio from the Federal CARES Act to provide $10,000 grants to small businesses to assist in ensuring the survival and stability of these crucial businesses.

    Some of the terms  are:

    • The applicant business is a for-profit entity (corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietor).
    • The applicant business is an employer firm with at least 1 and no more than 25 Ohio employees paid via W2 wages as of 1/1/2020, determined either by a headcount or full-time equivalent employee calculation.
      • NOTE: A headcount calculation should include both part-time and full-time employees. A full-time equivalent calculation equals the total hours compensated for all W2 employees in calendar year 2019 divided by 2,080.
    • The applicant business has a physical location in Ohio and earns at least 90% of annual revenue from activities based in Ohio.
    • The applicant business has been in continuous operation since January 1, 2020, except for interruptions required by COVID-19 public health orders, and has the ability to continue operations as a going concern, taking into account a potential program grant.
    • The applicant business has experienced revenue loss or incurred unplanned costs substantially caused by COVID-19 and a grant is necessary to help it recover from the impact of COVID-19.
    • The applicant business is in good standing with the Ohio Secretary of State, the Ohio Department of Taxation, and any other governmental entity charged with regulating the business.
    • If applicable, the applicant business has fully utilized any other government support received (including both grants and loans) by the applicant business for business expenses incurred due to COVID-19 or that can be utilized for business expenses incurred due to COVID-19.
    • The link for the Ohio Small Business Relief Grant program from the Ohio Development Services Agency is here.

    There are also restrictions that may nullify your ability to obtain a grant.  Contact Jane Schulte at Finney Law Firm for more information on how we can assist you in navigating the application process.

  2. Workers Compensation refunds.

    • This is the second refund program this year, this time distributing $1.5 billion in excess funds held by the Ohio Worker’s Compensation program to Ohio employers. BWC started sending checks to up to 200,000 private and public employers in its system in late October after first applying the dividend to any unpaid balances. The dividend follows a similar dividend in April, where the average check size was $8,500.
    • The refunds are automatically calculated and the checks sent by the BWC. No action on the part of employers is necessary.
    • The announcement from the BWC is here.
Finney Law Firm

We are pleased to announce the Launch of our new website | FINNEY LAW FIRM

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

We are excited to announce the launch of Finney Law Firm’s new website. We have worked hard to create a modern website that is easy to navigate and fun to use. Our website is optimized to work on your laptop, desktop, tablet, and smartphone. Our new social features make it easy for you to connect with our professionals and share content on all your favorite platforms. Please take a look: www.finneylawfirm.com and let us know what you think.

Responsive Design

One of our primary goals in creating our new site was to make our content accessible to all our clients and visitors. Our new website employs what is called a “responsive design” that dynamically resizes to fit your browser. This means that no matter what device you are using right now, our website will change to give you a great viewing experience.

Clean, Modern Design

We are committed to keeping you up to date on the latest legal and business issues. To reinforce this commitment, our new website delivers rich content in a clean and organized way. We have changed the organizational structure of our Blog and have narrowed down our categories for easier searching. Our website infrastructure has been developed to make this content easily accessible and fast to load.

Partnership with Holland Adhaus

We are thrilled to have found an agency that shares our values and integrity. Their honest and open communication every step of the way has helped us to enhance Finney Law Firm’s presence in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Holland provides a comprehensive suite of marketing services for small businesses and large companies alike. Please visit www.hollandadhaus.com for more information.

Thank you for your continued support of Finney Law Firm. We look forward to servicing all of your legal needs and in particular, please check out our new Practice Area, Small Business Solutions Group, at this link: https://finneylawfirm.com/practice-areas/small-business-solutions-group/

Real Estate Law: CDC to issue nationwide residential eviction moratorium this Friday through end of year

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

Tonight, the Centers for Disease Control issued this proposed Order  that will prohibit most residential evictions nationwide. The Order is scheduled to take effect on September 4, 2020, this Friday, and last through the end of the year. 

Previous rulings by the federal government limiting evictions were limited to projects financed with special HUD loans, which were few and very large projects. In contrast, this ruling applies to almost all residential tenants in all States and US Territories (except American Samoa) with the following exceptions:

  1. Engaging in criminal activity while on the premises;
  2. Threatening the health or safety of other residents;
  3. Damaging or posing an immediate and significant risk of damage to property;
  4. Violating any applicable building code, health ordinance, or similar regulation relating to health and safety; or
  5. Violating any other contractual obligation, other than the timely payment of rent or similar housing-related payment (including non-payment or late payment of fees, penalties, or interest).

The Order also will not apply to residents who earn more than $99,000 individually or $198,000 if filing jointly.

In order to qualify for the protection, the resident must sign a CDC-prescribed form that says:

  • The individual has used best efforts to obtain government assistance for the payment of rent.
  • The individual falls below the above-income thresholds.
  • The individual can’t pay rent due to loss of income or medical expenses.
  • The individual is using best efforts to pay the rent or as much of it as he can.
  • Eviction would render the individual homeless.

The Finney Law Firm sees this as a significant shift in the balance between landlords and tenants in fulfilling leasehold obligations through year’s end. It will cause economic hardship for many landlords, and could force many projects into default.

Contact Chris Finney (513-943-6655) for more details and to learn how we can help.

 

The Best Lawyers in America© Recognizes Two Finney Law Firm Attorneys for 2021

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen E. Imm – recognized since 2010 in Commercial Litigation, since 2011 in Litigation and 2012 for Employment Law

Kevin J. Hopper – recognized since 2009 in Environmental Law and Water Law

About The Best Lawyers in America©

Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.

ABOUT FINNEY LAW FIRM

In 2014, led by Christopher P. Finney, seven bright, hard-working attorneys and a dedicated and talented staff, came together to form Finney Law Firm. Our team is committed to a unique practice of law that makes a positive difference for our clients by focusing on defining and then arriving at the best outcome for them. Finney Law Firm’s practice has extensive experience in the broad range of legal services that individuals and businesses may need:

  • Business formation and development
  • Residential and Commercial Real estate
  • Estate planning and administration
  • Commercial dispute resolution
  • Public interest law
  • Labor and employment law
  • Small Business Solutions Group
  • Bankruptcy
  • Personal Injury and Wrongful Death
  • Water Law
  • Affiliated Title Company – Ivy Pointe Title, LLC

We work relentlessly to add value for our clients by applying cutting edge legal strategies and utilizing highly productive technology. This approach allows us to keep pace with the changing demands of our clients’ own challenging personal and business environments. ~ Christopher P. Finney

Visit us at finneylawfirm.com

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