So how do you know whether your landlord is keeping current? Well, you could certainly ask, and then hope that you receive an honest reply. If you’ve known your landlord to be reliable in the past, then it’s unlikely that you’ll have a problem. Typically, your first clue about any delinquency with HOA fees will arrive in the form of a letter requesting payment. “If you receive one of these letters demanding you pay your landlord’s fees – don’t, I repeat, don’t put the letter in your drawer and expect it to go away. The homeowners association has the ability to evict you for non-payment.” said the WTSP report, and “Your first call should be to your landlord to demand that he/she/it pay the fees within 48 hours.” If you are unsuccessful after contacting your landlord, you do have the right under Florida law to pay the delinquent HOA fees directly yourself, and then deduct that amount from your next rent payment to your landlord.

Unfortunately, if your landlord is delinquent in paying the HOA fees, then it is also possible that your landlord is similarly behind in making the mortgage payments! Thus, even if you pay the overdue HOA fees, you may still find yourself facing eviction by the bank, compounding your problems yet further. The bottom line, according to the WTSP report: “a landlord who fails to pay their homeowner’s fees after repeated warnings from the homeowners association is probably a landlord you want to cut ties with when you can.” Sounds like a good idea to me. For the full WTSP story: http://www.wtsp.com/news/columnist/story.aspx?storyid=140520&catid=79.

RB

In Tampa, Karen Czarnik joined us the first of April. She worked as a locator in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Florida to be closer to her family. (At least that is what she says! We know the real reason is the weather!) But we are excited to have her. She has hit the ground running and has already started helping people find their perfect home.

In Orlando, Scott Swinson joined our Metrowest team and Wes Paxson joined our Colonial team back in February (sorry I’m late in recognizing you both.)

Scott worked with Century 21 for a number of years and has known our Metrowest manager since grade school. In just over a month he is already giving our veteran consultants a run for their money.

And our newest addition is Angelina Torres, also joining our Metrowest office. Today is her first day and we are very excited to have her. She comes to us most recently from doing new home sales for a local builder but has also worked with ERA Realty so she is no stranger to the real estate industry or meeting the customers’ needs. She is also a graduate of the University of Central Florida.

Apartments are offering some incredible deals and people are moving again so we are gearing up to meet our clients’ needs.

There are always con artists looking for new ways to part honest people from their money. It appears that they have come up with one targeting unsuspecting, if not desperate, landlords.

Take a look at http://www.modbee.com/business/scam/story/220406.html

A similar scam targets roommates and usually begins by being contacted by someone out of the country who will send authentic looking checks or money orders in excess of the amount needed. They then ask that the excess be sent back to them only to find out later that their checks/money orders are fake.

A vacant apartment or room is painul enough, but sending money that you don’t have to a crook, now that would hurt!