In the summer of 2013, Kayla West began looking for a house to rent in Georgia. She came across a rental home owned by DJ Mortgage, LLC, and contacted Gene Andrews, DJ Mortgage, LLC’s property and leasing manager. Ms. West entered into a lease agreement for the rental property, and between August 2013 and October 2013, Ms. West alleged that
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WXYZ Detroit (Channel 7) recently interviewed Kevin Hirzel regarding the increase in requests for emotional support animals and how Senate Bill 663 would help to curb requests for fake emotional support animals. The interview discusses how requests for emotional support animals can be made under the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act, as emotional support animals are
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On November 28, 2017, Senator Peter MacGregor introduced Senate Bill 663, which would criminalize a fake request for an emotional support animal or service animal. Requests for emotional support animals and service animals continue to increase under the Federal Fair Housing Act and the Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, MCL 37.1101 et seq. While a legitimate request for an emotional
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It was great to be a guest on the HOA News Forum Podcast on May 30, 2017! A link to the podcast can be found here. Topics that were discussed are as follows: 1. What are the most common disputes in condominium and homeowners associations? Unauthorized Modifications to the Common Elements Sensory Offenses – Smells and Noises Common Element Repair
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On March 10, 2017, Kevin M. Hirzel, Chairman of the Legislative Action Committee for CAI’s Michigan Chapter, will present on the following bills that are pending or have recently passed and will have a significant impact on Michigan Condominium Associations: HB 4919. Michigan House Bill 4919 would amend MCL 559.160 to prevent the inclusion of anti-lawsuit provisions in condominium documents. Anti-lawsuit
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The following update comes from Dawn Bauman at CAI’s Government Affairs Blog: There are approximately 145,000 to 155,000 condominium projects in the U.S., according to the Foundation for Community Association Research (FCAR). As of October 2016, 9,866 condominiums—less than 7 percent of condominium projects nationwide—were Federal Housing Administration (FHA) certified. If a condominium project is FHA certified, that means
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The enforcement of parking restrictions is one of the most common problems that condominium associations and property managers are forced to deal with. Parking spaces are often at a premium in densely packed urban areas and issues arise when co-owners fail to park in their designated areas. In contrast, suburban site condominiums with single family homes often face issues related
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