63
votes
Accepted
HOA Prohibits "Large Families"
As stated, this is not a reasonable restriction and runs afoul of the Fair Housing Act. You cannot discriminate based on family status, with an exemption for "housing for older persons", and ...
- 217k
59
votes
Elder relative unwilling to change will to reflect current wishes
The executor must follow the will
The executors legal duty is to execute the testator’s intent as detailed in their will.
While I have no doubt that you understand the testators verbal wishes as ...
- 226k
48
votes
HOA Prohibits "Large Families"
What happens if we build a house (with plenty of room), move in with our two kids, and then have another baby?
You will start getting spurious violations like:
Your grass was not cut Tuesday morning ...
- 1,094
38
votes
Is it legal to refuse an offer for real estate which is above the asking price, when there are no other offers by the published due date
It is legal, though not if the grounds are illegal discrimination (race, religion, etc), which by their (empirically supported – they raised the price) representation is not the case. As a marketing ...
- 217k
37
votes
Can a real estate agent refuse to show a rental property (apartment) in NYC if I don't provide my eligibility information?
Yes
Businesses (and consumers) can choose who to do business with and what information they ask for and disclose and when they do that.
If you’re uncomfortable with how they do business, don’t deal ...
- 226k
24
votes
Oregon property disclosure law: buyer discovers cracking foundation that seller did not disclose - 20 months after closing
Do I have recourse against seller? Is the seller liable or obligated
to disclose this and if so what are my options?
Probably not.
The general rule is that you accept any condition which could be ...
- 240k
23
votes
Can a landlord sell their rental income from a tenant to a third party?
The tenant wouldn't be involved in this at all. The tenant rents from the landlord, and the landlord gives them an account number where the tenant sends the money every month. How would the tenant be ...
- 35.4k
22
votes
Elder relative unwilling to change will to reflect current wishes
What can I do, now and/or after the testator is deceased, to make
their wishes occur?
A valid will is controlling. An executor's discretion is ordinarily limited to actions consistent with what the ...
- 240k
20
votes
Accepted
Is it legal to put a billboard on residential property?
Laws regarding billboards and advertising are very local in nature and are typically handled under city/county zoning ordinances. Start with calling your local county zoning office. They will tell you ...
- 19k
20
votes
Is there a way to prove ownership of church land?
There is no requirement and little benefit to registering church land
You must register when property is:
bought
gifted
inherited
received in exchange for other property or land
mortgaged
This ...
- 226k
19
votes
Accepted
What would happen to the churches (physical buildings), works of art, etc. in case of a new schism?
Precedents And General Considerations
There are cases of similar things happening in Protestant churches and it ends up being quite case by case fact specific with details of how title is held to ...
- 240k
19
votes
Divorced mom pays mortgage. She wants to get title in her name
Short Answer
Usually, a divorce decree doesn't leave former spouses as co-owners of the former marital residence, but sometimes this happens anyway.
To oversimplify, if the divorce decree leaves a ...
- 240k
18
votes
Can a landlord sell their rental income from a tenant to a third party?
Debt factoring is common practice
Fees generally range about 1-2% higher than mortgage rates depending on how prevalent bad debts are in the industry. This means I can get what you’re selling for less ...
- 226k
17
votes
Can a landlord sell their rental income from a tenant to a third party?
It is not uncommon for a landlord to instruct tenants to make payments via a lockbox service to an address other than the landlord's business office address. It is also not uncommon for a landlord to ...
- 115k
17
votes
Accepted
Is it legal to refuse an offer for real estate which is above the asking price, when there are no other offers by the published due date
Yes, this is legal, although further explanation is necessary to understand why and to know what facts would result in a different conclusion.
A listing of a property with an offering price is an ...
- 240k
17
votes
Selling your primary home without living in it
You can legally sell a house twenty minutes after you buy it, if you or the buyer can have the documents prepared that fast. You will not be eligible for certain tax benefits on any profits you make. ...
- 115k
16
votes
Accepted
To sell a house in Pennsylvania, does everybody on the title have to agree?
In General
To sell the entire house in a voluntary transaction with a particular buyer, everyone who is in title (or someone with authority to act on their behalf, such as a power of attorney agent or ...
- 240k
16
votes
Accepted
What counts as a pet?
I am hoping that somebody can give me a precise legal definition of
what a pet is.
You are out of luck. No one can do that if it is not defined in the HOA governing documents.
If the term "pet&...
- 240k
15
votes
Accepted
Can a foreigner from non-EU country rent out his/her apartment in Germany?
A non-E.U. person may own real property in Germany and may rent it. Earning rental income from an isolated piece of investment property is not considered being "gainfully employed" for ...
- 240k
15
votes
Accepted
Landlord carrying out full inspection after giving impression that she would only be there to follow up a pipe repair
It is usual for a lease to specify for what purposes and on what notice the landlord is entitled to access. Often there is a provision allowing the landlord access on no notice in an "emergency&...
- 115k
15
votes
What counts as a pet?
canada
There is no precise legal definition of a pet (or for that matter, any particular term) in the abstract. Covenants are interpreted based on ordinary contract principles. This means that the ...
- 72.6k
14
votes
If I owe state taxes, can the state seize a relative's property in retaliation?
The government cannot seize property because a person residing at that property has a tax debt: the debtor has to have a legal interest in the property, which you say you don't have. The government ...
- 217k
14
votes
Elder relative unwilling to change will to reflect current wishes
Suggest a joint meeting with their attorney to review the will. As a future executor you can honestly say you want to be sure everything is clear so you do not have to worry about dealing with ...
- 13.3k
14
votes
Elder relative unwilling to change will to reflect current wishes
The will has to be carried out as written, period.
In our culture, it is not well received to tell an older family member they must do something.
So?? You've described 100% of cultures.
Approach the ...
- 1,094
12
votes
Do tenants need consent to sublease?
If I’m a tenant and my landlord lets me have my camper on the
property, do I need my landlord’s permission to lease the camper? How
might the answer change if the agreement is informal—for example, if
...
- 240k
11
votes
Accepted
Does "agree to negotiate" mean it has to happen?
Agreements to agree are unenforceable
The contract requires you to negotiate and, probably, to do so in good faith (or at least, not in bad faith). That means you must come to the table looking to do ...
- 226k
10
votes
Accepted
What distinguishes adverse possession from theft?
Your question is addressed in the opening paragraph of Ballantine, Title by Adverse Possession 32:2 Harvard Law Review 135–159 (1918):
Title by adverse possession sounds, at first blush, like title ...
- 9,356
10
votes
Buyers missed closing date due to delay in the sale of a contengency property -- What happens to the deposit?
Since the contingency is in the contract and has not been removed, if the purchase falls through due to not selling the existing property, they will get their earnest money back. That was the whole ...
- 439
10
votes
Accepted
Force neighbor to resolve property line encroachment before selling house
Is there a way for us to prevent the sale of the house until they have
moved the fence? For example, it seems that filing suit against the
current owners doesn't necessarily prevent the sale, and ...
- 240k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible