Owner seeks way to regain possession of rental

Owner seeks way to regain possession of rental

DEAR BOB: I gave my tenant the required notice to move, confirmed with a receipt of notice. She agreed to move out. But the unit is now locked, no one is there, and her car is parked in the driveway. I phoned several times, but no reply. What options do I have? I already hired a contractor to update the unit, based on the tenant’s promise to move out on schedule –Paras R.

DEAR PARAS: Please consult a local real estate attorney whose specialty is evictions. I’m sure you have thought of the several possibilities such as the tenant moved out but left the car; abandoned the apartment and the car; passed away either in the apartment or elsewhere; is in the hospital or jail; is avoiding you because she refuses to move out; or wants to drag out the eviction procedure to obtain as much “free rent” from you as possible.

Sink or swim time for condo developers [South Florida]

Sink or swim time for condo developers [South Florida]

It’s sink or swim time for many condo developers throughout South Florida.

Big, grand condo plans are hard to keep when the market appears to be positively FLEEING from real estate. And that was before Tropical Storm Alberto started the hurricane season off with a shudder.

So, time to be creative.

Elton John sues over penthouse value

Elton John sues over penthouse value

Elton John has filed a lawsuit against the Fulton County tax assessors office, saying the county overvalued his penthouse condominium.

The tax assessors office placed a value of $4.6 million on John’s 12,000-square-foot condo on Peachtree Street in Atlanta’s trendy Buckhead neighborhood.

But that value is $900,000 too much, the 59-year-old singer’s experts say.

If he prevails, John would save $16,000 a year in taxes. If he loses, he can expect to pay $77,250 a year.

Sketchy lending practices forcing many from their homes [South Florida]

Sketchy lending practices forcing many from their homes [South Florida]

By the time Winston Williams filed for bankruptcy, one of his two mortgage lenders had, too.

Then, by the time the Riviera Beach man was ordered to pay more than $126,000 to stave off foreclosure, his other lender had agreed to pay millions to settle claims of predatory lending.

In Florida, it can be illegal to put someone in a high-cost loan he can’t afford.

Sellers’ new math

Sellers’ new math

As houses stay on the market longer, nervous owners have begun dropping their prices.

For four long months, there has been a “For Sale” sign in front of David and Jody Saltzman’s Malibu home. Located in Sea View Estates, on a cul-de-sac in a kid-friendly neighborhood with excellent public schools, the 3,100-square-foot Mediterranean has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a bonus room and a remodeled kitchen with granite countertops. There’s no ocean view, but the owners believe garden enthusiasts will love the lush landscaping and tropical plants on the half-acre lot.

“I was hoping it would sell in 60 days,” David Saltzman said. When it didn’t, the couple lowered the price by $100,000 in April. They took another $100,000 off in May. With the house eventually listed at $1,495,000 — making it the least-expensive listing in the development for a house of its size — they finally entered escrow a week ago.

Conversion delays ending for Boca, Palm Beach condos [South Florida]

Conversion delays ending for Boca, Palm Beach condos [South Florida]

Condo converter Ceebraid-Signal promises progress in two of its troubled projects, both of which have experienced significant delays and been the subject of liens and lawsuits.

Company officials say they will resume work on the long-delayed Eden Condominium project in Boca Raton next month.