Landlord - Tenant
Most Landlords are good people who maintain their properties and respect the rights of their Tenants. Most Tenants are good people who pay their rent in full on a timely basis, respect their Landlord's property and the rights and privacy of their neighbors.
That said, unfortunately, "most" is NOT all.
Many Landlords are faced with Tenants who fail to pay rent timely or in full and maybe not pay for months on end. Many Tenants have Landlords who fail to maintain their rental property or worse.
LANDLORD-TENANT LAW IS VERY TECHNICAL AND PROCEDURAL. If the "T"s are NOT "crossed" and the "I"s are not "dotted", then time and money can be wasted.
The Courts can be difficult places to navigate without your own lawyer.
Notices to Quit require specific language and they must be properly and timely delivered to Tenants OR any subsequent Summary Process (eviction) case may be dismissed. Summary Process cases are like a house of cards. If any step is not done just right, the whole house falls down. The Notice to Quit must be thought of as the foundation. A defective Notice to Quit can cause your whole case to fail. It is a VERY unhappy Landlord who finds his case dismissed on a technicality after spending time and money finally getting to Court. It is even worse if your case is dismissed and the Tenant has counterclaims that are NOT dismissed!
Tenants at Will and Leaseholders have very different rights and obligations.
Tenants under government assistance (Section 8) programs are governed by special rules and may still be evicted for cause, but specific procedures must be followed.
Rental agreements SHOULD be in WRITING! Whether your choice is a Tenancy at Will Agreement or a Lease, BEWARE of forms you find on the internet! Too many times John has seen forms obtained on the internet that do not do the proper job or worse, contain clauses that violate Massachusetts law. Massachusetts has very strict Landlord-Tenant laws that regulate what can and cannot be in a tenancy agreement. A wrong step can be the start of a nightmare!
Not all lawyers know the ins and outs of Landlord-Tenant law! A small error or omission can cost you lost time and money.
Tenants need to know how to handle problems with their Landlords. A wrong step can leave a Tenant without eviction protection! You don’t want to find yourself being evicted and losing in Court because you have made an honest mistake!
Landlords, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! Tenants, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!
Contact us for a free one-half hour initial consultation.
Real Estate
Residential and Commercial Real Estate Transactions
John D. Grandfield has represented clients in real estate transactions for over 35 years. In real estate there is no substitute for experience. A Real Estate transaction is probably the biggest investment most people make in their lives. Thousands to tens of thousands of dollars are at stake in deposits. A buyer may be putting up their life savings. A seller may be relying on their sale to purchase (and not lose their deposit on) a new home. Some issues are pretty clear cut, but others are not so unambiguous. Whether you are a seller or a buyer, you cannot afford to have an unexpected, or improperly prepared for, issue cause you to default in your obligations.
Real Estate contracts (Offers to Purchase "Offers", Letters of Intent "LOI", Purchase & Sale Agreements "P & S") control the real estate transaction. If deals could still be done on a handshake, life would be simple. Unfortunately, it is not. Issues come up. Things happen. Problems. A properly written Offer, LOI or P & S anticipates issues and by providing clear language paves the way to solving those problems and protecting John's clients.
John and his staff will give YOU the attention and service you deserve and expect.
Trust, confidence and personal relationships are not taken for granted by us. YOU need to be able to trust your real estate attorney, you need to have confidence in him or her; and most importantly, you need to feel comfortable with your attorney. Our clients have that "comfortability" in us and prove it by referring their friends and family members time and time again.
Real Estate Law has changed quite a bit in the last 35 years, but the one thing that has not changed is the value of personal attention combined with knowledge and experience. We have counseled and represented many individuals and businesses in residential and commercial real estate transactions over the years. Common issues presented include the choice of how to take title ("tenants-in common", "joint tenants", "tenants by the entirety"); what form of entity in which to take title, such as trusts, limited liability companies, corporations or limited partnerships; the terms and conditions of loans; and legal analysis regarding issues related to the real property involved.
Business, Corporations/llc's
Whether you are going out on your own or starting with a new idea it is critical to have proper legal guidance in choosing what type of business form, i.e., corporation, limited liability company (LLC), partnership, sole proprietorship, is right for you. There are advantages and disadvantages to each different type of business entity. Very careful consideration must be given to determine which is right for you. John has decades of experience representing (advising) new and existing businesses. Business owners need a lawyer who understands their particular needs and is available when you need him. Once a business is started, sound legal counseling is critical to help you prosper and to keep you out of trouble. Proper legal advice and guidance in advance and along the way is much easier and less expensive than trying to clean up a mess after it happens. John is a firm believer in working closely with CPAs to integrate tax and accounting for maximum efficiency in addressing the needs of a business.
Buying an existing business requires sound legal guidance to ensure that you get what you expect to get and do not buy the prior owner’s problems and liabilities. Do you want to buy the business entity that has been running the business or form your own new entity? Do you want just the assets and not the liabilities of the existing business? Do you want to own the business in a new form of your choice, e.g. corporation or LLC, and still do business under the name of the existing business? What kind of entity is best for you? All these choices matter and have different legal consequences!