When it comes to charitable giving, the attorneys at Marcus, Errico, Emmer & Brooks (MEEB) think more is better.  With that thought in mind, the firm has established a non-profit foundation as a vehicle for expanding its own contributions and possibly soliciting contributions from others. 

Charitable giving has long been a priority for the firm, which has been donating between $30,000 and $40,000 annually to a variety of causes.  "But we thought that wasn't enough," explains Stephen Marcus, one of the founding partners.    So the firm has increased its annual commitment to $100,000 and has decided to channel a large portion of that increase toward issues related to condominiums - one of the firms' primary practice areas. 

Read More>> 

Here's a landlord's nightmare - at least one of them. A fire has caused extensive damage to one of your buildings. No one was injured, fortunately, but all 50 tenants will have to be relocated while the building is being repaired, which will take at least five months and probably longer. The cause of the fire, as is often the case, is unrelated to the landlord or the physical structure of the property.

A Massachusetts statute requires landlords to provide $750 in relocation benefits to tenants displaced by a building disaster, so you cut those checks. But that payment won't cover their temporary housing costs for long, and it certainly won't replace the personal belongings that were damaged or destroyed in the fire. Many of your tenants, if not all of them, will need to blame someone for their losses, and will expect you to compensate them. At least some of them will sue you when you refuse.

Read More>>