ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A PROPERTY MANAGER...

Having lived in New York, and since many of my family and friends still live there, the tragedies of September 11th have come a little too close for comfort. I have heard stories too sad to repeat, and rather than focus on this tragedy, I thought I would take this opportunity to give thanks.  Not only that I am safe, but that my family is safe and my friends are all okay. 

I guess if I had stayed in New York, I might have just as easily been working for Silverstein Properties, which began a 99-year lease on the World Trade Centers a few months ago.  I guess I could have just as easily been in the buildings when those planes hit and the towers came crashing down.  But the point is, I wasn't in those buildings, and it gives pause to think about what I do in property management.  It should give us all an opportunity to re-think the importance of our profession.  While we are responsible to make sure the parking lot is clean and doesn't have potholes and we also need to make sure our roofs aren't leaking.

We should also remember that people's livelihoods are in our commercial properties and their homes are in our residential properties.  Don't let catastrophes happen at your property.

Make sure exit signs have bulbs in them and that emergency lighting is working.  Exit doors that are supposed to close and latch might mean the difference between someone getting down and out from a fire exit and someone getting caught in smoke filling up a stairwell.  Talking about exit doors, make sure they aren't blocked, or even worse, bolted.  I can't tell you the number of times I'm in an office or a restaurant and I see an extra table or boxes of files packed in front of an exit door.  Yipes!!!  That's my way out in case of a fire! How about your fire alarm system and sprinklers?  Are they all working the way they need to be?  Are they tested regularly?  Now is a better time to check than after the fire inspector does, or after people die in your building.

As professional property managers, we are not usually looked at to be the on-site fire marshals, but we are, and we need to take that responsibility seriously. 

Lou Nimkoff, CPM, CCIM
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Lou_Nimkoff@CNLReit.com

The Florida Legislature amended two statues, effective July 1, 2001, which should expand the protections afforded mortgage lenders and streamline foreclosure litigation in certain circumstances.  Section 697.07 enables lenders holding mortgages or other agreements that contain an assignment of rents provisions, to obtain a court order requiring the default borrower to assign rents which the borrower many “control”.  This is an expansion from the prior statute, which merely required a borrower to turn over rents, which were in their “possession”. Additionally, lenders seeking to invoke the assignment of rents' provisions are now entitled to an expedited procedure to obtain a court order directing the assignment of rents.

The Legislature has made amendments to certain provisions of the Landlord/Tenant statutes, which took effect on July 1, 2001.  The residental portion of the statute has been modified to allow a landlord thirty days, rather than fifteen, to impose a claim upon a tenant’s security deposit.

In addition, in the event a tenant who vacates property leaves personal property behind, the statue raises the minimum dollar amount required for a sale of personal property from $250 to $500.  If the property abandoned by the tenant is valued at less than $500, the tenant’s property may be kept, sold, or destroyed once the tenant fails to remove said property following notice from the landlord.

Finally, the section dealing with exemptions to the restriction against payment of real estate commission to non-licensed brokers or salespersons has been modified.  A property management firm or owner of an apartment complex can now pay a nominal finder’s fee to an existing tenant who procures a new tenant.

Submitted by Chuck Mitchell, CCIM, CPM

Have you completed your education requirements and just haven’t written your management plan?  If so, you are in luck!  The following courses are scheduled in Tampa, so you can fulfill your requirements before the end of the year. 

If you still need to write your management plan, you can now choose to fulfill the management plan requirement by completing Writing and Using Property Management Plans (BDM602) and completing and passing a Management Plan Skills Assessment (MPSA).  Like the traditional written management plan, the Management Plan Skills Assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of the knowledge and skills required to be a Certified Property Manager®.  All of the skills required to complete a traditional written management plan will be required to complete the MPSA.  There are still a few seats remaining so register now to fulfill your management plan requirement!

Writing and Using Property Management Plans (BDM602) will be held October 16-17 in Tampa.  For those individuals who are getting ready to prepare their management plan, this course will teach you everything you need to know.  For additional information or to register for this course, please contact Libby McEwen, CPM at (305) 358-1000 or by e-mail at: libby@allenmorris.com.

Management Plan Skills Assessment (MPSA01) will be held October 18-19 in Tampa.  If you have completed your educational requirements for the CPM designation but haven’t yet written your management plan, this new alternative to the management plan may be just what you need to obtain your CPM designation without having to write the traditional management plan!  For additional information or to register for this course, please contact Libby McEwen, CPM at (305) 358-1000 or by e-mail at: libby@allenmorris.com.

Submitted by Ann Reisch, CPM, CCIM

This will be a special meeting to close out our year.  We will have the installation of new officers and “Great” entertainment by a local comedienne whose daytime job is with MGM.  You won’t want to miss this one!  Come for food and fellowship and stay for the laughter!! 
 

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