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EASE BACK INTO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
By
Eric Glazer, Esq.
Published June 7, 2021
Well, it looks like the worst of the Coronavirus is behind us.
We are vaccinated and the world seems to be coming back to life,
very quickly. And that scares me as an attorney.
I understand that after being cooped up for the last year, and
putting many ideas, repairs and modifications on hold, there is
an eagerness to immediately get back to business in a big way.
Start that repair, remove the deck, paint the building, change
those carpets, patch the holes and the like. But, before you
get to do any of that, the contractor you choose is going to
want you to do one thing first……..sign a contract. So, slow
down.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked “Eric, we just
signed this contract. It turns out we hate it. Can you get us
out of it?” So I say, “Is that your signature on that
contract?” and they say “Yes it is.” And I say “Sorry, I can’t
get you out of it. You should have let me see the contract
first, before signing it.”
It just amazes me when I see associations sign six or seven
figure contracts without the association’s counsel reviewing the
contract first. And often times the contract is missing simple
terms like a starting date, a completion date, the exact scope
of the work, the materials to be used, etc.
Many times clients will come in and complain that the job is
taking too long. So, in the contract, I’m looking for a
promised completion date and a monetary penalty for each day the
contractor goes over. It turns out, that’s not in the contract
either.
I also hate it when the client tells me they paid for the entire
job up front. What incentive does the contractor have to finish
your project if he or she has already been paid in full? Why
didn’t you get a warranty? Who pays for permits?
In any event, I know you want to spruce up the
place. I know you have a lot of pent up energy because we have
been in the house for a year. But slow down. Have your counsel
take a look at that contract before you sign it. If you don’t
----- your rights and remedies can be severely limited and if
you thought you felt frustrated during Covid………………
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About
HOA & Condo Blog
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Eric Glazer graduated
from the University of Miami School of Law in 1992 after
receiving a B.A. from NYU. He has practiced community
association law for three decades and is the owner of
Glazer and Sachs, P.A. a five attorney law firm with
offices in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
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Eric is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in
Condominium and Planned Development Law.
Since 2009, Eric has been the host of Condo Craze
and HOAs, a weekly one hour radio show that airs at 11:00 a.m.
each Sunday on 850 WFTL.
See:
www.condocrazeandhoas.com.
Eric is the first attorney in the State of
Florida that designed a course that certifies condominium and
HOA residents as eligible to serve on a Board of Directors and
has now certified more than 20,000 Floridians all across the
state. He is certified as a Circuit Court Mediator by The
Florida Supreme Court and has mediated dozens of disputes
between associations and unit owners. Eric also devotes
significant time to advancing legislation in the best interest
of Florida community association members.
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