October General Membership Meeting Recap
T
he Apartment Association of Orange County (AAOC) marked its final General Membership Meeting of 2020 with the presentation of its second annual, Halloweenthemed “Property Management Horror Stories” discussion panel. This year’s panel of multifamily professionals featured Frank Alvarez, AAOC president and Operations Director & Co-Owner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc.; Jessie Childers, Regional Property Supervisor of Santa Fe Management; and Terence Carney, Partner with the law firm of Wesierski & Zurik, LLP. Carney kicked off the program by discussing the current COVID-19 environment and the related nightmares it is causing rental-housing providers, including the handling of evictions and the collection of rent in the aftermath of Assembly Bill 3088. He stressed the need for patience and caution, particularly with evictions, and that the eviction process is not really going forward at this point. Not only is there a backlog of
eviction filings, but hearings are going “virtual” in some cases and it has become a heavily “pro-tenant” climate. Carney recommended using AAOC’s AB 3088-compliant operational forms to document COVID-related tenant rent issues and ensure that rental housing providers are operating within the perimeters of the law. He also pointed out that nuisance and damage to property evictions can move forward but advised to check if your city has any specific eviction moratorium conditions in place. The panel discussion then shifted to the issue of subletting. Childers stressed the necessity of staying on top of your properties, ensuring that the people on the lease are the only people living in the unit, and that vacant units are truly vacant. She shared a story in which an onsite manager was indulging in this questionable practice and the importance of stating in the lease that subletting is not allowed. Alvarez acknowledged that this continues to be
a problem and stressed the need for continual verification of units. All three panelists agreed, even if you have someone overseeing your property, it is essential that you remain involved and aware of the goings on. Alvarez further emphasized the importance of thorough property inspections. He pointed out the need for not only checking traditional living spaces, but also garages, laundry rooms and maintenance areas, placed where he has found unauthorized occupants in the past. “There is nothing that replaces a good yearly visual inspection of every single unit and common areas,” said Alvarez. Creepy crawlers then became the next topic of discussion, with Carney proposing that a full investigation of the issue and identifying the origin of pest problems was critical. Alvarez added the need for seeking professional pest assistance and thoroughly documenting the remediation process. He recommended treating units that share
David Cordero (right) introduces Santa Ana housing manager Judson Brown and loan specialist Claudia Shaw (left) to discuss Santa Ana’s CARES for Landlords Rental Assistance Program.
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Apartment News
www.aaoc.com
November 2020
