Even before the pandemic and recent inflationary concerns occurred, there had been a steady rise throughout the country of individuals renting or borrowing goods rather than buying and owning them. This concept has carried over to residential communities whereby homeowners have monetized their homes and condominium units through peer-to-peer online activities involving the shared economy. Of course, short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo have flourished in the […]

Joseph M. Ramirez, an attorney in our Kansas City office, successfully defended a corporate client housing complex against a breach of warranty of habitability claim. Notwithstanding an overly aggressive and unreasonable demand by the tenant, Mr. Ramirez leverage his knowledge of landlord-tenant law against the facts in the case to obtain a highly favorable settlement on behalf of our client in an amount less than 10% of the total exposure. […]

CMDA Attorney John Gwyn from our Livonia office was recently the presenter at a webinar sponsored by the Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA) Real Estate Committee. He spoke on issues relating to Michigan’s short-term rental laws, including legislative updates and the ever-changing impact these laws have on landlords, tenants, municipalities, and community associations. Additionally, Mr. Gwyn wrote an interesting article on whether short-term rental occupants are considered tenants or guest […]

Joel Ashton and Stanley Okoli recently had dismissals upheld on two related Condominium Association cases in the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court. To say the least, these were contentious cases in which a co-owner experienced a sewer back-up in her basement in October 2016, with the alleged subsequent discovery of rod hole leaks in the foundation, for which she initially sued the Condominium Association, its insurer, the […]

The Federal Appeals panel affirmed an opinion by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan over the granting of Summary Judgment in a condominium case that has broad ramifications. The Plaintiff claimed her Defendant next door neighbor was aggravating her preexisting asthma condition due to the frequent smell of smoke emanating from their unit. This action turned into what is regarded as a landmark case. It relates […]

Attorneys John Gwyn and Joel Ashton from the Firm’s Community Association and Real Estate Law practice group participated in the Community Associations Institute’s (CAI) Great Exhibitor Outdoor Fair at Mill Race Park in Northville, Michigan.  John Gwyn was a speaker at the event’s Q&A Education Panel of Experts where he offered his legal expertise on a variety of questions regarding Homeowners’ Associations and Condo Associations. Both attorneys enjoyed interacting with […]

John Gwyn, an attorney in our Livonia office, recently attended the Community Associations Institute (CAI) 2022 Annual Law Seminar in California. While at the seminar, and unbeknownst to him, the national presenters chose to feature one of Mr. Gwyn’s cases as an example of the complicated interplay between tort, easement, and contract law. The case involves a Circuit Court Judge in Macomb County agreeing with CMDA that claims made in […]

CMDA is proud to announce that John D. Gwyn has been recognized as a “Go To Lawyer” for Real Estate and Condominium Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. The publication recently launched a “Go To Lawyers” program that identifies and recognizes the top 20 lawyers across the state in a given practice area, and we are thrilled that Mr. Gwyn was selected as a top lawyer in real estate and condominium […]

Attorneys John Gwyn and Joel Ashton from the Firm’s Community Association and Real Estate Law practice group participated in the Community Associations Institute’s (CAI) Great Exhibitor Outdoor Fair on May 19, 2021 at Mill Race Park in Northville, Michigan.  John Gwyn was a speaker at the event’s Q&A Education Panel of Experts where he offered his legal expertise on a variety of questions regarding Homeowners’ Associations and Condo Associations. Both […]

In dismissing a slip and fall case that occurred in a common area, the Michigan Court of Appeals delved into the differences between a housing cooperative and a condominium. Jeffrey-Moise v. Williamsburg Towne Houses Cooperative, Inc., No. 351813, 2021 WL 650475 (Mich. Court of Appeals, approved for publication on April 1, 2021). In this case, the Plaintiff, a member and resident of the Defendant housing cooperative, cleared snow from her […]