Landlord-Tenant Relationships

Time is money in the landlord business, and you must move quickly to enforce your rights. Under Michigan law, you have no other choice but to follow the strict and specific rules covering evictions. A Michigan residential landlord cannot contract around these pro-tenant laws. If a step is missed, or certain language is incorrect or even omitted, the eviction judge could dismiss your case, and you would have to start all over, costing you time and money, impacting your cash flow, and ultimately, your bottom line.

Our Jackson Landlord-Tenant Eviction Practice

Our Jackson-based eviction attorneys always say, "the best defense is a good offense," and that is certainly the case in the landlord-tenant business. We move quickly and efficiently to process our clients' eviction requests and file the complaints with the Jackson County District Court as soon as possible, most of the time the same day as the request is received. Our law firm is located a few short blocks from the Jackson County Courthouse, and we file documents or cases there daily.

There is no secret to being a good eviction law firm. It takes constant attention, effort, follow-up, diligence, persistence, and connecting with the right people, including relationships with the court clerks and certified process servers, to ensure that the eviction process is flowing smoothly. Our landlord lawyers regularly appear in Jackson County District Court for non-payment of rent and termination of tenancy (breach of lease) hearings and trials. The judges are familiar with us and we know their specific procedures, nuances and past rulings.

Let us put our experienced and hard-working Jackson, Michigan, eviction attorneys and legal support staff to work for you. We offer competitive rates to our retained landlord clients.

Common Reasons for Evictions in Jackson County

We represent landlords, both commercial and residential, in enforcing their rights under lease agreements. Common problems include:

• Non-payment of rent;
• Holding over after a lease has expired;
• Failure to pay utilities; and
• Failure to maintain the property (ie: mow the lawn, keep the yard clean).

In these situations, our attorneys will quickly file a case in court to evict the tenants. Many times, filing the lawsuit will get the attention of the non-conforming tenant, and the problem will be resolved in short order and low cost (which should be passed on to the tenant, if the lease is drafted properly).

Residential Leasing in Michigan

Michigan’s laws for residential leases are very strict and pro-tenant. If you are a landlord renting residential property, you need to ensure that your leases comply with the many laws affecting residential leasing (including federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations).

Our landlord lawyers can design a customized lease or review your current lease to make sure it complies with all the laws. In addition, our attorneys monitor the residential leasing and eviction laws and can update our retained landlord clients with necessary or suggested changes to your leasing documents to ensure that not only is your lease enforceable in a court of law, but that it is drafted to your greatest advantage. This is a business after all, not a hobby.

Landlord-Tenant Legal Services

• Advice: Our lawyers and staff can advise you or your leasing and property management employees on routine matters or when strange or unusual issues arise (they will eventually in this business).
• Legal Notices: We can provide advice and/or prepare the legally required documentation, including notices to quit, demands for possession for non-payment of rent, health hazards, property damage or controlled substance use violations.
• Evictions: We can file eviction cases in state court to regain possession of the premises so that you can begin monetizing your property as quickly as possible.
• Residential Leases: Drafting in compliance with the requirements of Michigan’s Truth-in-Lending Act, Landlord and Tenant Relationships Act, Forcible Entry and Detainer Act, Summary Proceedings Act, Michigan Consumer Protection Act, Elliott-Larson Civil Rights Act, Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, and the federal Fair Housing Act.
• Commercial Leases: Negotiating with the other party and drafting a lease in compliance with relevant laws and in your maximum benefit under the specific circumstances.
• Collections and Post-Tenancy Actions: After a tenancy has ended (whether voluntarily or through an eviction), there may be unpaid rent owed or damages to the property. Our collections attorneys and legal support staff are ready to assist landlords with collecting their rent and damages. Like the eviction process, there are very specific timelines and notice rules following the end of a tenancy. Our lawyers know these rules inside and out. We can help educate you or your property managers and design a system for legally processing these post-tenancy matters, and we can file a collection lawsuit (or combine it with the eviction case) if you desire.

For more information or to set up an appointment to speak to one of our attorneys, please call Curtis, Curtis & Brelinski at (517) 787-9481, email info@curtiscurtislaw.com, or complete our online contact form. Based in Jackson, we serve clients throughout mid-Michigan.