Thursday, July 31, 2014

August 2014 - Schedule of Landlord Meetings and Training Classes

August 2014 - Schedule of Landlord Meetings and Training Classes
Aug 8th 10am - 12Noon, Somersworth NH
Join Nick Norman, Legislative Director for the RPOA if you are interested in moving NH's Landlord/Tenant Laws more to our favor. For directions, contact nicknorman@yahoo.com if you are interested in attending. 

Aug 13th 7:00pm - 9:00pm Landlord Boot Camp
This event will cover how to advertise your rental, screen for good tenants, record keeping,as well as the leasing and eviction process
Location: Community Room, 50 Queen City Ave, Manchester, NH 
For more info call 603-232-9195

Aug 4th - 27th Lead-Edu Classes, Manchester NH
New classes are being offered in RRP Initial Certification, Lead Abatement, as well as RRP Refresher Certification!!
To register, call or email Ben at 603-203-6430 or Ben@KKirkwood.com 

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

LEAD-EDU has added New Classes for Lead Paint Certification

MANY NEW CLASSES ADDED, including RRP Refresher!!

 

We have recently added classes for RRP Initial Certification, Lead Abatement, and also RRP Refresher Certification!!
  The EPA is requiring that all contractors working on pre-1978 properties containing lead paint obtain RRP EPA/HUD Lead Paint Certification.  Many of you received this certification in 2009 and need the refresher course.  Check your expiration dates.
This includes landlords, renovation contractors, window replacement workers, property maintenance workers, painters, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, siding contractors and anyone else that may be disturbing lead paint in a child occupied facility and/or pre-1978 building.




The current fine for working without this certification is $37,500 per violation!!
  
Don't Let This Happen to You!! Sign up or get renewed now!
Many Lead Abatement classes have also been added!
  

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR NEW DATES!!
  
  
  
To register Click Here or contact Ben at 603-203-6430

Monday, July 21, 2014

Landlord Boot Camp - August 13th

Dear ,
Landlord Boot Camp
You and your guest are invited to Landlord/Business

We are thrilled to open the registration process for our August 13th  workshop. This workshop will be held in the Community room in Manchester NH and it is free.
This event will be covering:
  • Advertising your rental
  • Screening for good tenants
  • Leasing Process
  • Eviction Process
  • Record Keeping
Seating is limited to the first 35 registrations
Please forward this invitation to some one you know that is interested in learning more about being a Landlord.

Looking forward to seeing you there!
 

ThanksRick Blais
WHENWednesday August 13th 7:00pm-9:00pm
WHERECommunity Room
50 Queen City Ave.
Manchester, NH 03103

MORE INFO 
Call 603-232-9195
Doors open at 6:40 so you can meet other people with your same interest. No food for this event.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Legislative Update,7-13-2014= Governor signed HB590 Unauthorized Practice of Law

This Legislative Update has been provided by Nick Norman, Director of Legislative Affairs for the RPOA


Howdee everyone,

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!

I will be doing more coordinating of volunteers for next season soon & we need more volunteers for the legislative effort in general and more core team volunteers.  We only need 15 minutes per week per person during the busy times to make this legislative effort extremely effective.

Please contact Nick at nicknorman@yahoo.com to help out. 

I also am coordinating a Property Rights Friendly and Property Rights Unfriendly legislator list.  We hope this will be helpful as we approach time to vote for a new legislature.  Please also contact me if you have specific factual information to add to the list regarding any specific candidates for election.

Important Updates:Governor has signed HB590which allows an LLC etc, to be represented by a member of an LLC in district court (for evictions and small claims). (You will no longer be required to hire an attorney).

Action items this week:None; Enjoy this gorgeous weather.

Hearings this week:None

Hearings next week:None scheduled so far

Further below is:Bills Updated Status summary:
Full details on all bills above
(Which includes property owner position, contact info, talking points, and more)

Love & Light,
Nick Norman
RPOA Director of Legislative Affairs
==============================================
We only list the committee reports on the most important bills affecting the real estate business.  If you want to get the committee report on one of the other bills contact me & I will show you how to get them on line.  Its not terribly hard to get but not straight ahead either.
==============================================
Bills Updated Status summary:
HB590, Unauthorized Practice of Law    
Title: relative to the unauthorized practice of law.
Property Owner Position: For
House Status: CONFERENCE REPORT ADOPTED
Senate Status: CONFERENCE REPORT ADOPTED
General Status: Signed by Governor
==============================================
Full details on all bills above:HB590, Unauthorized Practice of Law
05/22/2014 at 03:00 PM    LOB 208
Title: Title: relative to the unauthorized practice of law.

Summary: Allows a person who is not authorized to practice law but who is a member, or employee of a limited liability company, corporation, or partnership, which has 5 or fewer members, to represent the entity on civil matters (like evictions & small claims) in the circuit court of  New Hampshire.

Property Owner Position: For

Link to Committee Info:

Email to Committee:
To:
Subject: HB590

Link to Bill Text: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2014/HB0590.html
Analysis Stated in Bill:

Talking Points:
HB 590 would amend RSA 311, the statute that enables the Supreme Court of the State of New Hampshire to regulate the practice of law within the state.  Under current law, any person may represent him or herself, or be represented by a person of good character.  All citizens are presumed to be of good character unless demonstrated otherwise.  However, no person shall be commonly permitted to practice as an attorney in court unless he or she has been permitted to do so by the court. (Current requirements are graduating from an accredited law school, which generally is a three year program on a full time basis and passing the New Hampshire Bar Exam, unless allowed to practice based upon reciprocity).

Basically, someone of good character can represent another person in court, but may not hold him or herself out as an attorney unless that person has been admitted to practice law in this state.

HB 590 changes the above to clarify that person of good character who is a member or employee of a limited liability company (an LLC), corporation, or partnership which has 5 or fewer members, shall, with the proper written authorization from the organization be authorized to represent the organization in Circuit Court.  However, there needs to be a new authorization for each appearance in court.

The bill, as amended, does not address properties held in a trust or an estate.  Also, a corporation has officers and shareholders and not members as does an LLC. I would think that the Courts would allow a corporation with 5 or fewer shareholders to make use of this bill, but not trusts or estates.

This bill is useful to the all businesses, including landlords, who are organized in LLC's, partnerships or corporations. It avoids the necessity to hire an attorney for evictions, collection suits both in small claims and circuit court level, other cases brought for and against the business person in circuit court. 

Most likely the authorization will have be given by the majority of the members of the LLC or shareholders of the corporation.  The acting or managing partners/members will likely have to give it for the partnership/LLC.

This allows any person of good character to represent the business in court with the proper authorization.  Note however, it does not, however, change any of the evidence required to prove a case. (The employee may not have personal knowledge that a tenant is behind in rent, but may have only been told that by the employer, which is hearsay and not admissible.)

We plan to propose a clarifying amendment to address corporations(not having members), trusts and also family LLC partnerships with more than 5 family members.

Being that different circuit courts presently interpret this situation differently from court to court, the bill would add clarity for circuit court judges.
=====================

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Apartment prices are up, availability is down



June 25, 2014 
It's a tough market in Rockingham County 
By Corinne Holroyd cholroyd@e agletribune.com 

Renters in New Hampshire are paying more for their apartments and there are fewer to go around. The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority recently published its annual report on residential rental costs, surveying more than 30,000 two-bedroom rental apartments rates. Part of the study found how much each county’s apartment rates have gone up, and Rockingham County currently sits atop the median gross rental cost list at $1,229 per month, 3.5 percent higher than in 2009, the last time the authority did a survey. This increase is due to the county’s location: close to Massachusetts for commuters and Interstate 93 according to Alex Hathaway, the incoming president of the Apartment Association of New Hampshire.
“Proximity to (Interstate) 93 is a big deal for that particular county because it’s like an artery going right through there,” he said. Rising rental prices are following a Massachusetts trend. In 2009, Boston apartment prices rose “upward of 10 percent.” “It’s like a sonic wave,” Hathaway said. “It starts in downtown Boston and people say, ‘I can’t afford to live in downtown Boston,’ so they move to Somerville. They’ll progressively go farther out and then the New Hampshire state line is there.” William Ray of HFA said he has seen a trend of people moving farther from work in order to find more affordable housing. “Where the growth in rental costs are is what we see as ‘drive until you can afford’ kinds of markets,” he said. Low-income residents, however, may not be able to afford that option.
New Hampshire has the 11th-highest housing costs in the nation, according to Laurel Redden of Housing Action New Hampshire, which works to keep and make public policies to create affordable housing. With increasing rental costs, low-income residents have less to spend on things like transportation. “Statewide, it takes $20.18 per hour — almost $42,000 annually — to be able to afford a decent, market-rate, two-bedroom apartment and still have enough left over for other necessities like food, transportation and healthcare,” Redden said. “... That means more households in New Hampshire are paying more of a percentage of their available income for housing, and that means they have less and less for other amenities.” 
As a part of trying to keep rental costs low, Housing Action NH has worked to keep laws like the state’s workforce housing law in place. “Every year, it seems to be under attack and every year that’s something we work on to preserve,” Redden said. Currently, Housing Action NH is 24,000 units short for available and affordable housing, and the slump in constructing housing also “puts pressure on the rental market” and will prevent the situation from going anywhere soon, according to Ray. “There’s not been a lot of growth in rental housing, so that, I think, is going to be around for a while,” Ray said. The lack of available land, as well as the more financially appealing options, has prevented landowners from building new rentals, he said. Instead, owners are upgrading amenities, adding to rental costs in the process. “It’s really forcing property managers to be creative in what they’re providing,” Hathaway said. Meanwhile, available housing has decreased by 3.2 percent for two-bedroom apartments, leaving more of a demand for what little there is and boosting prices. With fewer apartments available in the state, the demand for them “puts pressure on the rental market,” Ray said. The demand, he said, also comes from the rise in people facing foreclosure, aging residents who want to stay in the state in apartments and the difficulty of owning a house. “It’s a lot easier for people to commit to a 12-month lease than a 30-year fix,” Hathaway said. The trend may go toward more families building accessory dwelling units — or apartments in basements, separate buildings on the property or other places in the home — to fill the gap. These, however, will depend on local regulations, Ray said. For now, rental costs will stay where they are. “We don’t see those rents coming down in the near future,” Ray said.


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Manchester NH 03103

Monday, July 7, 2014

==Legislative Update July 7, 2014 == Contact Governor to approve HB590 Unauthorized Practice of Law; minor updates;

This Legislative Update is provided by Nick Norman, Director of Legislative Affairs for the RPOA

Howdee everyone,

The legislative season is essentially over with only a few things being wrapped up.  If things are normal over the summer there will be little activity so these updates will be likely much less frequent.

Nick needs your Help
We need more volunteers for the legislative effort in general and more core team volunteers.  We only need 15 minutes per week per person during the busy times to make this legislative effort extremely effective.

Please contact Nick Norman at nicknorman@yahoo.com to help out.

I also am coordinating a Property Rights Friendly and Property Rights Unfriendly legislator list.  We hope this will be helpful as we approach time to vote for a new legislature.  Please also contact me if you have specific factual information to add to the list regarding any specific candidates for election.

Important Updates:
None

Action items this week:If you have not done so already write and/or call the Governors office asking the governor to pass HB590which allows an LLC etc, to be represented by a member of an LLC in district court (for evictions and small claims). (You will no longer be required to hire an attorney).

Governor's office is 271-2121
You can e-mail the governor by going to the following website:
http://www4.egov.nh.gov/governor/goveforms/comments.asp

See more info in Summaries & Full Detail for each category further below. (includes property owner position, contact info, Talking points, and more).
(to jump right to bill detail, use Control-F, Find).

Hearings this week:None

Hearings next week:None scheduled so far

For minor updates see Bills Updated Status summary below.

Further below is:Bills Updated Status summary:
Full details on all bills above
(Which includes property owner position, contact info, talking points, and more)

Love & Light,
Nick Norman
RPOA Director of Legislative Affairs
==============================================
We only list the committee reports on the most important bills affecting the real estate business.  If you want to get the committee report on one of the other bills contact me & I will show you how to get them on line.  Its not terribly hard to get but not straight ahead either.
==============================================
Bills Updated Status summary:We only list the committee reports on the most important bills affecting the real estate business.  If you want to get the committee report on one of the other bills contact me & I will show you how to get them on line.  It’s not terribly hard to get but not straight ahead either.

SB368, Increase Max Fine Re: Lead Remediation   
Title: increasing the maximum fine for lead remediation.
Property Owner Position: Against
House Status: PASSED / ADOPTED
Senate Status: PASSED / ADOPTED
General Status: Signed by Governor

SB267, Extend  Effective Date Integrated Land Permits   
Title: extending the effective date for integrated land development permits.
Property Owner Position: You Decide
House Status: PASSED / ADOPTED
Senate Status: PASSED / ADOPTED
General Status: Signed by Governor
==============================================
Full details on all bills above:SB368, Increase Max Fine Re: Lead Remediation
04/29/2014 at 10:30 AM    LOB 202
Title: Title: increasing the maximum fine for lead remediation.

Summary: The current maximum fine, pursuant to the New Hampshire  on lead paint, RSA 130-A is $2,000 for each violation of the law.  This bill would increase the fine to $5,000. Violations of the law include failure to allow inspections, failure to remediate if an order is issued, failure to relocate a tenant in certain circumstances and more.

Property Owner Position: Against

Subject: SB368

Link to Bill Text: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2014/SB0368.html
Analysis Stated in Bill:

Talking Points:
You decide talking points on this one.
=====================
SB267, Extend  Effective Date Integrated Land Permits
04/10/2014 at 10:30 AM    LOB 305
Title: Title: extending the effective date for integrated land development permits.

Summary: Extends  the effective date from January 1, 2015 to July 1, 2017 for integrated land permits.  This is related to RSA 489 titled Integrated Land Development.

Property Owner Position: You Decide

Subject: SB267

Link to Bill Text: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2014/SB0267.html
Analysis Stated in Bill:

Talking Points:
None developed so far.
=====================