Attorney Derek Reed – a partner at Ehrlich, Petriello, Gudin & Plaza, Attorenys at Law – appeared on an April 7, 2020 Smart Realty video discussion with the realty company’s founder Elvin C. Ames, Jr.
During the hour-long discussion between Ames and Reed, legal matters concerning landlords who are concerned about paying their mortgages during the COVID-19 crisis were discussed. Chief among those concerns was the landlord’s ability to collect rent from tenants who became unemployed or had their work ours reduced.
“It’s a difficult time and everyone knows that,” Attorney Reed said early in the discussion. “As housing providers, the rent still needs to come in so we can maintain these communities.”
As an attorney who represents landlords in disputes with tenants, Attorney Reed elaborated that shelter-in-place orders have also caused an increased stress on plumbing systems while costs on cleaning grounds and removing garbage have also skyrocketed.
As the beginning of April 2020 approached, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy suspended evictions for renters for 60 days and ordered a 90-day grace period for mortgage payments.
Attorney Reed encouraged renters who could still make their rent payments to do so to help their landlords pay their mortgages and provide upkeep for their buildings. While the 60-day eviction suspension includes a protection for renters who aren’t able to pay rent right now, Attorney Reed stressed that they should try to work out payment plans with their landlords. He also advises them to be prepared to provide evidence that they’ve become unemployed or suffered a loss of income due to COVID-19.
If you’d like to listen to the full discussion between Attorney Reed and Ames, see the video on YouTube.
To reach out to Attorney Reed or the other partners at Ehrlich, Petriello, Gudin & Plaza, Attorenys at Law, contact us online or call (973) 828-0203 for help.