Questions Answered by Fred Bopp III
Q: I am being forced to vacate my residence with 3 days notice, no legal document or reason. My mother owns the structure.
Owned a trailer for 12 years in a seasonal RV park. We violated no RV park rules (posted online). I was accused of theft one town away (returned property/misunderstanding) not arrested or charged with any crime. We're being forced to vacate, no eviction notice, no documentation. Is this legal? How... Read more »
I would need to know more facts in order to give you a complete answer, but I can tell you that, typically under Maine law, a landlord or owner of property cannot forcibly evict a person from that property against their will without obtaining a court order (which typically requires notice and a... Read more »
Q: I have a verbal agreement to pay a car for 1 year on time then I won’t need to finish out the pay. But now he wants meto
One year ago I made a verbal agreement I would pay one year on a car he purchased with a secured loan. I made the payments on time for one year, but now he’s bullying and harassing me saying I need to finish paying out the adorations two years. The car was $3500, and I held my end of the verbal... Read more »
Verbal agreements can be enforceable under many circumstances, and this may be one of those situations, but the problem you are facing is the primary issue with verbal agreements. If there is a dispute over the agreement, then you need to prove the terms of the agreement with testimony (because... Read more »
Q: What rights do I have if a restaurant is encroaching on my property?
It was not disclosed when I bought my home that the Chinese restaurant was encroaching on my property, however, I figured it out quickly and if fact it states on my deed that they are encroaching on my property. I have been trying to deal with this for 23 years with no luck. There is now a new... Read more »
You’re going to need to get a survey done to determine the proper boundaries of your property, so your first step will be to figure out how you can afford to pay for one. Have you shopped around to compare prices?
Q: Does a 30 lot subdivision accessed by a private road allow lot owners to use said road only to access their property?
The subdivision is a statutory form of HOA and each lot owner contributes $200 per year for the annual maintenance in accordance with a Road Maintenance Agreement. One member is trying to make a case that lot owners have ingress/egress rights only to their respective property and no further. The... Read more »
The initial answer to your question can likely be found in the homeowners’ association’s governing documents, which contain the rules, regulations, and all other contractual terms that members of the association are bound by. Members of homeowners’ associations have the right to review and... Read more »
Q: We have lived in our apartment for 6 years without complaint and the new owner says we can't smoke on our porch anymore.
I have 3 small kids I can't leave alone to go smoke 100 ft from my door. Says nothing in the lease and first owner who we signed lease with didn't care if we smoked inside let alone the front porch. It's just I don't want to leave me kids alone and we turned down a WAY nicer place because we... Read more »
I can’t answer your question definitively because I don’t have all the necessary facts, but I can tell you that Maine law provides, in part: “A landlord who or other person who on behalf of a landlord enters into a lease or tenancy at will agreement for residential premises that are used by a... Read more »
Q: my sisiter owns a home in Fla. she would like to put me on the deed, I live in Maine . Do I need to physically be there
I don't know what Florida law requires, but I doubt it. If she is having an attorney draw up the deed in Florida, they will know.
Q: Can my landlord increase my rent in the middle of a lease?
Can I withhold rent if there are issues with my apartment that arent being fixed?
You asked two very different questions. 1. As to whether your landlord can increase your rent in the middle of a lease, assuming you have a written lease, the landlord probably cannot increase the rent during the lease term. Read your lease to find out if it says something different. 2. The... Read more »
Q: As a PR, how do I go about conveying my mother's house to my sister?
She is named in the will but I don't know what is needed for her to actually own the house.
The general answer is you (as PR) would need to execute and deliver a deed regarding the subject property from the probate estate to your sister. I would urge you to contact an attorney to make sure this is done correctly. My partner, Cecilia Guecia, handles matters like this. You can reach her... Read more »
Q: I had a fraudulent charge ( somebody took money out online as cash advance), I got message from Bank Of America.
I went into the bank second day and reported, they investigated, first I got a letter said I am not responsible, then I got another letter said I am responsible for it, plus he open checking on my name and deposited $1000 into the account and Then transferred money out. It took the bank along time... Read more »
I am sorry, but I do not have sufficient information to answer your question. At a minimum, I would need to review a copy of your account agreement and copies of the two letters you received. Also, how much money have you lost at this point?
Q: We rent a lot in maine and the landlord has been looking in our windows and entering our home without notice. Legal?
She has been driving by our house at a crawl, walking around our yard, and when she thinks nobody is home, she enters the home to put notes on our stove. I just want to know if this is legal since she owns the lot and not the trailer we live in or if we can get a protection order or something to... Read more »
To provide you with a complete answer, I would need to see a copy of your lease, because a lease will typically have provisions concerning the landlord’s access to the property the tenant is renting. Do you have a written lease?
That said, and subject to the terms of your lease, I would... Read more »
Q: Can I counter a low ball offer on my home and land with several options for the buyer? I am in Maine.
The answer is yes, but you should also understand that any counter you make will be deemed a rejection of the offer you received.
Q: real estate q. / 2011 divorce & family land?
in 2011 i signed our family home to my now ex husband in divorce court. i have done no other paperwork. the house is on my family land. what are my legal rights to the land at this time.? who can i talk with and how do i move forward?
My partner, Cecilia Guecia, would be happy to speak with you about this. Her number is (207) 846-6111.
Thank you and best,
Fred
Q: Do I have to give a customer back money on an overpaid check. (Private sale)
A customer in Florida sent a Cashiers check to me (I am in Maine). He sent a check for more than he meant to pay, my question is am I legally obligated to pay him back the extra money?
I think the short answer is yes. It sounds to me like you and your customer reached an agreement on how much he was to pay you, thereby establishing a contract. For some reason, he overpaid you. Unless he intended the overpayment as a gift, it seems to me he is entitled to have you return the... Read more »
Q: What to do US District judge order! "there is in effect a stay in place with appeal." Yet, 2 parties took property!
There are no lawyers in Maine who know what to do? They took my business and the house.People say to me , " they can' t do that "? I reply " they have". MOST awful experience. So I am in first circuit and they ignore the case.18-1930. If there is an attorney out where who can help me. I... Read more »
I’m sorry, but I cannot understand your question as currently posed. If you are able to provide some additional facts, I will be happy to attempt to provide you with an answer.
Q: Is there a Statute of Limitation for representing the opposing party by an attorand giving away confodential information
An attorney represents me in a case. Never signed off from the case. meantime he started to represent an important decision maker from the opposing party. Never asked my permission, agreement, consent, and so on.
Assuming that the claim you are asking about is one for legal malpractice, the statute of limitations under Maine law is 6 years. I express no opinion as to whether you have a viable claim for legal malpractice or otherwise.
Q: Can my Property represent me as Pro Se in an action for a Forcible Entry and Detainer?
I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by "my Property represent me as Pro Se." Could you please try asking your question another way?
Q: Got evicted on a lease rent do they have to go threw the court if we dont leave
We we're evicted because the rent was late never missed a payment but was late my husband and ground keep got in a argument thats when we received the notice do they have to go to the court to get us out or can they just do it thank you
The short answer is they have to go to court to get you out. When that happens (or even before it does), you may want to consider hiring a lawyer to represent you.
Q: Failure to discover early issues with property ownership in 2003 Title Search cost us 2 sales and attorney’s fees to fix
I am seeking reparations for the legal fees incurred. Where do I start, who do I see?
I would suggest that you collect all your important documents and other information on this and schedule an appointment to sit down with an attorney who practices in this area to determine if she or he can help you. My partner, Cecilia Guecia, practices in this area, if you are interested in... Read more »
Q: Blasting within 1.5 miles of home- in disclosure?
If there is a cement plant that blasts over 100 times per year (effectively twice a week) exactly 1.5 miles from a home, should that be included in a real estate disclosure?
This is a noise concern but the blasting creates large amount so of dust (I'm not sure how far that spreads). The... Read more »
A seller has a duty under Maine law to disclose "any known defects." The question is would this cover the blasting. A seller has a duty under Maine law also to disclose "the presence or prior removal of hazardous materials or elements on the residential real property . . . ." The question is... Read more »
Q: Moved in with family they moved we was splitting rent do I have to move or can I keep renting was no lease agreements
It was my cousins apartment she was on a month to month basis she couldn't afford her half of the bills and moved I still pay the rent can landlord make me move when I been paying the rent or do they have to evict me threw the courts
I believe the answer to your question will depend largely on whether the landlord has acknowledged your tenancy by acceptance of rent or otherwise, as provided under 14 M.R.S. § 6001(1). This is a fact-dependent inquiry. If so, then you should have the rights of a tenant at will under Maine law.... Read more »
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