No one seeks out property disputes, but they can happen to the most accommodating of tenants, landlords and neighbors. If you’re in the midst of one, you may feel frustrated, angry or overwhelmed. Erney Law can help you determine where to draw the line in a property dispute. Find out how to handle legal proceedings so everyone walks away as satisfied as possible.
What Causes Property Disputes?
Property disputes can occur for almost any reason, but we’ve found some are more common than others. Conflicts that occur because the property owner allegedly didn’t maintain safe premises are often common. These disagreements can encompass everything from slip and fall accidents to more serious injuries, and are known as premises liability cases.
Maintenance issues also cause a number of property disputes. These can be as minor as tenants damaging walls because they hung up unauthorized mirrors, paintings, or other decorations, or as major as alleged failure to repair major plumbing and electrical issues. Failure to properly maintain property can easily cause personal injury for both landlords and tenants, especially if it affects many people.
How Will My Property Dispute Be Solved?
To keep property disputes out of the courtroom, mediations or arbitrations are a better way to resolve your legal matters. Erney Law’ mediation services are confidential and will save you the time and money a court appointment would incur. Attorney Robert D. Erney has over 29 years of experience as a mediator and will do his best to resolve the issue quickly, efficiently and fairly.
If your case is severe, you may want to consider our arbitration services. Arbitration is similar to mediation in that it involves a third party helping claimants solve a legal dispute out of court. However, the arbitrator will render an arbitration decision. The winning party receives an award the arbitrator decides upon. Arbitration is often useful for disputes between landlords and tenants as well as neighbors.
Benefits of Mediation and Arbitration
It may be tempting to forego mediation and go straight to court, particularly if your property dispute is severe or emotionally charged. However, consider mediation or arbitration first.
Court hearings contain many uncertainties, and there isn’t always time to determine what exactly happened in every case because there are two sides to every story. By contrast, mediation and arbitration are more informal and relaxed. This gives each party a chance to tell his or her side of the story as thoroughly as possible, eliminating uncertainties. Additionally, the goal of mediation is for everyone to win, whereas in court, someone will lose. A “win-win” approach can decrease the likelihood of future disputes.
Court is fairly inflexible because judges and attorneys have full dockets and must solve cases quickly. Mediation and arbitration work on your schedule, giving you much more flexibility and control of the situation. Additionally, mediation and arbitration are less expensive and time-consuming than the multiple court dates your dispute might otherwise involve.
If you are facing a property dispute, reach out to our law firm for more information on how to handle your case.
