GIANTlegal
  • Home
  • Services
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Blog.

do i have to pay my rent (COVID_19)?

4/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Every day there's new information from your home state and the federal government during the COVID_19/Coronavirus crisis. Since it's the beginning of the month, we want to explain the current status of rent payments (and mortgage payments) and dispel any misinformation.

1. Do I have to pay rent during Coronavirus? The short answer is yes. This is in every state. Unless your landlord has told you you can skip a month(s), you have to pay your rent. The same is true for your mortgage. Unless you've been granted a forbearance of deferment for your rent or mortgage, or if your landlord has offered rent forgiveness, you must pay.

2. But, what if you can't afford it? Pay what you can. Most states, including Washington and Idaho, have put a moratorium on eviction (renting) and foreclosure (mortgages). That means you can't be removed from your rental home or the house you own during the current shelter-in-place rules if you cannot pay because of the Coronavirus and your finances. It does not mean you cannot get kicked out for rules violations of other varieties. For example, Idaho has made clear that if you are using illegal drugs (including recreational marijuana), you can still be evicted. But, to be as clear as possible, it does not mean that you will not owe the rent or mortgage amounts you did not pay during the COVID_19 crisis. Those payments will be due at some point, and as of right now, there's no clarity if they will all be due immediately upon people being able to return to work and/or a lifting of any shelter-in-place/stay at home orders.

3. So, what should I do
? If you can pay your rent or mortgage, pay it. If you can't or don't think you can pay it in full, pay as much as you can, as it may be due later.

4. If there is a rent or mortgage forgiveness order made by your state or the federal government, we will update this post. But, neither Washington nor Idaho nor the federal government have made any rule or law about rent or mortgage forgiveness. 

If you have more questions, contact us (for WA & ID). Stay safe! 
0 Comments

Court changes & Closures: Washington and idaho

3/18/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Due to the extreme measures being put into place to contain the COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus, Courts are not operating as they normally are. If you are an active client, we will update you directly. We'll try to keep updating this list as things change. 

Note that just because hearings are delayed or courts are closed, other litigation and case deadlines have not changed at this point. Discovery (written questions and document production, depositions) and related deadlines remind. Statutes of limitation to file a case have not changed. You can still open new cases and file motions.

Idaho Federal Courts (Federal District & Bankruptcy): These courts are almost exclusively electronic (or eFile). Hearings will be telephonic or moved. The Courts have posted limitations to who can enter the physical buildings. If you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is and/or if you have been traveling abroad, you cannot enter the physical courthouses.

Washington Federal Courts (Federal District & Bankruptcy): Like Idaho, these courts are primarily electronic (or eFile). Most hearings are already telephonic, so that will not change. Bankruptcy meetings of creditors may be postponed. If you are sick, do not physically enter the courthouse. No travel restrictions have been posted.

Idaho State Courts: All civil & family law hearings may be held telephonically or postponed based on the Judge's sole discretion. You will be notified by the Court. Hearings for domestic violence, child custody, and other emergencies shall be held telephonically, if possible. Eviction hearings are postponed. Lawyers must eFile and pro se (parties without lawyers) litigants can register to eFile or use special dropboxes. You cannot enter the Court if you are sick or have recently traveled to certain places. These changes are in place until at least April 10, 2020. More info can be found here: https://isc.idaho.gov/files/COVID-19-Order.pdf. 

Washington State Courts: Changes vary greatly across the 39 Counties. All counties have asked people who are sick to stay home or reschedule your hearing date. For Spokane County Superior Court specifically, the following changes are in place:
  • Jury trials moved to at least May 6, 2020; Bench trials (judge only) moved to at least April 13, 2020.C
  • Civil motions will be decided on the briefs or via phone only hearings - this is the Judge's sole choice.
  • Family law docket will hear live only emergency motions (for example emergency custody issues, move out orders). Non-emergency motions will be stricken, postponed, decided on the briefs, or held by phone at the judge or commission's sole choice.
  • Non-contested divorce & legal separation hearings to enter your final orders are postponed until at least April 24, 2020.
  • Ex parte, non-emergency motions should be handled by mail with the $30 fee. Emergency ex parte motions are still being held.
  • Child support modification hearings are postponed until April 27, 2020.
  • Eviction & unlawful detainer hearings are moved until at least April 13, 2020.

Other Washington County info can be found here: http://www.courts.wa.gov/index.cfm?fa=home.courtClosures

Appellate courts (Washington & Idaho): 
Divisions 1-3, Supreme Courts, and the 9th Circuit have not changed any deadlines. Oral arguments on motions may be moved or delayed. 

We are here to answer your questions and will update this as things change.

0 Comments

New Washington law rundown, july 2019.

7/9/2019

0 Comments

 
It's the time of year again in Washington State. The state legislature passed a number of bills that Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law that went into effect on July 1, 2019. Here's what you need to know about some of the new laws:

1. TRAFFIC: For those of you in Western Washington, HOV or carpool lane violations have higher fines. For the simple offender, the ticket goes up an extra $50 for a first-time violation. For those of you who try to be sneaky using stuffed animals, mannequins, and other faux-passengers, the violation is $200 more. 

2. Health: The personal or philosophical exception to vaccinating children against measles, mumps, or rubella (the MMR vaccine) is no more. That means that parents must vaccinate their children before sending them to school or licensed day cares. The religious exemption still exists.

3. Employment. A big win for back-to-work moms - employers now have to either provide a private place that is not a bathroom stall or work with the employee to allow her to breast feed and/or pump breast milk in a private setting. 

4. Voting. All ballots in Washington will include prepaid postage for all elections to reduce barriers to voting.

5. Residential Tenants: Renters made two big wins. First, a tenant must give 14-days notice for an eviction due to non-payment of rent. This is 11 days more than under prior laws. Second, a landlord must provide sixty (60) days written notice to increase rent. Per usual, a landlord cannot increase rent while a lease is still valid. That means if you signed a year-long residential lease, you get the stated amount of rent during that year - no changes can occur to the amount of monthly rent. 

This is just a portion of the new Washington laws. Remember, your city or county may have additional new laws, especially if you're in King County. As always, for our Idaho clients, we're happy to give you a rundown of your rights' in Idaho, as they often vary greatly from those in Washington. We're here to help. 

0 Comments

    Author.

    All blog posts are written by members of the GIANTlegal team, unless otherwise indicated. Information contained in our blog does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.

    Archives.

    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    July 2019
    December 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

    Categories.

    All
    Abatement
    Age
    At Will
    Bankruptcy
    Breastfeeding
    Business Formation
    Business Setup
    Carpool
    Cell Phone
    Child Custody
    Child Exchange
    Child Support
    Civil Legal Matters
    Civil Motion
    Civil Trial
    CLEAR
    CLEAR Hotline
    Construction
    Consumer Cases
    Contingent Case
    Contractor
    Coron
    Corona
    Coronavirus
    Court
    Court Deadlines
    COVID 19
    Custody
    Discovery
    Discrimination
    Distracted Driving
    Divorce
    Domestic Violence
    Drivers
    Emergency Hearings
    Employee
    Employee Handbook
    Employees
    Employer
    Employers
    Employment
    Employment101
    Employment Contract
    Employmentlaw101
    Estate Planning
    Eviction
    Family Law
    Family Lawyer
    Family Leave
    Fired
    Flat Fee
    Fmla
    Food Stamps
    Foreclosure
    Free Legal Help
    Gender
    Gig Worker
    Government Shutdown
    HOV Lane
    Idaho
    Idaho Court
    Income
    Independent Contractor
    Inslee
    Job
    Jury Duty
    Jury Trial
    Landlord Tenant
    Lawyer
    Lawyers
    Legal Aid
    Measles
    Medical Leave
    Military
    Moderate Means
    Mortgage
    Mortgage Forgiveness
    New Mom
    Obesity
    Paid Leave
    Paid Time Off
    Parenting Plan
    Part-time Employee
    Personal Injury
    Phone Hearing
    Pregnancy
    Pro Bono
    Progressive Discipline
    Protection Orders
    Pto
    Public Service
    Race
    Rent
    Rent Forgiveness
    Residential Schedule
    Restraining Orders
    Retaliation
    Safe And Sick Leave
    Safe Leave
    SB 5975
    Sba Loan
    School
    Sexual Orientation
    Shelter In Place
    Sick Leave
    Small Business Owner
    Spokan Court
    Spokane
    Startups
    Tenant
    Termination
    Unemployed
    Unemployment
    Unlawful Detainer
    Veterans
    Virus
    Voter
    Voting
    Washington
    Washington Court
    Washington Law
    Washington Stae
    Washington State
    Washington Supreme Court
    Welfare
    Whistleblower
    Wills
    WLAD
    Work
    Worker
    Workers Compensation
    Wrongful Termination

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Services
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact