GM, EVgo to expand U.S. EV charging partnership
Most of the sites will have no more than 20 chargers, though some will be larger in states such as Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York and Texas.
How Mazda’s new marketing approach is guided by Japanese philosophies
A new campaign from Mazda puts as much emphasis on human achievement as vehicle attributes.
He pays $2,000 a month for a hotel room and he can’t afford to move
PALM HARBOR — They drove, windows down, past the big box stores. Past the other roadside motels and hotels, where other families lived.
When they pulled up to the modest house on Guardian Avenue, Richard Rodriguez took a deep breath. He was 52, with kind, tired eyes. He didn’t want to get his hopes up.
It had been four years since the last time he’d toured a place for rent, when he and his family came to Florida in 2020.
At the time, the move made sense. He’d found a 3-bed, 2-bath for $1,285 a month, less than what they paid in Pennsylvania. His two boys shared a room with a video game console. His daughters filled theirs with Hello Kitty decor. And Rodriguez and his wife, TonieMarie, had a bedroom of their own.
A year in, their rent more than doubled. Housing costs across the Tampa Bay region soared during the pandemic, and Rodriguez’s work as an events DJ dried up.
After the eviction, they took refuge at a roadside motel. Nobody said a word as they rolled air mattresses out under ceilings stained with smoke. That was the night that life on the hamster wheel began.
Ask a real estate pro: Can condo board make us pay for renovations to amenities we don’t use?
Q: We live in a small condominium. Our board just told us that we need to pay extra each month for the next few years to cover the cost of renovations, including the little gym near the lobby. They did not ask us if we were OK with this or put it up for a vote. We never use the gym. Can they make us pay for this? — Henri
A: In condominium associations, regular assessments, also called dues, and special assessments, serve distinct purposes and are handled differently.
Regular dues are recurring charges collected from unit owners to cover routine operational expenses and maintenance costs, typically charged monthly, quarterly, or annually as part of the association’s operating budget.
In contrast, special assessments are additional, non-recurring charges to fund unexpected repairs, major renovations, or emergency expenses not covered by regular dues.
If your association follows the correct procedure, they can pass a special assessment to pay for these unexpected expenses.
Where I practice law in Florida, unless your association’s declaration documents say otherwise, your board can pass a special assessment without a full vote of all the owners. Your board must notify the owners in advance that the board will vote on the issue at a meeting open to the public.
Missouri auto salesman gets 1-year sentence after admitting to helping fraudster
A former car salesman at the Marty Cancila Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram auto dealership in Florissant, Mo., was sentenced in August to a year and a day in prison after admitting to helping a fraudster buy and finance vehicles using other people’s personal information.