The Key: A Digital Magazine 2023 Q2

David Cofresi (DCOFRESI@Behr.com)

AAGO'S 2023 LEADERSHIP

OFFICERS ASSOCIATIONSTAFF

DIRECTORS

Monica Ramsey Executive Vice President

Carina Rawley Director of Meetings & Events

Heather Alzate Director of Career & Professional Development

Melanie Santiago Director of Member Engagement

Brandon Johnson Government Affairs Director

Torquiose Ware Communication & Branding Manager

PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER

SECRETARY ASSOCIATES VICE PRESIDENT IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Debbie Gentry Kathy Hensley Melissa Dugas Eddy Perez Justin Frost Rachelle Hundley

CAM, CAPS, HCCP Concord Management CMP Greystar CAPS Royal American Management CAM, CAPS, LEAP, ARM Wendover Housing Partners Affinity Waste Solutions Highmark Residential ARM, HCCP, CPO, CAPS

Alex Colasuonno Amanda Otey Ashlee Partin Bridge Property Management Bell Partners Inc.

Austin Cotton Stephens and Company LLC

David Bales Cushman & Wakefield Residential

Domonique Messeroff Joelis Barandica - Rodriguez Linda Beach ConAm Linsay VanWagoner Contravest

Mallory Hoffmeyer Range Water Real Estate

Affinity Waste Solutions ConAm Massey Services Inc.

Meredith Torres Michael Krause Shana Jackson Greystar

Sheena Griffin Asset Living Atrium Epoch Residential CAPS CAM

2023 PREMIER PARTNERS

Q2 EDUCATION CALENDAR

25

MICROSOFT

22 LGBTQ+: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING

15 FUTURE LEADERS TRAINING

A 4-PART SERIES

11 13 EPA UNIVERSAL CERTIFICATION IN ENGLISH

LEADING FOR LOYALTY: HOW TO INSPIRE, RECOGNIZE, & MOTIVATE MULTIFAMILY TEAMS

25

CERTIFIED POOL OPERATOR (CPO) IN SPANISH

LEASEFEST 2023

2023 TRADESHOW

W O M E N I N L E A D E R S H I P

TELL US ABOUT THE PATH YOU HAVE TAKEN TO GET YOUR CURRENT POSITION ASHLEE:

Well, to say I got to where I am today all by myself would be far from the truth I depend a lot on my faith and I know I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for where Christ strategically placed me and surrounded me with incredible individuals and an association that truly cares!!

AAGO was truly the first to really grab a hold of me and helped me catapult into all the places I needed to be for the industry! They sat down with me and educated me on our industry guided me on which committees to join what events would help me build the most relationships and helped me develop a 13 & 5-year plan to work towards personal goals. MultiFAMILY is truly a family. I was the newest family member 7 years ago but quickly felt right at home I have incredible mentors that have guided me along the way and helped me navigate this path of personal growth and success I also have been blessed with an extremely talented brother who started in the industry before me and helped paved the way in this industry for me as well Justin Frost is an incredible mentor and someone who truly wants the best for people and wants to make an impact on this industry He's truly made an incredible impact on me

DEBBIE:

I originally wanted to be a teacher and graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Education When I graduated there were no teaching jobs available in my area One of my friend’s father was an apartment developer and I ended up applying for and getting a job with the company he worked for as a Leasing Professional I worked as a Leasing Professional for approximately one year, was promoted to Assistant Manager, and then transferred with the same company to Florida as a Manager later becoming a District Manager I started with my current company in 2000 as a District Manager and have moved up the ranks with them to Regional Manager to Vice President and then to my current position as Operations Director I have worked on the market rate bond and affordable communities and have completed numerous lease-ups throughout my career.

SILVIA:

As one of eight children I was the only sibling born in the US after my parents’ emigration from Colombia in early 1974 After high school graduation I began working at LP Evans Mercedes in the service department. It was there where I met Ray Applebaum, my future employer and guide into the asphalt business I began working for Ray’s company, Driveway Maintenance in March of 1994 I started as a production assistant, scheduling work, ordering supplies, and handling customer communications I quickly began to take over more and more superintendent responsibilities, until she ultimately became the full-time superintendent for Driveway Maintenance’s South Florida operations Sixteen years later, I became the company Operations Manager, and under Ray’s tutelage, began learning the intricacies of running a company from the inside out In 2020, after guiding the company through the trials and hardships of COVID I purchased Driveway Maintenance and renamed the company DMI and took over as President and CEO

W O M E N I N L E A D E R S H I P

WHAT DOES GREAT LEADERSHIP LOOK LIKE?

ASHLEE:

Great leadership is self-sacrificing Great leadership is putting the needs of your team above your own and working tirelessly in making sure that you help others become successful Great leadership is seeing the potential in someone before they see it in themselves and helping them find it develop it and take pride in it Actions speak louder than words One of my favorite speakers in our industry is Dr Randy Ross & he's said this about leadership that I'll never forget "Be a leader that helps people learn to LOVE what they do." That's a true leader.

DEBBIE:

To me, great leadership is leading by example, supporting & listening to the people you work with positive reinforcement and sharing your knowledge

SILVIA:

Leaders have to make tough decisions and not all situations can be treated the same They need to have the decisiveness to weigh the pros and cons in every situation and make an informed decision A great leader also has to have a clear vision of where they want their organization and team to go and work together to achieve it

AS A WOMAN IN LEADERSHIP, TELL US ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND HOW YOU OVERCAME THEM.

ASHLEE:

I truly give credit where it's due & I truly feel like because of the industry that I'm in, I've been extremely blessed to not have gender-targeted challenges in my career thus far I'm surrounded by powerful women in our industry that want and see the value of lifting other women up and making them successful I also believe that the men in our industry value powerful women just as much & want us all to succeed! It's been an absolute blessing & I know that not all industries are like this, but multifamily is the anomaly

DEBBIE:

Multi-family can be a demanding career so the biggest challenge for me has been balancing work and family As my kids were growing up it was important for me to be home at night for family dinners, to attend their sporting events, and to attend/chaperone school functions. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work for companies that have given me this flexibility and I encourage my teams to do the same

SILVIA:

As a woman in leadership some of the challenges that I have faced are gender bias and discrimination since construction is known as a “ man ’ s world” I have overcome those challenges by working harder than my male counterparts to prove my worth and competence I have also put together a strong support network of mentors, colleagues, and friends that offer advice and valuable feedback Developing a strong sense of self-awareness is also very important Knowing my strengths and weaknesses can help me navigate challenging situations

WHAT ABOUT YOUR CAREER IN MULTI-FAMILY DO YOU LOVE THE MOST?

ASHLEE:

RELATIONSHIPS -- Without relationships in this industry I would be nowhere far in this industry I love that you can be authentically yourself and that you will be loved cheered for and mentored because this industry is full of people who truly CARE and LOVE this industry just as much as you do!

DEBBIE:

What I love most about the multi-family industry is the people I love the people I work with, the friends I have made throughout the years, and providing our residents with quality, affordable housing I love to work with & train our employees and nothing makes me happier than seeing our team members learn and advance in their own careers I love and value the lifelong friendships I have made over the years through my volunteer work with AAGO I also am proud to work with a company that provides quality affordable housing for our residents

SILVIA:

I love building relationships in the multi-family industry I have met amazing people in this industry that has become not only my clients but also my friends I love being able to be an asset to multifamily management by providing our services in a timely manner and being a contractor that they can fully trust I take great pride in that

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF AT THE START OF YOUR CAREER? ASHLEE:

The advice I would give to my younger self would be 3 things:

1. KNOW YOUR WORTH even if others don't see it in you Believe in yourself You were created to be in this moment, on purpose, and for a purpose, so just get out there and be your BEST!

2. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE -- Sit at the tables that look the most intimidating to you These are the tables that you'll learn the most from which will help you develop and bring value to conversations in the future You can't learn if you're not surrounding yourself with people who can teach you.

3. RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING -- Think outside the box to build relationships that leave lasting, positive impressions on others Be the light for people, be kind to all, and trust that the right people are going to be placed in front of you for such a time as this

DEBBIE: SILVIA:

Work hard, set goals, and be flexible. Create a daily to-do list, but understand that this is a people business so your to-do list & priorities will constantly be changing Find a mentor that you can go to for support & advice

The advice that I would give my younger self is to trust in yourself! My decisions, my triumphs, my failures and my missteps have all gotten me to where I am today To look at failure as a positive as an opportunity to learn and grow

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY INTERNATIONAL

In our region, the multi-family industry has seen an uptick in activity As some of you may already be aware, Orange County has established the Office of Tenant Services in response to the Tenant Bill of Rights that was recently passed.

Here are some noteworthy features of the ordinance:

1. Introducing the Tenant Rights Office, responsible for receiving, processing and addressing all ordinance violations. This measure designates the office and its code enforcement officers as authorized enforcers for this county division.

2.

This new ordinance outlines the rights of Orange County tenants, which include receiving a 60-day notice before lease termination and being informed of any rent increase exceeding 5%.

This policy guarantees that individuals with disabilities have the right to receive appropriate accommodations and modifications.

3. Landlords must provide tenants with a notice of their rights before their lease term commences.

Words by Brandon U. Johnson

In terms of development, we have had the opportunity to be in several conversations with Orange County Staff in terms of working towards removing some of the burdens via planning and zoning that hinder the development of new apartment communities. We are hopeful that with the recent passage and signing of the Live Local Act, we will begin to see more investment in our area.

In the city of Apopka, they are in discussions concerning increasing their Impact Fees. The city hosted two public workshops concerning the raise. According to Florida Statute 163.31801(6)(g)(2), the city must present a completed demonstrated needs study to justify an increase more than those authorized by another subsection of the aforementioned chapter in the State Statute.

The current changes to the multi-family industry are as follows:

5.

4. It is deems to be unlawful to discriminate based on lawful source of income

This ordinance was enacted on March 1st. However, there is a bill that is currently moving in the Florida Legislature that would invalidate the ordinance and preempt any similar kind of ordinance in the state. For updates concerning this piece of legislation and how our area will be impacted, be sure to check our ‘Advocacy’ section on aago.org. We have also flagged conversations along this same trend in Osceola County as well.

Join us in our advocacy efforts by supporting APAC! We have a lot of work ahead of us, but with your help, we can make a difference. Supporting APAC enables us to continue to collaborate with our allies in the five-county region we serve. Your previous financial contributions have been instrumental in achieving our legislative victories, and with your renewed support, we can look forward to many more to come.

1. Multi-Family (low rise); 1-2 levels - $6,480.00 Multi-Family (Mid-Rise); 3-10 levels - $ 4,829.00

2. Multi-Family (High-Rise); >10 levels - $3,951 00

3.

A recent Florida case emphasizes the importance of keeping a defaulting tenant in the loop of the landlord’s eviction efforts This article will examine the case of James v Teymorzadeh, 48 Fla L Weekly D521a (Fla. 1st DCA March 8, 2023).

THE JAMES FACTS:

James and Teymorzadeh entered into a real estate contract which bore the title “Lease Contract Agreement.” The agreement provided that James was to pay $1,100 per month for rent for a 6 month period. Thereafter, James was to buy the home for $165,000 and was to make a nonrefundable down payment of $6,600.

As fate would have it, the closing didn’t occur and the parties’ negotiations were not fruitful. Teymorzadeh filed an eviction action against James and James actively opposed the eviction.

The County Court determined that James’ payment of more than 5% of the purchase price meant that the eviction could not be pursued pursuant to the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act pursuant to § 83.42(2), Florida Statutes. The County Court transferred the case to Circuit Court and gave Teymorzadeh 60 days to file any necessary paperwork and any additional fees for the transfer.

Teymorzadeh filed a Complaint in Circuit Court that was identified as a Complaint or Ejectment. Unfortunately for Teymorzadeh, there was no certificate of service on the Complaint.

The Circuit Court set a hearing on September 14, 2021, but there was no record of a notice of hearing being filed or even listed on the docket. On September 13, 2021, Teymorzadeh filed documents as his potential evidence for the hearing the next day but he didn’t include a certificate of service.

After the September 14, 2021, hearing, the Court entered an Order determining the amount of rent due and set a final hearing for September 17, 2021.

Words by Kevin Knight

The Order listed James’ email as “service” but James had never filed any notice with the court showing an email address. There was a discrepancy in the email address for James in the Circuit Court order (an additional “s”) that didn’t appear in the county court documents.

After the September 17, 2021, hearing, the Circuit Court entered a Final Judgment of eviction and issued a Writ of Possession. Both of these were emailed to James at the email address with the “extra s.”

On September 20, 2021, the Circuit Court issued its corrected final judgment listing the correct street address for the property and served James at the email address containing an additional “s.” On the same day, Teymorzadeh’s attorney filed a notice of appearance for the first time.

THE JAMES APPEAL:

James appealed the Final Judgment of Eviction. On appeal, the appellate court noted that where a party is acting “pro se” (without an attorney), any communication must be made by delivering a copy of the document or by mailing to the party unless the party has “designated” (i.e., filed a Notice with the Court providing an email address).

The appellate court further found that there was no indication James had gotten any of the hearing notices or orders in the circuit court case. As such, James was “deprived” of due process and the final judgment was reversed. The case was remanded to Circuit Court to give James a chance to be heard.

BOTTOM LINE:

Evictions are tricky enough without adding the “due process wrinkle.” It is uber important for any communications to be properly delivered to a tenant in a court proceeding or the landlord risks everything being “legally undone” and restarted again.

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