‘The Landlord Didn’t Repair the Roof! Can I Withhold the Rent?’
Withhold rent and you can count on a visit by a process server with an unlawful detainer complaint identifying you as the defendant. Like night follows day… like the sun rises in the east. But, you argue, the landlord, in breach of his obligation under the lease, has...How Much is My Rent?
Your coin laundry’s lease states, under a paragraph called “rent,” that you are to pay a sum of money to the lessor once a month, on the first day of each month during the term of the lease. Is that all it costs you to “rent” your store...Lease Option: Future Rent Shall Be Determined By Mutual Agreement
In an action arising out of San Francisco, a tenant entered into a written lease with a landlord for a term of five years. The lease contained an option provision, which provided as follows: “Providing the Lessee has faithfully performed all of the terms,...Liability Can Be a Slippery Slope
Picture this scenario: A woman slips and falls on the floor of your self-service laundry and suffers substantial injury to her back. An ambulance is called to transport the customer to a nearby hospital. The wailing sound of the siren grows fainter and fainter as the...Common Sense vs. Company Policy
The concept of common sense clashed with company policy in a decision regarding an El Torito Restaurant in Burlingame, Calif. A disabled individual requested permission to use the employee restroom on the first floor, to avoid dealing with the 18-stair climb leading...To Disclose or Not Disclose
What should be said about a former employee when you receive a call from a prospective new employer requesting information about the employee’s performance? In one California case, the plaintiff voluntarily left her employment with the defendant and then sought...When Colleges Offer Free Laundry
A laundry owner located near a state university recently posed an interesting legal question. It seems that the school has begun offering “free laundry” to students residing in its dormitories. And, in fact, this appears to be somewhat of a trend, as an...Laundry Leases: Exercising Your Option to Renew
The most important asset of your self-service laundry business is your lease. Washers and dryers produce little income in storage or in a parking lot. As you probably know, coin laundry operators are repeatedly advised to enter into long-term lease arrangements,...Some Advice on Giving Advice
A member of the Coin Laundry Association recently called me regarding an adverse ruling in small claims court, which resulted in a $770 judgment against the laundry owner. Apparently, an attendant employed by the owner assisted a customer – at the customer’s...
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