Navigating The New Laws that Impact Your Business
By Pete Muccio
CThe ever changing legal landscape for property owners and property managers underwent a major shift in 2024 . There were more proposed bills in 2024 impacting property management than gun control . It can be difficult to sort through all of the noise of the session , so the goal here is to make you aware of things that you need to be aware of if you are a property owner or a property manager , and of course with all of these new laws there can be various interpretations and operational changes to adopt that are best discussed with your legal counsel .
Perhaps the best example of the imbalance that this past session brought to the industry is best reflected in two House Bills that serve different purposes but ultimately make it more expensive for housing providers and less expensive for tenants to litigate disputes in Court . HB 24-1099 eliminates filing fees for tenants in eviction proceedings . That this bill was even proposed was surprising , as there was already a mechanism for eligible tenants to get their filing fees waived . Tenant advocates have voiced their support of this bill because those advocates found it burdensome and challenging to help tenants get the information tenant ’ s needed together to complete the waiver . Starting in November 2024 , it does not matter if your tenant qualifies for a waiver , or makes a six figure income , all tenant ’ s do not have to pay a filing fee . Contrast this with the impact of HB24- 1286 , the Equal Justice Fund Authority , which imposes a fee starting in 2025 on all County Court Cases of an additional
16 | TRENDS AUGUST 2024 www . aamdhq . org