Ongoing legal counsel for property management companies and the owners they serve

Outside General Counsel for Property Management Miami

What Outside General Counsel Means for a Property Management Company

Outside general counsel is an ongoing business-law relationship. The lawyer handles a company’s recurring legal questions, not just one dispute at a time.

Many property managers call a lawyer only when a problem turns urgent. An ongoing arrangement works differently. The lawyer learns the company’s management agreements, vendor contracts, leases, and staff policies. When a new issue comes up, the lawyer already knows the documents behind it.

This model fits owners and principals of property management companies. Their firms manage residential or commercial buildings for property owners and investors across Miami-Dade and Broward. Their daily questions cross several areas of law. A vendor invoice raises a contract question. A late-paying tenant raises a lease question. A manager’s complaint raises an employment question.

KEW Legal is a Florida business law firm. It focuses on business matters for owners and investors, and it applies that business lens to every recurring issue. Kristina E. Wilson is the responsible lawyer for this page. Natalie Martinez is also among the firm’s lawyers.

Recurring Matters the Firm Handles for Property Managers

The firm’s outside general counsel work for property managers covers vendor contracts, management agreement questions, commercial leases, commercial evictions, and staffing issues.

• Vendor and service contracts. Review of maintenance, landscaping, janitorial, and repair agreements. The review covers scope of work, pricing, insurance requirements, indemnity language, and how either side can end the deal.
• Vendor disputes. Handling disagreements over payment or poor performance, including demand letters sent to or received from a vendor.
• Management agreement questions. Fee terms, reporting duties, termination rights, and disagreements with property owners or investors.
• Commercial leases and evictions. Coordination of managed retail and office leases, plus commercial eviction for nonresidential tenants.
• Employee issues. Written policies, discipline and termination steps, and wage questions that come up in a management office.

Several of these questions turn on specific Florida rules. Under Fla. Stat. § 95.03, a contract provision that sets a shorter time to sue than the statute allows is void. Fee clauses matter too. Under Fla. Stat. § 57.105, if a contract lets one side recover fees for enforcing it, the court may also award reasonable fees to the other side when that side prevails. This subsection applies to any contract entered into on or after October 1, 1988.

How the Relationship Works Step by Step

The relationship starts with a first consultation. It then moves through a document review, a written scope, and ongoing advice.

1. First consultation. The firm offers a free first consultation that is confidential and carries no obligation to continue. You discuss how your company is set up, which matters are open, and which problems keep coming back.
2. Document review. The firm reviews the management agreements, vendor contracts, commercial leases, and employee policies you already use.
3. Written scope. You receive a summary of the issues found and a proposed scope for ongoing counsel. It shows which matters are covered and how requests are routed.
4. Ongoing advice. Each matter gets a timeline, and you get clear updates on what happens next.
5. Periodic review. Contract templates and lease forms are checked again as your portfolio changes.

Step two is where the work pays off. A vendor contract without clear termination rights can leave a company with no clean way out.

Commercial eviction also runs on a statute. Under Fla. Stat. § 83.20, a landlord may remove a tenant who holds over without permission after a rent default, once 3 days’ written notice requiring payment or possession has been served. Under Fla. Stat. § 83.232, a tenant in a landlord’s action for possession must generally pay the unpaid rent and accruing rent into the court registry. Under Fla. Stat. § 83.232, a tenant who does not dispute the amount of accrued rent must pay the amount alleged in the complaint into the court registry on or before the date the answer to the claim for possession is due, and a tenant’s failure to pay rent into the court registry as the court orders is deemed an absolute waiver of the tenant’s defenses.

What the Arrangement Covers and Where Its Limits Are

Ongoing counsel covers the business matters on this page, applied to your company’s own contracts, leases, and staff.

• Covered work. Vendor and service agreements, management agreement questions, commercial lease coordination, commercial eviction, and employee issues for employers.
• Scope set in writing. Each new matter is scoped at the start, so you know whether it falls under the ongoing relationship or needs separate engagement terms.
• Outside practice areas. If a matter falls outside these practice areas, the firm may refer it to other counsel.
• Where the firm is. The firm has offices in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach. It serves clients across Miami-Dade, Broward, and South Florida.

Commercial evictions move through the county court. Under Fla. Stat. § 83.21, the landlord, or its attorney or agent, files a complaint in the proper court of the county where the premises are located.

Why Work With KEW Legal on Property Management Matters

KEW Legal is a Florida business law firm with offices in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach. It focuses on business matters for owners and investors.

• A named responsible lawyer. Kristina E. Wilson is responsible for this page. Natalie Martinez is also among the firm’s lawyers.
• Related practice areas. The firm’s work includes outside general counsel for businesses, business contract and vendor disputes, commercial leases, commercial eviction, and employment law for employers. A property manager’s issues often overlap across these areas.
• Documents read in context. Contracts and leases are reviewed with a management company’s daily operations in mind, from vendor onboarding to owner reporting.
• Direct access. You can reach our team by phone or through the firm’s contact form.

Common Questions Before Hiring Outside General Counsel

Talk With Our Team About Your Management Company’s Legal Needs

If a vendor dispute, a lease that needs coordination, or an owner questioning fees is taking time away from your properties, a conversation can help you sort out the next step.

Call 305-990-2300 or send us a message to start talking through your company’s legal needs.