Unfortunately, landlords and tenants (informally referred to as “renters”) in Minnesota don’t always get along. Sometimes the help of an attorney or the court is needed.

Landlords may do the following:

• wrongfully withhold a tenant’s security deposit
• fail to fix problems that the tenant has reported
• breach of the rental agreement / lease

Tenants/Renters may do the following:

• fail to pay on time
• damage the property
• breach of the rental agreement / lease
• leave the property without paying the lease or utility bills

This is a partial list of problems that Minnesota landlords and tenants may encounter. However, these are the most common problems.

If you are a tenant, attorney Aaron Hall recommends you first call HOME Line at 612-728-5767, which is a free service to Minnesota tenants. HOME Line provides free legal, education, and advocacy services so that tenants throughout Minnesota can solve their own rental housing problems. HOME Line is staffed by Minnesota lawyers and law students, so Minnesota tenants can often get free legal advice over the phone. If a tenant still needs to hire an attorney, Aaron Hall is experienced in tenant representation.

If you are a landlord, HOME Line is a great resource with legal information to ensure that landlords know their duties under the law. However, HOME Line is focused on tenants’ rights and how to fight landlords, not landlord’s rights. Unfortunately, dealing with tenants isn’t always that easy. Attorney Aaron Hall is available to advise landlords regarding their rights and legal options in a half-hour consultation (billed at standard hourly rates). Representation in evictions or litigation is also available.

How Do Minnesota Landlords and Tenants Solve Their Problems? Problems between landlords and tenants in Minnesota are normally resolved by negotiation, and if that doesn’t work, by litigation. Litigation means initiating a lawsuit. The lawsuit is normally done in conciliation court or housing court, depending on the county in which the property is located. For more information, contact your Minnesota district court, such as the MN Forth District Court serving Hennepin County, the MN Second District Court serving Ramsey County, or the appropriate court for your county.

If your problem is large enough to justify the cost of hiring an attorney, and you need professional legal representation or advice, attorney Aaron Hall is available to represent or advise landlords and tenants in the Minneapolis – St. Paul metro area of Minnesota.

Minneapolis Minnesota Real Estate Attorney

As a Minnesota attorney practicing real estate law, Aaron Hall provides legal counsel and representation to parties involved in commercial and residential real estate transactions. If you have a legal issue in Minneapolis, St. Paul, the Twin Cities, or somewhere in Minnesota, contact attorney Aaron Hall to discuss your problem.

Minnesota Residential Property and Real Estate Closings

When a residential home is purchased in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or anywhere in Minnesota, a lot of legal work occurs behind the scenes to ensure a smooth closing. After the purchase agreement is signed, both parties and their agents begin preparing for the closing.

A real estate attorney assists residential home buyers and sellers to resolve problems that may occur in the property transfer process. Resolution may involve negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation. The purpose for having a real estate lawyer on your side is to have confidence in knowing that someone who understands the law is watching out for you and asserting your legal rights.

Minnesota Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Minnesota commercial property transactions are often more complex than residential home sales. Commercial property sales generally involve additional purchase agreement provisions to ensure that the buyer and seller get what they expect without surprises at the closing. Commercial property transactions may also involve additional parties because of the potential complexity of the sale.

A real estate attorney ensures that proper “due diligence” is done, disclosures are comprehensive, and risks are mitigated through proper contract provisions. If problems arise, you have an attorney taking care of the matter with primary goal of advancing your interests.

Minnesota Real Estate Purchase Agreements

Poorly prepared purchase agreements often cause problems. An attorney may be hired to assist with the purchase agreement process to minimize the chances of misunderstandings, wrong expectations, and disagreements. The investment of properly preparing a purchase agreement in the beginning can prevent expensive litigation over errors later.

Mortgages, Liens, and Other Encumbrances

One risk when buying a residential home is that the property may be encumbered by a mortgage, lien, or another owner’s legal right to the property. These are often recorded in the government property records, but they are sometimes unrecorded or improperly filed. When this occurs, your right to the property may be at risk.

A Minnesota real estate attorney can help identify these problems in advance and advise you regarding ways to minimize the risk. If a problem occurs, a real estate attorney can seek court action to protect your rights in the property.

Real Estate Attorney Serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Greater Minnesota

If you have a problem involving real estate in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or throughout Minnesota, you are welcome to call and speak with attorney Aaron Hall.

Aaron Hall is a business attorney in Minnesota, licensed in state and federal court. He has significant experience in business law, has published articles on LLC and small business law, and has been quoted in the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, and a number of other newspapers. As a lawyer to business owners, Aaron Hall provides legal counsel and litigation services to businesses in Minneapolis, St. Paul, the Twin Cities metro area, and throughout Minnesota. Aaron Hall may be contact at 612-466-0010.

The following article explains each stage of a business and the corresponding role of a business attorney during those stages.

The Role of a Business Attorney

As a business, tax, and litigation attorney, my role advising a business changes during the life-cycle of a business. During its infancy, a business has vastly different legal needs from when the business has matured.

Business Formation & Startup Stage

A new business may start out as a home-based business. The main employee is often the owner. For a new business, the concerns are (1) planning and (2) establishing the best structure from a tax and liability perspective, and (3) simplicity.

As a business attorney, I talk with small business owners about the product or service they plan to offer, other people or companies involved with their business operations, the financial goals of the business, risks to the business, the business owner’s financial situation, and other factors that may affect how the business should be structured. We discuss Minnesota and federal tax law, Minnesota laws and regulations affecting the business, and find the best option for each particular business owner.

Each small business is different. For some, an LLC is best, while others would benefit from the tax treatment of an S Corp or another entity. Some Minnesota businesses should consider liability insurance to reduce their risk while others have very little risk.

Business Funding Stage

A developing business may improve its position in the market by the addition of a partner or funds from another source such as an angel investor or venture capitalist.

As a Minnesota business attorney, I explain to the business owner the options for setting up the financial arrangement. The arrangement may be in the form of a loan, a transfer of ownership in part of the business, or a hybrid. I ensure that the business owner’s rights and relationship are clearly delineated in the contract to minimize the possibility of hard feelings, disputes, and litigation.

Business Growth

As a business grows, the business may encounter legal questions, want legal advice, or seek to minimize its tax burden. For example, the legal issue might include intellectual property (copyright, trademark, patent, etc.) related to a website, logo, or business name. The issue might involve tax strategies or planning expenses to reduce tax liability. The issue might include drafting a contract to help the business grow.

As a business attorney, I often answer questions from business owners who need to make decisions and want to understand the legal ramifications of their options. I draft contracts, negotiate deals, and help my clients grow their business without unnecessary exposure to legal liability.

Business Disputes

Businesses naturally encounter disputes. The disputes may be between the business owners. The dispute may also be between the business and another company, an employee, or a customer. Often, these disputes can be resolved before the dispute evolves into litigation.

As a business attorney, I advise business owners dealing with legal problems. As a litigation attorney, I am experienced litigating business law cases in Minnesota courts. However, litigation is expensive, so when possible, I work with the business owner to find creative solutions to solve problems and calm disputes.

Sale of the Business

When a business owner sells the business, a number of legal issues arise. The business sale involves contracts, valuation, transfer of intellectual property, tax considerations, and possibly seller financing issues.

As a business attorney, I walk through these considerations with business owners, analyze the legal issues, and ensure that the business owner’s legal rights are protected. Business sales are often large, complex transactions, but they can go smoothly when done right.

Legal Counsel vs. Litigation

In summary, a business attorney helps a business through two roles: counsel in business decisions and litigation. Good legal counsel and prevent litigation.

For this reason, I gladly accept calls from my clients, give them legal advice over the phone, and help them prevent problems before litigation arises. I often provide legal counsel over the phone as a free service to my clients. Occasionally, an issue requires a more comprehensive legal analysis, so I explain the attorneys fee to clients so they can consider their options.

When litigation is necessary, my concern is having the issue resolved favorably and efficiently so that there is as little impact on my client’s business as possible.