Blog

On March 18, 2020, we sent notice to clients, business partners and friends of the firm advising that our firm was shifting to fully remote operations because of the growing COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, we had anticipated only being away from our offices for at most a few weeks. Now, one year later, ourRead more

By Marc Markel and Lisa Gambrell Spring is almost here and in Texas that means higher temperatures and the opening of community pools are right around the corner. Before pool season gets into full swing, property owners associations (POAs) should be reviewing their Pool Management and Maintenance Master Services Agreement (Pool MSA) to ensure thatRead more

The 87th session of the Texas Legislature is now underway. On January 12, 2021, the Texas House and Senate officially convened. New members were sworn in, and as per tradition, the House began the session by electing a new speaker – Dade Phelan (R) from Beaumont. Almost as quickly as proceedings began, they ended withRead more

By Clayton Hearn and Ashley Koirtyohann Login to any social media website and you will likely see images and memes from airports, restaurants, stores and a variety of other locations of people being accompanied by a menagerie of different animals. Alligators, peacocks, monkeys and more are often claimed as an emotional support animal (ESA). AsRead more

A new year is here! We can all finally move past 2020. Even though COVID-19 is still at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we are hopeful for the new year ahead and what will be the beginning of a “new normal.” But before we look too far into the future, we are still managing theRead more

So, you serve on a property owners’ association (“POA”); or maybe you are a manager that represents owners that serve on the POA board. Have you ever asked yourself why do I (or they) do it? It is certainly not for the high-fives, handshakes, or hugs. While the goals of POA boards and volunteers mayRead more

The start of another session of the Texas Legislature is almost here. Beginning January 12, 2021, lawmakers will have 140 days to debate over changes to Texas law. As we recently covered in our 2021 Legislative Preview webinar, it is unknown how this session will unfold during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected lawmakersRead more

After a hard-fought, tumultuous campaign year, the 2020 election has passed. What should property owners associations do to address the remaining signs, and what should they be thinking about to prepare for the next election? Before the election, we discussed how Section 259.002 of the Texas Election Code limits the ability of associations to restrictRead more

“This is 2020,” as legendary news anchor Barbara Walters was famous for saying at the start of her weekly Friday night show, was heard numerous times to begin this year. At the time, everyone was excited and hopeful for the first year of the third decade of the 21st century. Little did we know thatRead more

With election season behind us, the eyes of the Texas political world turn towards the State Capitol in Austin as the 87th Texas Legislative Session is set to commence on January 12, 2021. Bill pre-filing has already begun, with hundreds of bills filed on the first day – November 9, 2020. After a strange andRead more