At Girling Law, we understand the needs of Texas independent rental owners because our attorneys are also experienced residential rental investors.  Our firm has positioned itself as the go-to law firm for Texas property investors.  Girling Law’s independent rental attorneys have developed the skills and resources required to meet Texas real estate investors’ most frequently needed legal services.

Independent Rental Owners Have Unique Legal Needs

Law schools don’t provide courses on the needs of property investors.  Lawyers typically have to learn to provide for the legal needs of independent rental owners on an on-the-job basis.  Attorneys with general practices are often able to provide one or two of the legal services landlords sometimes require.  But only a handful of Texas law firms have a Fort Worth real estate attorney who is dedicated to the needs of Texas landlords.  And of these law firms, nearly all focus on the needs of apartment communities.

Girling Law is different.  Our firm focuses only on the needs of Texas independent rental owners.  Each of our legal services include those that independent rental owners most frequently require.  Our services include:

Never settle for an attorney who is on a learning curve.  Hire a Texas rental attorney who knows what he is doing!

Girling Law Understands Independent Rental Owners

Our firm’s owner, L. Marc Girling, developed an interest in representing Texas independent rental owners several years after his own misfortune with a problem tenant.  Having been a property investor since the mid-1990s, Mr. Girling understands well the unique needs of Texas independent rental owners.

Several years after starting Girling Law, Mr. Girling recognized that there was no “one stop shop” for Texas independent rental owners.  One attorney might focus on residential and commercial lease agreements.  Another attorney would represent Texas landlords as creditors in bankruptcy court.  A handful of attorneys would be willing to handle evictions for landlords, but few of these attorneys seemed to understand the unique eviction procedures and laws.

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Never Waste Your Time With an Attorney Who Is on a Learning Curve.

Call us TODAY at 469-526-4588

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Why “Just Any” Rental Attorney Will Not Always Work for You

Every Texas lawyer is qualified to represent you in any landlord-related legal matter.  But just because a real estate attorney in Fort Worth is qualified doesn’t mean he is your best option!

Let’s look at an example.  Let’s say you own a really nice boat, and you’re involved in a collision with another vessel several miles off the coast of Corpus Christi.  A local personal injury attorney is qualified to represent you in this case.  Attorneys from such a firm would presumably have Texas law licenses.  But none of them know anything about admiralty law!  Admiralty law is not a required course in Texas law schools.  And this is an area of law that is not regularly covered on the Texas bar exam!  Sure – those personal injury attorneys could handle your admiralty law issue.  But they would be a really poor choice for this area of the law.  Much like landlord representation, admiralty lawyers learn their trade on the job.

Girling Law will sometimes meet with a new client AFTER that client fired another rental attorney who did a poor job of handling a landlord-related legal matter.  Sadly, it is typically more expensive for our firm to clean up another attorney’s mess.

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Are You Facing a Legal Challenge with One of Your Properties?

Call us TODAY at 469-526-4588

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Why Our Firm’s “Practice Blend” Is the Perfect Fit for Independent Rental Owners

Most Texas attorneys will struggle to offer landlords the full scope of unique legal services Texas landlords most often require.

Eviction Representation

For example, eviction cases include many twists and turns.  But the eviction appeals process includes several opportunities for landlords to fast track these cases.  Few attorney-represented landlords benefit from these opportunities.  That’s because so few attorneys are aware of these laws.  More importantly, few law practices are nimble enough to pursue these opportunities.  Girling Law regularly pursues tenants who fail to comply with the appeals procedures.  And we’ve gotten good at it!!

Eviction Jury Trial Representation

Eviction jury trials are another area where your typical Texas attorney can struggle.  These trials have different evidentiary rules depending on whether you are in a Justice of the Peace Court or a County Court.  Attorneys who do not regularly practice before Justices of the Peace will be unfamiliar with these different rules.  Additionally, these trials are accelerated.  Instead of having a year and a half to two years to prepare for trial, your attorney may have less than a week to prepare.  Girling Law spends much of its time practicing before local Justice of the Peace courts and has developed its own, specialized resources that enable the firm to be trial-ready in only a matter of days.

Landlord-Creditor Bankruptcy Representation

Not many attorneys will practice civil law in state courts and will handle bankruptcy cases.  Bankruptcy courts are federal courts.  They also have their own licensing requirements in addition to requiring a Texas law license.  Of the attorneys who do practice in both state courts and federal bankruptcy courts, nearly all of these attorneys will represent debtors.  As a landlord with a tenant who has filed bankruptcy, you would require creditor representation.

Girling Law is uniquely positioned for this area of the law.  In addition to having licenses for state, federal, and bankruptcy courts, Girling Law offers creditor representation before U.S. Bankruptcy Courts.

Tax and Property Shelters

You worked hard to acquire your real estate assets.  It would be tragic to lose all of that equity because one of your tenants managed to win a nuisance lawsuit against you.

One of the down sides to real estate investing in Texas is that it is extremely unlikely that any of your rental properties will enjoy the protections of Texas homestead laws.  These laws protect debtors from creditors’ claims.  If one of your tenants sues you and obtains a judgment, you become their judgment-debtor.  This means your tenant’s attorney can “attach” your tenant’s judgment to your rental properties.  Afterwards, your tenant’s attorney would foreclose on your rental property and take the balance of the judgment out of the proceeds of the forced sale.

Prevention is key to avoiding these situations.  In addition to handling the underlying lawsuit, Girling Law can help you structure the ownership of your rental properties to make it extremely difficult to identify you as the “true owner” of the property.  Additionally, our property shelters feature a deterrent effect for your tenant’s attorney.  Property Shelters silo your equity and require an opposing attorney to pierce several layers before they can reach the investor.  It isn’t always possible for an opposing attorney to do this.  Even when it can be done, the work involved often proves too cumbersome for a plaintiff’s attorney to enjoy any meaningful return

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We would love an opportunity to meet with you and discuss your legal needs.

Call a real estate attorney in Fort Worth TODAY at 469-526-4588

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