A win for owners managing existing properties.
An owner can face multiple claims from a host of parties beyond the initial construction phases. Where rental units are concerned, the duty to maintain a premises when renting or managing a property can be set both contractually and by common law.
In the recent decision Young v. Prairie Management & Development, Inc., the First District Appellate Court was confronted with the issues of the duty to maintain the locks and common areas of a property and the possible existence of a common law duty to protect tenants from the actions of third-party criminals.
In a win for owners across the state, the Court found that an honest substantial effort to maintain a property through regular checking and repair was just good ownership and not the creation of a duty to protect tenants from third-party criminal acts.
Our hats off to FGPPR's own Bob Boylan for bringing home this victory.
