Representative Matters

Soble Law

The following matters reflect the breadth of legal work handled by our firm on behalf of clients across Michigan and throughout the country. Client names are withheld to protect confidentiality. Each matter listed below reflects a successful outcome achieved for our client.

PARTITION ACTIONS & CO-OWNERSHIP DISPUTES

Taylor, MI — Represented a property co-owner whose co-owner refused all communication and blocked any cooperative resolution regarding a jointly-held home. Successfully filed and prosecuted a Petition for Partition in Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, compelling the forced sale of the property and securing the client’s rightful share of the equity.
Waterford Township, MI — Represented clients who received legal notice of an active property lawsuit in which they held no interest and wanted no involvement. Successfully achieved a court dismissal of the clients from the action, with attorney releases executed, freeing them from all liability and further proceedings.
St. Paul, MN — Represented a co-tenant of 40 acres of inherited land in Michigan whose sibling co-owner refused to respond, communicate, or agree to any use or disposition of the property. Prepared demand and initiated partition proceedings to compel a court-ordered division or sale, successfully advancing the client’s ability to act on the asset despite the uncooperative co-tenant.

QUIET TITLE ACTIONS

Southgate, MI — Represented a client who had been awarded her home in a divorce decree decades earlier, but whose ex-husband — now deceased — had been issued a warranty deed to the property. With title effectively in a dead man’s name, the client could not sell, refinance, or encumber the property. Successfully brought and resolved a quiet title action that extinguished the former spouse’s claim and placed clear, marketable title in the client’s name.
Thornton, CO — Represented an out-of-state investor who purchased a Michigan property at a tax sale and discovered that the title carried unresolved encumbrances making it unmarketable. Successfully prosecuted a quiet title action in Oakland County, clearing all prior claims and delivering a clean, insurable title to the client.
Farmington Hills, MI — Represented a homeowner who had purchased a property at a tax auction over a decade prior but never obtained clear title due to an old mortgage that remained on record. Successfully brought a quiet title action in Oakland County Circuit Court, eliminating the defunct mortgage from title and enabling the client to sell, refinance, or convey the property freely.
Detroit, MI — Represented a homeowner who needed to remove an old mortgage from title before completing a HELOC application. Successfully prosecuted a non-contested quiet title action in Wayne County, striking the encumbrance from the chain of title and clearing the path to financing.

ADVERSE POSSESSION & BOUNDARY DISPUTES

Farmington Hills, MI — Represented a property owner whose neighbor had erected a fence that encroached on the client’s farmland and claimed ownership through adverse possession, arguing over a decade of continuous maintenance. A recent boundary survey confirmed the land belonged to the client. Successfully litigated the adverse possession defense and secured the court’s recognition of the client’s superior title, restoring the encroached-upon land to the client.

LAND CONTRACT MATTERS

Wayland, MI — Represented a client whose brother passed away while holding a land contract on a jointly understood family property. With the brother’s widow and two siblings involved, the situation carried significant risk of a contested claim or competing interests. Successfully navigated a non-contested probate that secured the client’s land contract rights and properly resolved the interest of all parties, including the widow.
Chesaning, MI — Represented a co-buyer on a land contract who had separated from a partner and needed to resolve the equity and contractual obligations tied to the property. Successfully structured a negotiated settlement between the parties that addressed the co-buyer’s equity interest and established clear terms for conveyance, avoiding litigation entirely.
Detroit, MI — Represented a land contract seller whose buyer had defaulted on monthly payments and violated insurance covenants required under the contract. Successfully prosecuted a land contract forfeiture action, terminating the buyer’s interest in the property and restoring full possession and title rights to the client-seller.
Drayton Plains, MI — Represented a land contract seller in a forfeiture proceeding against a buyer who had fallen into default. Successfully prosecuted the matter through to completion, extinguishing the buyer’s equitable interest and returning the property to the client.
Albion, MI — Represented a client as defendant in a land contract forfeiture action, appearing at a Zoom hearing and successfully challenging the forfeiture on behalf of the client, preserving the client’s interest in the subject property.
Lawton, OK — Represented clients in Lapeer County Circuit Court in a lawsuit arising from a real property dispute involving a right of first refusal that had clouded the sale of their Michigan home. Successfully defended the action and protected the clients’ ability to dispose of the property on their terms.

CONTRACTOR & CONSTRUCTION DISPUTES

Taylor, MI — Represented a property owner against a contractor who performed a defective cabinet installation and refused to remedy the work or engage in good-faith resolution. Prepared a legal demand and draft complaint asserting breach of contract and negligent workmanship, successfully compelling the contractor to address the client’s damages without proceeding to litigation.
Belleville, MI — Represented a homeowner whose city rerouted street plumbing to the sidewalk and improperly attached the new connection to the client’s original 1920s pipe, causing it to bow, crack, and partially detach. The damage created years of septic backups and drainage failures. Successfully prosecuted a demand and complaint against the municipality, securing accountability for the city’s negligent infrastructure work and obtaining compensation for the client’s damages.
Ann Arbor, MI — Represented a homeowner who spent over $40,000 on bathroom renovations only to have the contractor’s faulty shower installation result in water leaking through the ceiling below. Despite eight months of documented follow-up and a written one-year workmanship warranty, the contractor refused to return or repair the defect. Successfully prepared and delivered a legal demand and draft complaint that forced the contractor into resolution, with the client receiving appropriate relief.
Southfield, MI — Represented a commercial building owner whose contractor had abandoned the project midway, leaving the building in a compromised condition and the client exposed to ongoing damages. Prepared a demand and draft complaint for breach of contract, successfully placing the contractor on legal notice and initiating a resolution process that protected the client’s position.
Bloomfield Hills, MI — Represented a real estate investor whose contractor failed to complete contracted work on an investment property, causing significant project delays and financial harm. Successfully prepared a demand and draft complaint that compelled the contractor to address the client’s losses.
Livonia, MI — Represented a new construction buyer whose builder failed to deliver a completed home in conformance with the contract. Successfully issued a legal demand that put the builder on notice and set the stage for corrective action or legal proceedings.
Rockford, IL — Represented a landlord whose former tenant caused over $27,000 in documented property damage at the conclusion of a tenancy. Successfully prepared and pursued a legal demand against the tenant, advancing the client’s recovery claim through the appropriate legal channels.

HOA & PROPERTY ASSOCIATION DISPUTES

Belleville, MI — Represented a homeowner against a homeowners association that had improperly placed a lien on the client’s property. Successfully drafted and delivered a legal demand compelling the HOA to remove the lien and acknowledge the absence of a valid legal basis for the encumbrance.
Sterling Heights, MI — Represented a condominium owner who had been falsely accused by the HOA of causing two water leaks — one in 2023 and one in 2025 — resulting in the HOA initiating collection proceedings, entering the client’s unit by force, and involving police. The client maintained no leak existed. Successfully prepared a research-backed demand and cease and desist letter to the HOA and its attorneys, challenging the allegations and compelling the HOA to stand down from its improper enforcement conduct.
Bloomfield Hills, MI — Represented a condominium owner whose HOA failed to maintain a common element, resulting in significant water intrusion and property damage to the client’s unit. Successfully issued a demand and draft complaint establishing the HOA’s liability for the damage caused by its negligence.

FORECLOSURE & SURPLUS PROCEEDS

Highland, MI — Represented a homeowner who had lost a property to foreclosure and discovered that the mortgage company had overbid at the sheriff’s sale, generating surplus proceeds that the client was legally entitled to recover. Successfully filed and prosecuted an overbid petition during the redemption period, recovering the surplus funds for the client.
Harrison Twp, MI — Represented a client whose recently sold condominium had been in foreclosure and whose mortgage company overbid at the sheriff’s sale by $43,000. Successfully prepared and argued the overbid petition before the court, securing the full surplus amount for the client.
Southfield, MI — Represented a client in the redemption period following a sheriff’s sale of a foreclosed property. The purchaser at the sale was unresponsive and failing to provide required documentation, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the transaction. Successfully intervened on the client’s behalf, navigating the redemption process and protecting the client’s legal right to reclaim the property.
Royal Oak, MI — Represented a homeowner whose mortgage lender was moving to auction the property within days, with the client alleging that the lender had violated federal lending regulations and miscalculated the loan balance. Successfully engaged the lender with legal demands and identified actionable violations that halted the foreclosure proceedings and forced the lender to revisit its position.

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS & DOCUMENT MATTERS

Waterford Township, MI — Represented a real estate developer seeking clear title for an investment property purchased at a tax sale. Successfully prosecuted a non-contested quiet title action in Oakland County, delivering marketable title free of all prior encumbrances.
Farmington Hills, MI — Represented a buyer in a residential real estate purchase transaction, preparing the purchase agreement, all compliance documents, and ancillary transaction documents necessary to close the acquisition successfully.
Farmington Hills, MI — Prepared a quitclaim deed transferring a property interest from father to child as joint tenants with full rights of survivorship, ensuring the property would pass outside of probate and immediately upon the parent’s death.
Lansing, MI — Prepared two lady bird (contingent remainderman) deeds for a client — one for vacant land and one for the client’s primary residence — enabling the client to retain full lifetime control over both properties while directing the transfer of title to designated beneficiaries upon death, without probate.
Clay, MI — Prepared a contingent remainderman deed from a father to his two sons, establishing a plan for the transfer of the family real estate at the parent’s death while preserving the father’s full use and control during his lifetime.
Livingston, TX — Prepared a durable power of attorney for a client purchasing real estate in Michigan who was unable to attend the closing personally, ensuring the document was properly executed and recordable at the county level to authorize the closing transaction.
Dallas, TX — Prepared and recorded a quitclaim deed conveying a Michigan property from a deceased stepfather’s estate to the client, using existing Letters of Authority to effectuate the conveyance without the need for a separate probate proceeding.
Battle Creek, MI — Corrected and re-filed a quitclaim deed that the county register of deeds had rejected due to improper form. Successfully resolved the filing issue and recorded the deed in the client’s name.
Brighton, MI — Represented a buyer who paid an earnest money deposit on a real estate transaction that fell through due to the other party’s failure to perform. Successfully prepared a legal demand compelling the return of the client’s earnest money deposit.
Ann Arbor, MI — Represented a for-sale-by-owner seller seeking attorney review of the transaction, purchase agreement, and closing process. Provided a comprehensive legal assessment of the documents and identified issues requiring correction prior to closing.
Utica, MI — Represented a buyer whose signed purchase contract was being undermined by the seller and third-party agents who were actively attempting to divert the property to another buyer. Successfully prepared a demand and draft complaint asserting the client’s contractual rights and halting the improper circumvention of the agreement.
Novi, MI — Represented the buyers of a commercial banquet hall sold on land contract, who discovered after purchase that the seller had fraudulently concealed material defects including significant roof damage and mold contamination. Successfully initiated pre-litigation action with a demand and draft complaint, and filed an action in Oakland County for rescission of the land contract and contribution for damages caused by the seller’s fraudulent concealment.
Northville, MI — Represented a seller of a Michigan home who had concerns about the integrity of the buyer, the title company, and her own realtor after discovering troubling information about the parties to the transaction. Provided a thorough legal review of the purchase agreement and all supporting documents, confirming or flagging irregularities prior to closing.
Ham Lake, MN — Represented an out-of-state buyer purchasing vacant land in Michigan through a for-sale-by-owner transaction, preparing the purchase agreement, compliance documents, and all related closing materials necessary to complete the acquisition.
West Bloomfield, MI — Represented a property owner seeking access to landlocked real estate with no direct access to a public road. Conducted a comprehensive review of the property’s survey history, purchase chain, and course of dealing with neighboring landowners. Successfully issued a legal demand establishing the client’s right to access through an easement by necessity and negotiated with the neighbor to reach a resolution.
Michigan — Represented a client with a landlocked Upper Peninsula cabin whose neighbor, despite allowing historical access since 1993, refused to formalize a recorded easement. Conducted a detailed review of surveys, purchase history, and the parties’ course of conduct. Successfully issued a legal demand and negotiated with the neighbor to secure the client’s access rights.
Northville, MI — Represented a property owner who needed to obtain formal title commitments from two mortgage companies in order to merge portions of two adjacent parcels. One lender had been uncooperative following a corporate acquisition and was failing to respond. Successfully coordinated with both lenders to obtain the required title commitments and facilitated the merger process through the municipality.
Pontiac, MI — Represented a seller whose home closing had been delayed when the title company flagged an outdated Certificate of Trust. Successfully prepared an updated, compliant Certificate of Trust on an expedited basis, allowing the closing to be rescheduled and completed the following week.
Muskegon, MI — Represented a client entering into a co-ownership arrangement on a home where one party was obtaining the mortgage for the benefit of both parties. Drafted a comprehensive co-ownership and partnership agreement addressing the parties’ respective rights, payment obligations, and disposition of the property, with special attention to the client’s legal protections in the event of the mortgage holder’s incapacity or death.

PROBATE & ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

Michigan — Represented clients in a non-contested probate of an estate, managing all aspects of the proceeding from filing through final distribution to beneficiaries.
Decatur, GA — Represented an out-of-state client as personal representative of a parent’s estate with Michigan real property located in Warren. Successfully administered the non-contested probate through Macomb County, quieting the estate’s interest in the property and enabling its proper transfer.
Warren, MI — Represented a client whose mother recently passed, serving as personal representative with two siblings as co-beneficiaries. Successfully administered the non-contested probate, including court filings, inventory, and final distribution.
Plainwell, MI — Represented the sole surviving heir of a father who died intestate, with the client’s mother and sister having predeceased him. Successfully administered the intestate estate through probate, with the client serving as personal representative, and resolved all claims against the estate.
Michigan — Represented clients in a probate matter involving a Florida estate administered by a personal representative who was allegedly misappropriating estate equity and funds meant for the beneficiaries. Coordinated with local Florida counsel on the legal strategy and successfully advanced the clients’ claims against the personal representative’s breach of fiduciary duty.
Michigan — Represented a beneficiary of a deceased mother’s estate in which the sister serving as personal representative was alleged to be using her position to steal equity and withhold distributions. Prepared demand and petition to enforce the beneficiary’s rights and compel a proper accounting, pursuing the matter through probate court.
Michigan — Represented a client who discovered that a co-guardian had used a power of attorney to improperly transfer the client’s mother’s home into the co-guardian’s name via quitclaim deed while the mother — documented to have failed psychiatric evaluation — lacked mental capacity to authorize the transfer. Successfully challenged the fraudulent deed in Oakland County, seeking to void the transfer and restore the estate’s interest in the property.
Michigan — Represented a client seeking to resolve a probate court ruling involving a cottage property where a prior adjudicated ‘overreaching’ transfer from a prior year remained on record. Successfully prepared pleadings and argued for the estate court to set aside the tainted transfer and award the property to the rightful beneficiaries.
Detroit, MI — Represented a beneficiary whose sibling — as personal representative of the estate — had allegedly been abusing the fiduciary role by misusing estate proceeds and failing to account for assets. Successfully filed a petition challenging the personal representative’s conduct and advancing the client’s interest in a court-supervised resolution.
Novi, MI — Reviewed estate planning documents and coordinated with the client’s existing estate attorney regarding real property interests in a Florida estate that also had beneficiaries and legal interests in Michigan. Provided strategic legal coordination between Michigan and Florida counsel to ensure the client’s property interests were properly protected across jurisdictions.

ESTATE PLANNING

Michigan — Represented clients in the preparation of comprehensive estate plans including marital trusts, wills, and advance directives designed to protect the clients’ assets, minimize probate exposure, and ensure a clear path of succession for their families.
Michigan — Represented a client in preparing a full family estate plan including a marital trust, ensuring that the client’s assets were properly structured to pass to designated beneficiaries efficiently and outside the probate process.
Burton, MI — Prepared a complete marital trust with full estate plan for a client, covering asset distribution, trust administration, and advance directives including powers of attorney and patient advocate designations.
Michigan — Prepared three separate estate plans for a client’s family members, including an amendment to an existing trust, completing all documents within an expedited timeline to address the family’s time-sensitive planning needs.
West Bloomfield, MI — Updated an existing estate plan and will for a client’s elderly parent, ensuring that the document accurately reflected the parent’s current wishes and remained consistent with the family’s broader estate structure.
Novi, MI — Prepared a comprehensive estate plan for a client, including all core estate planning documents, drafted and finalized to the client’s specific family circumstances and asset structure.

TITLE & LIEN CLEARANCE

Detroit, MI — Represented homeowners who had paid off a 2008 home improvement loan in full by 2010, but whose lender — now defunct — had never filed a lien release. The unsatisfied lien remained on title, blocking the clients’ ability to refinance or sell. Successfully filed a non-contested declaratory action in court, formally discharging the lien and delivering clean title to the clients.
Southfield, MI — Represented a client who discovered, decades after a divorce, that a warranty deed had been issued to her ex-husband only, despite the divorce decree awarding her the home. With the ex-husband long deceased and title effectively clouded, the client was unable to sell or convey the property. Successfully pursued a quiet title action that extinguished the deceased ex-spouse’s record interest and vested clear title in the client.
Northville, MI — Represented a property owner who received a written legal opinion that the client’s property might be the subject of a valid quitclaim deed that the client had inadvertently executed, affecting property taxes and insurance coverage. Successfully identified the corrective instrument, prepared the appropriate documents, and filed them with the Oakland County Register of Deeds to restore the client’s proper ownership record.
Westland, MI — Represented a client in a title review matter involving a prior mortgage and competing deed interests tied to a former spouse. Conducted a thorough chain-of-title analysis, identified the encumbrances, and successfully cleared the record to establish the client’s unencumbered ownership.

EVICTIONS & LANDLORD-TENANT

Michigan — Represented a landlord in eviction proceedings against a non-compliant tenant who had developed a pattern of manufacturing pretextual excuses to delay and avoid payment of rent. Successfully obtained the court order removing the tenant from the property.
Michigan — Represented a landlord in a non-contested eviction action, successfully obtaining possession of the rental property.
Michigan — Represented a real estate investor in eviction proceedings against squatters who had taken up unauthorized residence in the client’s property. Successfully navigated the eviction process and secured a court order restoring the client’s possession of the property.
Livonia, MI — Represented a landlord seeking to evict a tenant who had failed to pay water bills and was significantly behind on rent. Successfully prosecuted the eviction action and recovered possession of the rental unit for the client.
Michigan — Represented an estate as landlord in an eviction proceeding against an occupant of a decedent’s Detroit home, in connection with a broader contested guardianship and estate matter. Successfully obtained the eviction order and restored the estate’s full control over the property.
Michigan — Represented a landlord in the negotiation and drafting of a rental agreement for a commercial tenant seeking a retail space. Successfully delivered a lease that protected the landlord’s rights and set clear expectations for the tenancy.
Frankenmuth, MI — Represented a Section 8 landlord seeking a thorough review of an existing lease agreement and guidance on potential tenant-related issues. Delivered a comprehensive legal review and assessment of the lease’s enforceability and any modifications needed to ensure regulatory compliance.
Michigan — Represented a landlord against a franchisee tenant who had stopped paying rent on a commercial property. Successfully prepared a demand letter to the tenant’s representative and engaged in negotiation, compelling the delinquent tenant to address the payment default.

CORPORATE, LLC & BUSINESS MATTERS

Michigan — Represented a client in forming a new corporate entity, handling all necessary filings, operating agreement drafting, and structural documentation to properly establish the business as a legally compliant Michigan entity.
Mount Holly, NC — Represented a real estate investor in establishing a comprehensive corporate entity package, including the formation of the appropriate business structure and all governing documents to support the client’s investment activities.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA — Represented a limited partner in a Michigan software company who was owed approximately $180,000 in guaranteed payments for engineering services rendered and who had been denied payment for an entire year. When the company’s president refused to sign a mutual separation document acknowledging the debt — fearing it would expose the liability to potential investors — the client’s only avenue was legal action. Successfully prepared a comprehensive demand letter and draft complaint for breach of contract, breach of the operating agreement, and related claims, compelling the company to confront the outstanding obligation.
Michigan — Represented a client in amending the operating agreements for five separate LLCs in connection with a negotiated division of business interests between the client and a former spouse, ensuring all entities were properly restructured in conformance with the parties’ settlement terms.
Canton, MI — Represented a family in documenting the transfer of membership interests in a group of urgent care facilities to include a new family member, preparing all required transfer documents and amended operating agreements to effectuate the ownership change.
Livonia, MI — Represented a real estate investor who owned eight residential properties in Wayne County — a mix of single-family homes and duplexes — and sought to organize them under a legally compliant asset protection structure. Drafted a single-member LLC operating agreement, deed transfers, and all ancillary documents to migrate the properties into the entity structure, preserving tax caps and addressing the unique requirements of both mortgaged and free-and-clear properties.
Chicago, IL — Represented a seller who had sold a restaurant business in Michigan through a purchase agreement with an installment payment structure. When the buyer stopped making monthly payments with approximately $240,000 still owed on the outstanding balance, the client needed swift legal action. Successfully prepared a demand letter and a binding addendum that specifically locked in the payment date, deadline, and default consequences, preserving the seller’s contractual position.
Michigan — Represented a client in the preparation and amendment of a Michigan LLC operating agreement to reflect current ownership and management terms following a change in business structure.

LITIGATION & COURT REPRESENTATION

Grand Rapids, MI — Represented a commercial tenant in an eviction action brought by a landlord who had executed what appeared to be a residential lease on a commercial property. Successfully prepared an answer and identified counterclaims challenging the landlord’s characterization of the tenancy and the validity of the eviction, protecting the client’s right to remain in possession through the court process.
Canton, MI — Represented a client sued by a real estate brokerage for an alleged commission on a property sale. Successfully entered a limited appearance in Oakland District Court, prepared the client’s answer, and presented the matter at mediation, securing a resolution that protected the client.
Farmington Hills, MI — Represented the trustee of a family trust who had been named as a defendant in a Wayne County Circuit Court lawsuit brought by a nursing home facility seeking payment from the trust estate. Successfully entered the matter, prepared the answer, negotiated an extension with opposing counsel, and represented the trustee’s fiduciary position before the court.
Chicago, IL — Represented an LLC that had been served with a commercial lawsuit and failed to respond, resulting in a default judgment being entered against it in Oakland County. Successfully appeared before the court and moved to set aside the default judgment, giving the client a full opportunity to defend the underlying commercial real estate claim on the merits.
Lawton, OK — Represented clients named as defendants in Lapeer County Circuit Court in a property dispute arising from a right of first refusal. Successfully entered the matter and defended the clients’ interests through the court proceedings.
Michigan — Represented a client in three collection matters including garnishment proceedings and a district court action against parties who had failed to satisfy outstanding obligations. Successfully advanced all three matters through the appropriate legal channels to enforce the client’s rights to collect.

DEMAND LETTERS, CEASE & DESIST, AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Detroit, MI — Represented a property owner against a neighbor whose tenant was repeatedly parking in a manner that posed an imminent structural threat to the client’s basement wall. Successfully prepared a demand letter documenting the risk, placing the neighbor on formal legal notice, and creating a record of the threatened damage to protect the client’s future legal claims.
Michigan — Represented a client whose business partner on a commercial property flip had been overbilling for unlicensed contractor work and threatening to file a mechanic’s lien against the property prior to sale — which would have derailed the closing entirely. Successfully prepared a cease and desist and demand letter identifying the partner’s lack of licensure, challenging the validity of the threatened lien, and compelling the partner to stand down.
Troy, MI — Represented a property owner against a contractor who had improperly installed cabinetry and refused to remedy the defective work. Prepared a detailed demand letter asserting breach of contract and negligent workmanship. Successfully negotiated a resolution with the contractor within the demand period, avoiding litigation.
Lansing, MI — Represented a property owner who had entered into a buyer’s agency agreement and later canceled it, only to be threatened with a demand for a full 3% buyer’s commission on a property the client ultimately purchased without the agent’s involvement. Successfully prepared a legal response challenging the commission claim and protecting the client from an unenforceable demand.
Shelby, MI — Represented a home seller whose buyer submitted a mutual release claiming dissatisfaction with an inspection — without disclosing the specific defects that allegedly justified the cancellation. The buyer’s attorney then made an improper demand regarding the return of the earnest money deposit. Successfully prepared a formal legal response to opposing counsel challenging the buyer’s position and protecting the client’s contractual right to the deposit.
Michigan — Represented a homeowner against a neighbor whose dogs were trespassing onto the client’s property, barking aggressively, and defecating in the yard on a recurring basis. Successfully prepared a cease and desist letter establishing the client’s legal rights and demanding an immediate end to the nuisance conduct.
West Bloomfield, MI — Represented a property owner seeking legal analysis and direction on how to gain access to landlocked real estate with no connection to a public roadway, in a situation where the neighboring property’s gated association controlled the only physical approach. Conducted research into easements by necessity, prescriptive easements, and implied easements, and delivered a legal opinion with a clear action plan for securing permanent, recorded access.

INSURANCE & REGULATORY CLAIMS

Franklin, MI — Represented a homeowner whose property sustained significant damage from a prolonged electrical outage caused by the local utility company’s negligence. The surge lasted over 14 hours and rendered the home temporarily uninhabitable. Successfully reviewed the client’s contractual rights and applicable claims against the utility, delivering a legal opinion and demand that advanced the client’s right to compensation for property damage and displacement costs.
Ypsilanti, MI — Represented an LLC retail business owner who had been a victim of commercial flooding and found himself battling a State Farm claim that the insurer had been delaying for months before ultimately refusing to pay. The insurer had also inserted a two-year contractual statute of limitations in the policy. With the client’s deadline at risk, successfully entered a limited scope appearance in Washtenaw County Circuit Court, reviewed the existing pleadings, and moved to amend them before the insurer could respond — preserving the client’s full legal claims and driving the matter toward mediation.
Orlando, FL — Represented a commercial property owner whose LLC was placed under a court-appointed receivership, creating a situation where the receiver’s ongoing billing was substantially eroding the property’s equity. Successfully served as legal intermediary between the client, the lender, and the receiver, negotiating directly with the lender and receiver to reach a resolution that minimized receivership costs and preserved the client’s remaining equity interest in the property.

ZONING, LAND USE & MUNICIPAL MATTERS

Michigan — Represented a client seeking to convert a vacant parcel in Brownstown Township into a service station. The client had encountered resistance from the planning committee and faced zoning classification obstacles requiring a variance. Successfully engaged with the city planning department, researched the applicable zoning ordinances, and worked to place the client’s variance application on the zoning board’s agenda, advancing the project through the regulatory approval process.
Michigan — Represented a commercial property owner whose gas station development had been halted by the municipality’s permitting department due to disputed requirements that the client alleged were inconsistent with those applied to comparable projects. Successfully reviewed the municipal proposals, analyzed the planning department’s position, and engaged in direct correspondence and negotiation with planning officials, challenging the inconsistent treatment and advancing the client’s permitting application.
Michigan — Represented an assisted living facility operator whose contractor had failed to pull the required permit for a driveway installation, resulting in the city issuing a code violation notice and demanding an expensive licensed land survey the client argued was disproportionate to the scope of the work. Successfully prepared an investigative and clarification letter to the City of Novi, identifying the inconsistency in the city’s requirements relative to comparable residential projects and asserting potential Fair Housing Act implications, compelling the city to reconsider its demands.
Filion, MI — Represented a commercial property owner who needed to develop land encumbered by an old restrictive covenant. Conducted a comprehensive review of the covenant’s origin, scope, and continued enforceability under Michigan’s Marketable Title Act, delivering a legal opinion identifying the client’s options for proceeding with the development project.

MORTGAGE & LOAN MATTERS

Grass Lake, MI — Represented a widow whose husband had passed away while the couple had an active mortgage, a prior bankruptcy proceeding, and a completed probate. The mortgage servicer was requiring the deceased borrower to speak with them, effectively freezing the account and leaving the surviving spouse without a clear path to maintain or modify the loan. Successfully researched the bankruptcy records, probate filings, and full loan servicing history, then engaged the servicer directly to establish the widow’s legal standing and work toward restoring a functional mortgage relationship in her name.
Northville, MI — Represented a property owner who needed title commitments from two lenders — one of which had been acquired by another company and was largely unresponsive — in order to pursue a municipal lot merger. Successfully engaged both mortgage companies, navigated the post-acquisition servicing structure, and obtained the required title commitments to move the merger forward.
Michigan — Represented a client whose construction mortgage and proposed land contract arrangement raised serious concerns about the lender’s compliance with Michigan’s usury statutes. Conducted a detailed analysis of the loan terms, relevant state law, and the proposed land contract, delivered a comprehensive legal opinion identifying the potential violations, and successfully issued a demand to the mortgagee challenging the impermissible terms.

PROBATE & TRUST DISPUTES

Leawood, KS — Represented a beneficiary of a mother’s trust whose sister — serving as trustee — was alleged to be misappropriating trust proceeds and misusing the trust administration process for personal benefit. Following the mother’s murder in 2024, the trustee’s conduct had escalated into an open dispute that required immediate legal intervention. Successfully prepared a demand and petition challenging the trustee’s actions and asserting the client’s enforceable beneficial interest in the trust, advancing the matter toward formal legal resolution.
Detroit, MI — Represented a client whose father had been placed in a care facility following a dementia diagnosis and whose care home had filed for guardianship on the same day the family filed, creating a contested guardianship proceeding. Additionally, handled the non-contested eviction of the father’s Detroit home as part of the broader estate and guardianship matter, successfully resolving the real property component while the guardianship proceedings continued.
Michigan — Represented co-beneficiaries of an estate cottage in which a sister had previously been adjudicated by the probate court as having engaged in an ‘overreaching’ transfer of the property. Successfully prepared pleadings and argued before the probate court to set aside the tainted transaction and restore the cottage to the estate for proper distribution to all rightful beneficiaries.

DEED & CONVEYANCE WORK

Detroit, MI — Prepared a lady bird deed for a homeowner who had recently purchased her residence and wanted to ensure that her daughter would have immediate access to the property upon her death, without the need for probate. The deed preserved the client’s full ownership rights and control during her lifetime while naming the daughter as the contingent remainderman.
West Bloomfield, MI — Prepared a quitclaim deed to add a client’s spouse to the title of the family home, converting the ownership structure to a joint tenancy with full rights of survivorship and ensuring the property would pass automatically to the surviving spouse.
Dallas, TX — Prepared and recorded a quitclaim deed transferring a Michigan property from a deceased stepfather’s estate to the client, using the client’s existing Letters of Authority to complete the conveyance without the expense and delay of a separate probate proceeding.
Farmington Hills, MI — Prepared a quitclaim deed from a father to the client as co-owners in joint tenancy with full rights of survivorship, protecting the client’s interest in the family property and ensuring automatic succession at the father’s death.
Michigan — Prepared an updated and compliant deed for a client’s real estate transaction after the prior instrument had been improperly executed, correcting the title record and enabling the transaction to proceed without further delay.

Client names are withheld to protect confidentiality. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. These are representative cases and do not represent the entirety of 30 years of legal representation.