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June 2024
THE TRUSTED ADVISOR
Surfboards and Scholarships WE’RE MAKING WAVES IN COMMUNITY IMPACT
whole world. We also understand the challenges aspiring professionals face, including rigorous academics and a significant financial burden. Right now, we’re partnering with the renowned CocoSol Surf to provide a scholarship to a student with a passion for surfing and education. The selected recipient will attend a fantastic surfing camp for free, where they’ll refine their skills, connect with other surfers, and receive mentorship and guidance. Another scholarship dear to our hearts is the Conquering Childhood Cancer Scholarship. We wanted to provide aid to students and families who have experienced the impact of childhood cancer. One of the most amazing things has been reading the essays from these young adults who took their terrible diagnosis and turned it into a positive. Nick: My wife and I chair the Cannonball Kid’s Cancer Gala, and the firm donates time and money to this amazing organization. My wife is a physician, and after seeing the effect of pediatric cancer on her patients, we started brainstorming about how we could make a difference for families dealing with this. That’s how we started our scholarship, and we’ve been active with the galas ever since. My passion for giving back started in high school when I volunteered at a nursing home, spending time with those without any family nearby. I also worked with Habitat for Humanity in my youth, and in college, my fraternity participated in several philanthropic activities. The success of our firm has allowed us to have a bigger
As lawyers, we understand the importance of giving back to the community that supports us. This means going beyond providing legal services and actively engaging with and doing good for the people and organizations that make our city thrive. So, we’re proud of the multiple scholarships we now offer to young people and the commitment to volunteerism our entire team has built. Early on, we started giving back to the community by encouraging our employees to volunteer at a local organization. This was their choice, and almost everyone on our staff has participated. Our team has done everything from food drives to helping at local shelters. Not only is this a way for us to give back, but it also instills a mission of community stewardship in our employees. We’ve had nothing but positive responses from our staff who have clocked in volunteer hours. Not only have employees shared how much they connected with these experiences, but many have also done it multiple times. It’s inspired many of us to get hands-on experience working with organizations that serve those in need. Because the legal field is a mission-based career, our employees are passionate about doing the right thing and want to work for a company that cares. Volunteerism has made contributing to community welfare part of our company culture. It’s an extension of our vision as lawyers to improve the community. Along with volunteering, we offer several scholarships to provide unique opportunities to help students achieve their dreams and goals. Investing in the next generation can make an impact on the
impact, and I feel good about my daughter seeing me participate in community service. We have even volunteered together. Zac: Though I’ve participated in community service or volunteering in the past, I never felt like I was doing enough. In high school, I was involved in the MBA fundraiser for several years, which always felt rewarding. I’ve always wanted to focus more on volunteerism and charity, and the firm’s growth has allowed us to do it. Now that I can financially give back, I strive to prioritize it in my life. It’s gratifying to help young people access opportunities like education and surf camps that can be cost-prohibitive for so many people. As we continue to grow, we hope to expand how we help people in the community because we wouldn’t be where we are today without you. If you’d like to learn more about Norden Leacox Car Accident and Personal Injury Law Firm’s Community Involvement efforts, please visit: NordenLeacox.com/about-us/ community-involvement .
– Zac Leacox & Nick Norden
NordenLeacox.com | 407-801-3000 1
RENTAL RIDDLE
LANDLORDS RESIST SECURITY DEPOSIT RETURNS RENTAL RIDDLE
LANDLORDS RESIST SECURITY DEPOSIT RETURNS
Renters often worry (for good reason) about getting their security deposits back. Landlords hold all the cards and can devise countless reasons why they are entitled to keep your cash after you move out. “When I was a renter, I never once received a security deposit back,” Green Bee Memphis, a Memphis Realtor, declared in a 2023 video on TikTok. U.S. renters are among the nation’s most economically vulnerable people. According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, nearly half of all renters spend more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities, a level that housing experts consider burdensome. A record-high 22.4 million renters fell into this category in 2022, up about 2% from three years earlier. No wonder the 1 in 3 Americans who rent are concerned about getting their security deposits back. Landlords tend to occupy the opposite end of the economic spectrum, and all states have enacted at least some legal protections for renters. State laws vary, but all require landlords to return security deposits to renters within 14–60 days after they move out, according to Nolo.com’s Legal Encyclopedia. Kentucky, Washington, and Green Bee Memphis’s state of Tennessee, among others, require landlords to keep security deposits in a separate account maintained for that purpose. In Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois, and other states, those accounts must pay interest that must be returned to renters. “Renters often worry (for good reason) about getting their security deposits back. Landlords hold all the cards and can devise countless reasons why they are entitled to keep your cash after you move out.” ”
When landlords withhold security deposit refunds, they are typically required to give renters a list of damages to justify their decision. And they should not charge renters for routine cleaning or ordinary wear and tear — only for careless or willful damage or excessive filth. Defining ordinary wear and tear can be difficult. For example, suppose a landlord installs new carpeting before a tenant moves in, and the tenant stays four years. In that case, the carpet will inevitably show some wear after the tenant moves out, but this is typically regarded as ordinary wear and tear — not a repair that tenants should be required to cover. Other examples offered by Nolo.com include linoleum stains from shower spray, which is ordinary wear and tear, versus broken tiles in the bathroom, which is damage. Similarly, dents in the wall where a door handle bumped constitute normal wear and tear, while a door ripped off the hinges is damage. Tenants should notify landlords in writing within 3–5 days of moving in about any damage to the apartment so they won’t be billed for it later. One of the most common causes of tenant-landlord lawsuits is a landlord’s refusal to return a security deposit. Tenants who want to contest a landlord’s decision should gather evidence, including move-in and move- out reports and photos, and state their position in a dispute letter. If out-of-court efforts to settle a dispute fail, tenants usually can file suit in small claims court.
2 NordenLeacox.com | 407-801-3000
Recently, people have been spending big on Father’s Day, and many wait until the very last minute. Last year, Americans spent a record $22.9 billion on Father’s Day, up nearly 10% from the previous year, according to an industry survey. And more than half of consumers don’t start shopping until the week before Father’s Day, while 3.5% wait until the very last day before the holiday, according to another survey. The second survey also revealed that over 75% of shoppers struggle to think of good Father’s Day ideas. Most settle on outings, clothing, gift cards, personal care items, or electronics. Here are three low-budget ideas you can do with your kids that are sure to charm any dad, offered by What’s Up Moms, a top parenting site on YouTube co-founded by vlogger Elle Walker. Interview Cards If your kids are preschoolers, have them answer questions about their father and record their answers on notecards. Things like, “How old do you think Daddy is? 100? What is one thing Daddy says? What does Daddy do for work? Why do you love Daddy?” The simplicity and innocence of your children’s answers will warm Dad’s heart more than any store-bought gift ever could. Shopping Spree Give each child $10 to pick out something for Dad, all by themselves, then take them to the nearest big-box store. Walker’s youngsters came up with a mirror, a pair of swim trunks, and IT’S FATHER’S DAY! Children Create Unique Dad’s Day Gifts
crib sheets, and they clearly loved being empowered to make choices.
Photos From a Kid’s Perspective You may be surprised at some of the angles children choose and the tender moments they capture, “even if they’re not wow-worthy,” Walker says. Her daughter caught a captivating shot of her husband, Ross, napping with their preschool son resting on his shoulder.
Have a
Summer Chicken Salad Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
Laugh
Ingredients
• • • • • • • •
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Dressing •
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup half and half 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream
4 ears of corn, shucked
3 tbsp minced dill
• • • • •
3 stalks celery, finely diced 1 red onion, finely diced 1 1/2 cups blueberries 1 head of butter lettuce
1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions
1. Place chicken in a large plastic bag and pound with a mallet to flatten to 1/4-inch thickness. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 2. Heat grill, then grill chicken on both sides for about 4 minutes per side; set aside to cool before slicing. 3. Grill corn until the kernels begin browning, turning regularly for even cooking. Use a knife to shave the kernels off. 4. In a bowl, mix all dressing ingredients until combined. 5. In a large bowl, combine corn, dill, celery, and onions, then stir in chicken and top with dressing and blueberries as desired. 6. Separate the head of butter lettuce into “cups” to fill with salad and enjoy!
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407-801-3000 NordenLeacox.com 964 Lake Baldwin Lane, Suite 200 Orlando, FL 32814
Inside This Edition
2 1 Volunteerism Shapes Our Company Culture Know Your Rights: Get Your Security Deposit Back
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3 Easy Father’s Day Ideas
Summer Chicken Salad
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Odd Laws Protect Salamanders and Seaweed
Weird State Laws Safeguard Salamanders and Seaweed WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
harvesting to “give everyone an equal chance” at stocking up on seaweed. However, after a group of high school students singled out the law as the state’s dumbest, lawmakers repealed it in 2016. Not all states with stupid laws are culpable. Internet jokesters questioned South Dakota about a law supposedly barring people from falling asleep in a cheese factory. The actual law makes a lot more sense: It bans setting up your bedroom in a space used to prepare food for the public.
Ignorance about the law is usually not a defense if you’re caught in a violation. Some oddball state laws, however, are so strange that they could only be described as booby traps for the unknowing. Here are two legislative oddities sure to surprise any hapless offender. 76 Salamanders A popular YouTube commentator has called out the state of Illinois for barring anyone from owning more than 75 salamanders. Why? Several salamander species are classified as endangered in Illinois, and the state regulates the commercial trade of these amphibians. The law assumes any resident who possesses salamanders valued at $600 or more intends to market them commercially — illegally. The law estimates the value of a salamander at $5, suggesting it actually prohibits owning 120 salamanders. But who’s counting? Nighttime Seaweed From the annals of lawmaking history, a 1973 New Hampshire law banned any effort to “carry away or collect for the purpose of carrying away any seaweed … between evening and daylight.” The backstory: Farmers in New Hampshire once collected seaweed from the beaches to use as fertilizer, leading at least one town to ban nighttime 4 NordenLeacox.com | 407-801-3000
Noting the error, a Sioux Falls radio station, Hot 104.7, fired back at critics, creating their own new category of missteps: “Stupid questions people ask about South Dakota.” Fair enough!
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