Category: Legal Updates
-
City of Salinas Just Cause Eviction and Tenant Protection Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2682)
City of Salinas Just Cause Eviction and Tenant Protection Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2682) On September 24, 2024, the Salinas City Council adopted comprehensive tenant protection ordinances consisting of the following four (4) ordinances, which became operative on January 1, 2025: The City developed these ordinances as an integrated package, purportedly to address rising housing costs,…
-
City of Salinas Just Cause Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2681)
City of Salinas Just Cause Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2681) By Peter D. Brazil, Partner, Business, Real Estate, Landlord Tenant Law On September 24, 2024, the Salinas City Council adopted comprehensive tenant protection ordinances consisting of the following four (4) ordinances, which became operative on January 1, 2025: The City developed these ordinances as…
-
Home Purchases: Just Because Someone Is on Title Does Not Always Mean They Are the Owner
Home Purchases: Just Because Someone Is on Title Does Not Always Mean They Are the Owner By S. Craig Cox, Partner and Hollister Branch Manager When Another Individual Is Added to the Loan and Title While risky (and sometimes illegal or prohibited by loan terms), it is fairly common in California for one party to…
-
Status and Future of City of Salinas Residential Rental Ordinances
In late 2024 the City of Salinas enacted four (4) interrelated residential rental ordinances that together regulate rent levels, eviction standards, landlord conduct, and administrative oversight. These ordinances became enforceable and operational on January 1, 2025.
-
California Laws Affecting Licensed Contractors Beginning in 2026
Whether you are a licensed contractor or someone hiring a licensed contractor, there are several changes to the California laws that took effect in January 2026 that affect licensed contractors and their businesses. While some changes in the law are largely administrative, others may require immediate updates to contracts in use. Read this summary prepared…
-
Billboard Lawyers – Quality vs. Quantity
We have all been drawn to the flashy billboards with catchy lawyers’ names and phrases staring down at us as we drive down the highway. These “Billboard Lawyers” advertise themselves as the best “Personal Injury Lawyers” out there, touting themselves as highly successful and having recovered huge sums of money for their injured clients. Claiming…
-
What’s Next for Battery Storage in Monterey County?
The battery fire at Moss Landing in January made headlines and raised many questions regarding the history an of battery storage in Monterey County and the State of California. Following the January 2025 battery storage fire at the Moss Landing power plant, lawmakers, regulatory agencies, and citizens have been actively addressing the aftermath and the…
-
Self-Driving Cars – Who is Liable for Accidents?
As self-driving vehicles such as Teslas and Waymos become more common on public streets, there is no question that these vehicles will start to be involved in more accidents, whether through their defects or as a result of the negligence of other drivers on the streets. This begs the question: Who’s liable when a self-driving…
-
CEQA and California’s Housing Crisis
California lawmakers are taking action to move toward housing affordability with a bill that exempts infill housing projects that satisfy certain criteria from environmental review. The California Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee on April 30, 2025, voted 8 – 0 to pass a bill that would exempt most new infill housing developments from the California…