You have problems–we have answers

If you feel headaches are piling up you re not alone But for every complication there is an answer Just ask Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser South Florida is a beautiful place to live but it can also be frustrating with countless hurdles to overcome like enormous special assessments for condo owners Jeanette Delegram And so I m back working again in order to pay all this They don t care Crooked used car dealers Voicemail Your engine is burning oil And not to be left out crooked contractors Kevin Chin It s been four months and he still hasn t finished the job A lot of problems So let s bring in the man with a lot of answers Howard Finkelstein Howard let s start with people getting ripped off by contractors Howard Finkelstein Make sure the license is in the contractor s name and to protect yourself pay as you go That way you have money left over if they walk away Something that has exploded over the past insufficient months are condo owners that cannot afford the special assessments boards have to impose to pass certification What if you can t afford it Howard Howard Finkelstein You can lose your condo so either get time to pay it get a home equity line or get a reverse mortgage to stay in your home Something less complicated A woman appealed who is responsible for the damage to her car after a neighbor s tree fell on it Howard Finkelstein If the tree is healthy your neighbor is not responsible and remember you can trim any branches on your side of the property Speaking of cars these bad unreputable used car dealers sell older cars and they fast break down Howard what can you do to protect yourself Howard Finkelstein Never buy a used car without your mechanic inspecting it and don t buy as is Make sure it has a warranty Here is an unique one People dump trash in an alley behind a woman s house and the city says she has to pay to clean it up Why Howard Finkelstein An alley is like a swale It s considered your responsibility and you have to pay to clean it up Even if they dump the trash in your front yard We began with condo owners Let s end with renters One guy was recounted he can t park his pick up truck in his space because the property doesn t allow it Legal or illegal Howard Howard Finkelstein Legal if the association has written rules prohibiting trucks You can park the pickup if they do not have written rules One family couldn t get the landlord to fix a leaky roof The ceiling collapsed on their child Natalia couldn t get her air conditioning fixed So what can renters do about unbearable problems Howard Howard Finkelstein It s the seven-day letter Give it to your landlord If they don t fix a major concern you can move out after seven days and they have to return your assurance deposit plus any rent money they owe you Fortunately Natalia got lucky after she called Help Me Howard We contacted a wonderful couple who let them use their Airbnb while her landlord got the A C working at her apartment Natalia Wulfan Oh my God you guys were like God s angels like sent from heaven I can t even express enough how amazing it is to have you guys help When Howard and I started years ago we thought Solve particular problems and we won t be needed much anymore But the problems keep pouring in so if you need our help let us know With Mr Finkelstein I am Patrick Fraser News CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD Email helpmehoward wsvn comReporter Patrick Fraser at pfraser wsvn comMiami-Dade - -WSVNBroward - -WSVN