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Orange County Will Not Enforce Evictions During COVID-19 Emergency

March 17, 2020

By: James Walson, Adam Lewis & Ferran Arimon

As a follow-up to our e-blast yesterday, Orange County announced that it too will not enforce evictions during the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) emergency. It is unclear at this time if the bar on serving writs of possession applies to both commercial and residential evictions. We anticipate that the actions taken by Miami-Dade and Orange County will be adopted statewide over time. Landlords may continue to prosecute eviction actions up to the point of finalizing the turnover of possession through the writ of possession. During this quickly changing environment, it is a good time to work toward voluntary resolutions between landlords and tenants, where possible. Orange County Will Not Enforce Evictions During COVID-19 Emergency.

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This article is informational only. You should consult an attorney before acting or failing to act. The law may change rapidly and no warranty is given. LOWNDES DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ALL ARTICLES ARE PROVIDED AS IS AND WITH ALL FAULTS. Consult a Lowndes attorney if you wish to establish an attorney/client relationship.

James E. Walson — Shareholder

James Walson represents title insurance companies, commercial landlords, property owners, buyers and lenders throughout Florida – in both transactional and litigation real estate matters.

James Walson’s passion for advocacy began at an early age through watching his father, Pete, serve as a City Commissioner in Stuart, Florida and continued through high school and college as an award-winning debater. Today, Jamie, as he is called by clients and friends, is a real estate lawyer representing title insurance companies, commercial landlords, property owners, buyers and lenders throughout Florida – in both transactional and litigation matters. He has negotiated commercial leases, purchase and sale agreements for retail space, office buildings and medical offices.

Many clients turn to Jamie for his real property litigation experience as well. He has litigated matters involving contracts, title insurance liability, commercial landlord / tenant matters, easements, fraud, deed warranties, boundary disputes, adverse possession, lien priority and access rights. In addition, he has conducted appeals before the Second District Court of Appeal and the Fifth District Court of Appeal.

A fan of – and participant in – improvisational theater, Jamie counts on his humor in navigating difficult negotiations and litigation. He is an avid golfer, is on the board of the First Tee of Central Florida, and is a father to three boys.

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Adam R. Lewis — Senior Associate

Adam Lewis focuses his legal practice on real estate development, commercial litigation, finance and transactions, condominiums, commercial leasing, commercial lending, and title insurance.

Specifically, Adam is responsible for contract and lease negotiation and drafting, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, negotiation and structuring of credit facilities and review of title insurance matters. He represents clients in the acquisition, financing, development and disposition of retail centers, hotels, golf courses and other resort related developments, industrial properties, office buildings, restaurants, retirement communities, shopping centers and vacant land.