The blog, organized the way the YouTube channel is: each playlist below pairs the videos with the written posts on the same subject. Start with probate, trust and will disputes, the core of the practice.
Florida Probate, Trust & Will Disputes (the flagship series)
The full probate, trust and will playlist, with the newest posts on these subjects underneath.
Do You Need a Power of Attorney Before You Travel? What Florida Law Requires
Could Your Family Get to Your Bank and Brokerage Accounts If Something Happened to You?
What Deadlines Start When Someone Dies in Florida? The Probate Timeline
Can a Guardian Replace the Trustee of a Ward’s Revocable Trust? (Rene v. Sykes-Kennedy)
Does Florida’s 3-Year Portability Window Apply to an Earlier Move? (Frehling v. Garcia)
What Happens While Probate Is Pending in Florida? The Steps and the DeadlinesAll 324 posts in Probate, Trust & Will Disputes →
How Florida Probate Works: Timeline, Costs, Deadlines & Creditor Claims
What happens after a death, how long probate takes, what it costs, and how creditor claims work. 134 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
What Deadlines Start When Someone Dies in Florida? The Probate TimelineCould Your Family Get to Your Bank and Brokerage Accounts If Something Happened to You?What Happens While Probate Is Pending in Florida? The Steps and the Deadlines
Avoid Probate by Spending It All? The “Die With Zero” Strategy and Its Risks in Florida
AI, Court Data, and the Coming Wave of Florida Probate and Trust Litigation
Florida Probate Rules Explained: Depositing a Will, Electing the Elective Share, Removing a PR (Rules 5.043, 5.360, 5.440)All 165 posts in How Florida Probate Works →
Contesting a Will in Florida: Undue Influence, Capacity, Lost & Handwritten Wills
Grounds, deadlines and proof in Florida will contests. 67 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Can a Widow Contest Her Husband’s Will? Standing and the Prenup (de Holguin v. Godin)
Key West Rental Left to the Handyman: Will Contest Lost After Trial (Falkin v. Cruz Robles)
Trust Amendment the Witnesses Never Saw Signed: Appeal Dismissed (Pigna v. Cremieux)
Lost Will Rejected, Intestacy Order Never Appealed: No Second Try (Anderson v. Quintero)
Lost Original Will and the Presumption of Revocation: A PCA (Rodriguez v. Rodriguez)
Last-Minute Will and Trust Changes in Florida: When a Deathbed Amendment Can Be ChallengedAll 20 posts in Contesting a Will →
Florida Trust Disputes: Trustee Duties, Accountings & Beneficiary Rights
Breach of trust, accountings, trustee removal and surcharge. 115 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Can a Guardian Replace the Trustee of a Ward’s Revocable Trust? (Rene v. Sykes-Kennedy)
A $200,000 Bond to Challenge the Trustee: Penalty or Fee Protection? (Ramos v. Halpern)
Can an Unrecorded Revocable Trust Act as a Deed to the Home? (Fuentes v. Link)
Trust Beneficiary Dies and No Remainder Is Named: Who Gets the Money? (Wessling v. Boston Private)
Punitive Damages Against a Corporate Trustee: Certiorari Denied (Worth v. Estate of Stern)Trust Amendment the Witnesses Never Saw Signed: Appeal Dismissed (Pigna v. Cremieux)All 81 posts in Trust Disputes →
Who Inherits in Florida? Spouses, Children, Elective Share & Dying Without a Will
Intestacy, the elective share, surviving-spouse and children’s rights. 77 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Trust Beneficiary Dies and No Remainder Is Named: Who Gets the Money? (Wessling v. Boston Private)Lost Will Rejected, Intestacy Order Never Appealed: No Second Try (Anderson v. Quintero)
No Will, No Power of Attorney? What Happens to Florida Families Without an Estate Plan
Child Born After the Will? Florida’s Pretermitted Child Rule
Can You Disinherit a Spouse or Minor Child in Florida?
When Family Members Inherit Property Together and Can’t Agree: Partition in FloridaAll 46 posts in Who Inherits →
Florida Homestead & the Family Home: Inheritance, Deeds, Lady Bird Deeds & Partition
Who gets the house, homestead restrictions, deeds and partition. 23 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Does Florida’s 3-Year Portability Window Apply to an Earlier Move? (Frehling v. Garcia)
Homestead Tax Lien Already Paid: Is the Challenge Moot? (Charney v. Sarasota Appraiser)Can an Unrecorded Revocable Trust Act as a Deed to the Home? (Fuentes v. Link)
Sale Proceeds Owed to the Bank Went Into a Homestead: Equitable Lien Affirmed (Campani v. BankUnited)
Contractor’s Owners Held Personally Liable, and Their Homestead Claim Failed (Munro v. Dickinson)
Mortgage Waivers and a Post-Death Waiver Did Not Defeat Homestead (Feldman v. Schocket)All 41 posts in Homestead & the Family Home →
Florida Personal Representatives: Duties, Removal & Fiduciary Breach
What a PR must do, when a PR is personally liable, and how to remove one. 26 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
What Happens While Probate Is Pending in Florida? The Steps and the Deadlines
Personal Representative Paid Himself: $2.5 Million Surcharge (Rich v. Narog)
When the Lawyer Who Wrote the Will Names Himself Personal Representative: Florida’s Fee Disclosure Rule
Only the Signature Page: A Nursing Home Arbitration Agreement That Couldn’t Be Enforced (Davis v. Hearthstone)
An Arbitrator’s Undisclosed Defense Seminar: Was the Nursing Home Award Tainted? (Collis v. Sun City Center Associates)
Pre-Existing Conditions, a Nursing Home Death and a New Trial (Life Care Centers v. Estate of Greedan)All 33 posts in Personal Representatives →
Elder Financial Exploitation & POA Abuse in Florida: Warning Signs & Remedies
Exploitation of vulnerable adults, power-of-attorney abuse and the remedies. 106 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Do You Need a Power of Attorney Before You Travel? What Florida Law Requires
Guardian’s Theft Claims Over a Ward’s Bank Account Revived (Batista v. Rodriguez)Punitive Damages Against a Corporate Trustee: Certiorari Denied (Worth v. Estate of Stern)
Can a Court Order an Elderly Mother Into a Mental Exam Over a Deed? (Womack v. Womack)
A Nursing Home Loses Its Appeal, and a Proposal for Settlement Comes Due (Woodbridge Facility v. Hamilton)Only the Signature Page: A Nursing Home Arbitration Agreement That Couldn’t Be Enforced (Davis v. Hearthstone)All 32 posts in Elder Exploitation & POA Abuse →
Florida Guardianship & Incapacity: Protecting a Parent, Guardian Abuse & Appeals
Incapacity proceedings, alternatives to guardianship and challenging a guardian. 39 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Can a Guardian Replace the Trustee of a Ward’s Revocable Trust? (Rene v. Sykes-Kennedy)
How Do You Declare Someone Legally Incapacitated in Florida?
Conceding Limited Incapacity in a Guardianship: What It Costs the Ward (Silva v. Silva)Guardian’s Theft Claims Over a Ward’s Bank Account Revived (Batista v. Rodriguez)
Lawyers Won the Guardianship but Were Denied Fees: Reversed (Schlesinger v. Jacob)Can a Court Order an Elderly Mother Into a Mental Exam Over a Deed? (Womack v. Womack)All 21 posts in Guardianship & Incapacity →
Florida Estate Planning Mistakes: DIY Wills, Trusts, POD Accounts & Digital Assets
The planning errors that create probate fights later. 51 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Do You Need a Power of Attorney Before You Travel? What Florida Law RequiresCould Your Family Get to Your Bank and Brokerage Accounts If Something Happened to You?Avoid Probate by Spending It All? The “Die With Zero” Strategy and Its Risks in FloridaNo Will, No Power of Attorney? What Happens to Florida Families Without an Estate Plan
Why Is It Called a Lady Bird Deed? The Florida Origin of the NameChild Born After the Will? Florida’s Pretermitted Child RuleAll 103 posts in Wills & Estate Planning →
Florida Probate Attorney’s Fees, Sanctions & Lawyer Misconduct
Fee awards, fee challenges, sanctions and lawyer misconduct in estate and trust cases. 44 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Lawyers Won the Guardianship but Were Denied Fees: Reversed (Schlesinger v. Jacob)
Can a Son Sued by the Guardian Object to the Guardian’s Fees? (Hernandez v. Hernandez)When the Lawyer Who Wrote the Will Names Himself Personal Representative: Florida’s Fee Disclosure RuleAI, Court Data, and the Coming Wave of Florida Probate and Trust Litigation
A Guardianship Fee Fight, a Bar Complaint and a Settlement That Never Happened (Jaffe v. Guardianship of Jaffe)
Sixty Thousand in Fees in a One-Year Guardianship, and Not Enough in the Account (Taylor v. Kelley)All 26 posts in Probate Fees & Lawyer Misconduct →
Florida Probate Rules & Statutes Explained: Probate Code, Trust Code & Court Rules
The rules and statutes behind the cases. Full text of every Florida rule and statute is at floridarules.net. 39 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
What Deadlines Start When Someone Dies in Florida? The Probate Timeline
Florida Trust Accounting Deadlines: 60-Day Notices, Annual Accountings and the 6-Month BarPersonal Representative Paid Himself: $2.5 Million Surcharge (Rich v. Narog)Florida Probate Rules Explained: Depositing a Will, Electing the Elective Share, Removing a PR (Rules 5.043, 5.360, 5.440)
A Photocopied Will, No Disinterested Witness: Lost Will Rejected on Appeal (Pilak v. Reigel)
When an Elderly Victim Dies Before Trial: The Elderly-Person Hearsay Exception (Conner v. State)All 31 posts in Probate Rules & Statutes →
Probate & Trust Appeals: Real Oral Arguments
Actual Florida appellate arguments in probate and trust cases, each paired with a written breakdown of the facts, the decision and the lessons.
Can a Guardian Replace the Trustee of a Ward’s Revocable Trust? (Rene v. Sykes-Kennedy)A $200,000 Bond to Challenge the Trustee: Penalty or Fee Protection? (Ramos v. Halpern)Can an Unrecorded Revocable Trust Act as a Deed to the Home? (Fuentes v. Link)Trust Beneficiary Dies and No Remainder Is Named: Who Gets the Money? (Wessling v. Boston Private)Can a Widow Contest Her Husband’s Will? Standing and the Prenup (de Holguin v. Godin)Conceding Limited Incapacity in a Guardianship: What It Costs the Ward (Silva v. Silva)Key West Rental Left to the Handyman: Will Contest Lost After Trial (Falkin v. Cruz Robles)Guardian’s Theft Claims Over a Ward’s Bank Account Revived (Batista v. Rodriguez)Lawyers Won the Guardianship but Were Denied Fees: Reversed (Schlesinger v. Jacob)All 53 posts in Probate & Trust Appeals →
Foreclosure Defense
How Florida Foreclosure Works: Timeline, 20-Day Deadline, Auction & What Happens Next
The process from the first missed payment to the sale. 198 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Insider Foreclosure Left a Creditor Empty-Handed (Real Estate Sales Force v. Mutual Reliance)
Discharged Lis Pendens Doesn’t Shield a Lender From a Fraud Claim (Weiss v. BI 27)
Bought From the Bankruptcy After the Lis Pendens? Intervene or Be Shut Out (Barnsdale v. PHH)
Military Foreclosure Protections in Florida: The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
Can the Bank Break Into Your Home? Property Preservation Contractors in Florida
Underwater on Your Mortgage in Florida? Why Defending the Foreclosure Still MattersAll 280 posts in How Florida Foreclosure Works →
Florida Foreclosure Defenses: Standing, Lost Notes, Paragraph 22 Notice & Bank Evidence
How foreclosures are actually defended, and won. 275 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Is a Foreclosure Judgment Void If You Never Got Notice of the Hearing? (Abreu v. HSBC)
Can a Bank Foreclose Without Filing the Original Note? (Sanchez v. Bank of New York)
Can You Fight Foreclosure After a Bankruptcy Surrender? (Jabrane v. Bank of America)
Can a Forbearance Deal Waive Your Right to Redeem? (SHEDDF2 v. 801 Hialeah Drive)
Does a Bank Need Standing on the Day It Files to Foreclose? (Long v. Nationstar)
Foreclosure Trial With No Real Notice? Why This Appeal Failed (Gutierrez v. BAC)All 1000 posts in Foreclosure Defenses →
Stopping a Florida Foreclosure: Loan Modifications, Short Sales, Mediation & Forbearance
The options for keeping the house or getting out on better terms. 54 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Deed in Lieu Held in Escrow: Court Can Order Foreclosure Instead (Safe Harbor v. 9775 Dixie)
Refinance Missed the Second Mortgage, Subrogation Denied (Sherman v. Deutsche Bank)
Paid $52,000 Under a Mediation Deal, Then Hit With a New $20,000 Bill (Lentz v. Community Bank)Bought From the Bankruptcy After the Lis Pendens? Intervene or Be Shut Out (Barnsdale v. PHH)
How to Stop a Foreclosure in Florida: The Options That Still Work in 2026
Loan Modification and Forbearance in a Florida Foreclosure: Your Federal Loss Mitigation RightsAll 250 posts in Stopping a Foreclosure: Loan Mods, Short Sales & Mediation →
Florida Foreclosure Sales, Surplus Funds & Vacating a Sale
Auctions, bidders, redemption, surplus money and setting aside a sale. 45 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Can a Bank Undo Its Foreclosure Judgment After a Third-Party Sale? (Nationstar v. Diaz)
What If the Owner Was Left Out of the Foreclosure? (Volusia County Land Trust)
Can a Junior Lender Foreclose After the Senior Judgment? (Vulcan v. Sabadell)
Lis Pendens Attack on a County Court Lien Sale Fails (Zelaya v. BAM 32, Inc.)
Sale Buyer’s Lis Pendens Attack on a County Court Judgment Fails (Koch v. Cruz Bay)
Tax Deed Surplus Funds in Florida: Who Gets the Money and How Fast You Must Claim ItAll 46 posts in Foreclosure Sales & Surplus Funds →
Florida Foreclosure Judgments & Appeals: Summary Judgment, Dismissals, Deficiency & Fees
What happens at judgment, and on appeal. 113 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Does a Foreclosure Buyer Owe the First Owner’s Condo Dues? (Aventura v. Spiaggia)
Can the Foreclosure Sale Buyer Take the Surplus to Pay Off the First Mortgage? (Pineda v. Wells Fargo)
Can the Foreclosure Judge Decide What the Lender Owes the HOA? (Central Mortgage)
Does Your Lien Survive If You Settle the Debt and Take the Property? (Randall v. JGB Bank)
Can My Lawyer Agree to a Foreclosure Judgment Without My OK? (Fernandez v. BNY Mellon)
Can a Junior Lienholder Foreclose Out a First Mortgage? (Bijlani v. BNY Mellon)All 625 posts in Foreclosure Judgments & Appeals →
Florida HOA & Condo Association Foreclosures: Assessment Liens, Safe Harbor & Priority
Association lien foreclosures and the lender safe harbor. 31 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
When Does the 60-Day Clock to Claim Foreclosure Surplus Start? (Eduartez v. Fannie Mae)
Can a Lender Appeal After Selling the Condo and Paying the Association? (Chase v. Sixto)
Can I Stop Paying Condo Fees If the Association Won’t Fix Leaks? (Vital v. Summertree)
Can a Condo Receiver Keep Units After the Bank Forecloses? (Fannie Mae v. JKM)
Bought at a Foreclosure Sale, Sold It, and Still Had a Live HOA Dispute (Real Estate Solutions v. Viera East)Deed in Lieu Held in Escrow: Court Can Order Foreclosure Instead (Safe Harbor v. 9775 Dixie)All 38 posts in HOA & Condo Association Foreclosures →
Foreclosure Statute of Limitations in Florida: Bartram, Beauvais & Zombie Mortgages
When a foreclosure is too late. 21 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Is a Second Foreclosure Time-Barred in Florida? (BNY Mellon v. Arnoux)
Can an Old Mortgage Expire Under Florida’s Statute of Repose? (Howell v. SunTrust)
Deficiency Judgments in Florida: Zombie Mortgage Debt After Foreclosure
Foreclosure Statute of Limitations in Florida: Bartram, Refiled Cases, and the 5-Year Rule
Foreclosure After the Borrower Dies in Florida: Heirs, Probate, and Zombie Mortgages
Time-Barred Debt: Florida Law Gets Uglier and Uglier For Consumers- Banks Lose…and Consumers Pay The Bank AttorneysAll 41 posts in Foreclosure Statute of Limitations →
Florida Foreclosure Crisis Archive (2009–2014): Robo-Signing, Rocket Dockets & Reform Fights
The original foreclosure-crisis blog, as it was written at the time. 63 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
All 2665 posts in Foreclosure Crisis Archive (2009–2014) →
Real Estate & Litigation
Florida Code Enforcement, Municipal & Construction Lien Foreclosures
Code fines, municipal liens, lien clearing and blight. 12 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Can Development Credits Defeat a Takings Claim? (Shands v. City of Marathon)
Can the Government Lump Your Platted Lots Together to Defeat a Taking? (Galleon Bay)
Can a Florida City Use Zoning to Keep Out a Gun Store? (Florida Custom Guns v. Dania Beach)
Does a Government Water Utility Pay Property Tax Outside Its Member Counties? (FGUA v. Parker)
Can a Noteholder Challenge Improvement District Liens? Appeal Affirmed (Port of the Islands)
Code Enforcement Appeals Get Full Appellate Review (MGM of West Florida v. Manatee County)All 30 posts in Code Enforcement & Municipal Liens →
Florida Business & Fiduciary Disputes: Partnerships, LLCs & Breach of Trust
Business, lender and fiduciary fights involving real estate. 176 videos on YouTube. Watch the playlist →
Can a Developer Sue Opponents Who Lost a Land-Use Challenge? (Palm Coast Intracoastal)
Can You Get Punitive Damages With No Compensatory Damages? (Heritage Manor v. DFG Group)
Do Partner Loans Come Off the Top Before Profits Are Shared? (Williamsburg v. Singer)
Can a Buyer Force a Sale the Limited Partners Never Approved? (Sterling Crest v. Blue Rock)
$10 Recited but Never Paid: Can You Rescind the Deal? (Weiss v. MSR Partners)Contractor’s Owners Held Personally Liable, and Their Homestead Claim Failed (Munro v. Dickinson)All 49 posts in Business & Fiduciary Disputes →
Real Estate Contracts, Closings & Agents
Purchase contracts, deposits, closings, commissions and specific performance.
When DOT Takes Land Under Contract, Who Gets the Money: Owner or Buyer? (Meyer v. Meyer)
Is a Tenant’s Purchase Option Subordinate to the Mortgage? (Broadmoor v. Super Heat)
Is the Closing Agent Liable When Your Closing Funds Are Wired to a Scammer? (Burns v. Koontz)
Can a Landlord’s Lease Clause Excuse a Vault Theft? (Obsessions in Time v. Jewelry Exchange)
Does a Neighbors’ Settlement Agreement Bind a Later Condo Buyer? (Sunset Island v. Palau)
A Hidden 7% Builder Fee in a Planned Community: Must the Broker Disclose It? (Van Arsdale v. White)All 76 posts in Contracts, Closings & Agents →
Deeds, Title & Deed Fraud
Deeds, title defects, quiet title and stolen-home fraud.
Can a City Landscape the Swale Next to Your Property? (McCormick v. SoMi Homes)When DOT Takes Land Under Contract, Who Gets the Money: Owner or Buyer? (Meyer v. Meyer)
Can a Developer Sell the Air Rights Over a Common Area? (Quay 1 and 9 v. Block 6)
Can a Court Make a Nonparty Sign a Corrected Deed? (Lista v. Alvarez)
Can a Creditor of One Spouse Take a Florida Homestead Held by Both? (Cocchia v. Augustine)
Does a Corrective Deed Save an Easement the Grantor Didn’t Own? (Elsberry v. Carpenter)All 71 posts in Deeds, Title & Deed Fraud →
Condo & HOA Disputes
Owner-versus-association fights outside foreclosure: assessments, records, amendments.
Can a Developer Sell the Air Rights Over a Common Area? (Quay 1 and 9 v. Block 6)Does a Neighbors’ Settlement Agreement Bind a Later Condo Buyer? (Sunset Island v. Palau)
Can a Condo-Hotel Buyer Rescind If No Hotel Runs at Closing? (17315 Collins v. Vacca)Does a Foreclosure Buyer Owe the First Owner’s Condo Dues? (Aventura v. Spiaggia)Can the Foreclosure Judge Decide What the Lender Owes the HOA? (Central Mortgage)When Does the 60-Day Clock to Claim Foreclosure Surplus Start? (Eduartez v. Fannie Mae)All 58 posts in Condo & HOA Disputes →
Easements, Boundaries & Adverse Possession
Access, driveways, utility easements and adverse possession.
Can a City Landscape the Swale Next to Your Property? (McCormick v. SoMi Homes)
Does the Original Plat Control the Boundary Line? (45 Star Island v. Kostiner)
Is a Sworn Complaint Enough to Win an Easement to Landlocked Land? (Vitelli v. Hagger)Does a Corrective Deed Save an Easement the Grantor Didn’t Own? (Elsberry v. Carpenter)
Can an Old Easement Judgment Bind an Owner Who Was Never Sued? (Theodore v. Perry)
Is It a Taking When FDOT Blocks Your Highway Access? (Hudson Parkside v. FDOT)All 26 posts in Easements, Boundaries & Adverse Possession →
Landlord-Tenant & Eviction
Leases, rent and evictions.
Is a Tenant’s Purchase Option Subordinate to the Mortgage? (Broadmoor v. Super Heat)
Do You Pay Property Tax on Leased County Land? (Garcia v. Dadeland Station)
Is One Day Late on Registry Rent Fatal for a Commercial Tenant? (Fils-Aime v. Roberson)Can a Landlord’s Lease Clause Excuse a Vault Theft? (Obsessions in Time v. Jewelry Exchange)
Does a Landlord Waive an Eviction by Accepting Rent? (Elkins v. PAC Wiregrass Ranch)
Can a Tenant Exit a Lease Over the Landlord’s Approval Efforts? (Walgreen v. 947 Lincoln)All 46 posts in Landlord-Tenant & Eviction →
Tax Deeds & Partition
Tax-deed sales and co-owner partition suits.
Does a County Pay Property Tax on Land It Owns in Another County? (Pinellas v. Joiner)
Can You Plead a New Chain of Title on the Eve of Trial? (Doron Jockey Club v. B.V.K.)
Tax Deed Buyer Can’t Build: Restrictive Covenants Survive the Sale (Kurzim v. Velasquez)
Paying the Taxes on One of Two Folios Didn’t Stop the Tax Deed (Toledo v. CL Real Estate)
Co-Owners of a Shared Beach and Canal Have No Easement That Survives Partition (Morris v. Garcia)
Tax Deed Buyer Locked Out of an HOA Playground: Injunction Affirmed (92 On The Bay)All 14 posts in Tax Deeds & Partition →
Construction & Development
Construction defects, contractors and development.
Is a Regulatory Taking Permanent or Temporary in Florida? (Galleon Bay v. Monroe County)Can a Developer Sell the Air Rights Over a Common Area? (Quay 1 and 9 v. Block 6)Can Development Credits Defeat a Takings Claim? (Shands v. City of Marathon)A Hidden 7% Builder Fee in a Planned Community: Must the Broker Disclose It? (Van Arsdale v. White)Can the Government Lump Your Platted Lots Together to Defeat a Taking? (Galleon Bay)
Can a Lender That Took Over a Failed Project Force Buyers to Arbitrate? (REPH IV v. Merco)All 60 posts in Construction & Development →
