Douglas A. Turner, P.C.

With the downturn in the real estate market, some sellers are deciding not to disclose known problems with their home. More and more home buyers are taking sellers to court to recover damages for failing to disclose real property defects.

Many people try to avoid Colorado probate because of the perceived expense. To avoid a Colorado probate proceeding upon death, Colorado real and personal property must pass to the heirs by other means. In the case of real estate, Colorado quitclaim deeds (note: not Colorado quit claim deeds, as erroneously written at times) are often used. In most cases, however, the better alternative is a Colorado beneficiary deed.

Have a dispute with your beloved homeowner association? Thinking about withholding your dues or assessments in protest? Well, be careful. You may lose your real property in the process.

Understanding Local Colorado Real Estate Law Thinking about buying real estate in the Bahamas? Maybe a timeshare in Barbados? A quaint villa in the French West Indies? Well, before you do, you may want to research the local real property taxes, think about how this little piece of paradise fits into your overall estate plan [...]

With more and more people buying residential real estate for investment purposes, many novice landlords learn the hard way that keeping a security deposit can result in big trouble. Landlords must comply with Colorado’s Wrongful Withholding of Security Deposits Act (the “Act”). Read on and save yourself (or collect!) treble damages and attorneys fees. Colorado’s [...]

There is more to a commercial lease than just the cost per square foot. The written terms of the lease can be critical to a tenant’s rights should a problem arise sometime during the lease term. The time to negotiate those lease terms is before the lease begins. Here are just a few tips when [...]

Joint tenancy is a convenient form of ownership. It is a form of ownership that has been encouraged in the marketplace by financial institutions and, to some extent, by professional advisors. Joint tenancy, it is estimated, is utilized in most married couples’ estate plans. Because of the survivorship feature of joint tenancy, it is thought [...]

In a real estate market where last week’s drywall subcontractor is this week’s seasoned home builder, negotiating a new home construction contract becomes more important than ever before. When entering into a contract to buy a newly constructed home, here are just a few important points to consider. 1. The Importance of Reading the Contract [...]

As an estate planning lawyer in Colorado, I have the unique opportunity to see title problems caused by poorly drafted deeds. Here are just a few of the many deeds problems or “botches” we have seen over the years. The Joint Tenancy Botch In order to take title to real estate as joint tenants with [...]

Beneficiary Designations and Beneficiary Deeds in Colorado Beneficiary designations have long been used to avoid probate upon death. Bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts and life insurance can be transferred upon death by naming a beneficiary to the account or life insurance proceeds. However, when it comes to real estate, designating a beneficiary is not [...]