Spring is here! It felt like winter would never end. This past winter was the coldest winter in a decade and warmer weather is surely a sight for sore eyes. Meanwhile, IREM continues with an active agenda for 2014.
On March 20th approximately 42 IREM members toured the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimac NH. This was the best attended New Hampshire event held by our chapter. We have received positive feedback from all who attended. After the tour we enjoyed hor'dourves and our favorite Anheuser-Busch beers. We had the honor of having Jason Felcetta, The IREM Connecticut chapter president with us at this event. We would like to thank Jason for making the trip up to NH.
On April 30th we will be holding the IREM Sustainability seminar. IREM Sustainability is a new platform for efficient buildings, available to all industry professional that manage commercial and multi- family assets. The program consists of three parts: Software: profile building, discover ways to save, and connect with qualified solutions providers. You can also become an IREM Certified Sustainable Property (CSP) and compete in the IREM Sustainable Property Challenge.
On May 1st we are holding the MKL405. "Marketing & Leasing: Multifamily Properties." This is a CPM Required Course. This course teaches: Market assessment, neighborhood analysis, demographics, subject property and competition analysis, rent setting strategies. marketing strategies, marketing campaign development, advertising, social media marketing, analytics leasing office optimization, communications protocols, legal compliance, online leasing, showing and closing techniques, prospect qualification, lease administration, retention programs, conflict resolution, marketing to existing residents and reputation management.
How you will benefit:
* Position your property to succeed in your market;
* Showcase your property in the best light to secure new residents; and
* Achieve higher levels of resident satisfaction and retention by effectively troubleshooting resident issues

On April 29th join us for the Advanced Landlord/Tenant Seminar Eliminating Drugs, Guns, Violence and unwanted Visitors. The Seminar will focus on such areas as:
Cause-Based Evictions: You will be informed on the process of evicting tenants for violations of their leases that go far beyond a simple non-payment of rent case. This is an effective way to remove tenants who have been involved in fights, have disrupted the livability of the development and other areas of material non-compliance with the terms of their leases.
You will also become familiar on the process and procedure of a standard eviction. Including, properly documenting activity, referral to your attorney, the notice to quit procedure and the court process.
Fast Track Evictions: Attorney Flynn will discuss the process of evicting a tenant for a violation of M.G.L. c. 139, Section 19. This law allows the Landlord to fast-track a case as a civil action if the Tenant is found to be involved in the keeping, sale or manufacture of illegal substances, if they are illegally storing a weapon, if they are involved in prostitution or if they commit acts of violence against an employee or other person entitled to be present on the premises in their unit. This process is designed to remove the dangerous tenant in just a few short weeks rather than a few months.
Protecting your Property from Unwanted Trespassers: Under M.G.L. c. 121B, Section 32C you can keep unwanted and/or dangerous persons off your premises, often forever. The Massachusetts legislature has enacted a special provision in the General Laws in order to protect subsidized properties. This law allows you to keep someone off your property if they have caused harm to a tenant, or employee of the landlord, have destroyed, vandalized or stolen property of the landlord, or another tenant, if they have brought a weapon onto your property, or if they have sold or possessed drugs on the property. The importance of this law is that this type of order can be made permanent by the court, thus keeping this person off your property forever. It is also important to note that a violation of this type of order granted by the court is a criminal act.
The seminar will be followed by an interactive question and answer period. Attorney Flynn has over twenty four years of experience handling cause based evictions as well as fast-track evictions and actions under Chapter 121B, Section 32C and will share some of his experiences dealing with these matters.
David Barrett is director of operations at Crowninshield Management Corp., and the 2014 president of IREM Boston.