Charles M. Baron

Offering top-notch legal services in South Florida for over 30 years.

• Personal Injury
• Civil Rights
• Consumer Law
• Business Law
• Employment Law
• Appeals & Appellate
• Criminal Law
• Animal & Dog Law
• Family Law
• Collections
• Arbitration & Mediation

• Land Use & Zoning
• Car Accidents
• Slip & Fall
• Police Misconduct/False Arrest
• General Civil
• Condominium Law
• Discrimination
• Handicap Rights
• Malicious Prosecution

• Free Consultation
  Free consultation for certain legal areas; otherwise, very reasonable consultation fees
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Contingent Fees
  Contingent (percentage) fees offered in appropriate cases

Florida

Since 1985

11th Circuit

University of Florida

J.D. (1984) | Law

University of Florida

B.A. (1981) | Political Science

Broward County Bar Association

Current

Florida Dispute Resolution Center

Current

Association of South Florida Mediators and Arbitrators

Current

National Lawyers Guild

Current

North Dade Bar Association

Current

South Broward Bar Association

Current

Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida

1986 - Current

Activities: Volunteer Lawyers Program

Florida Bar # 509825

Member

1985 - Current

Activities: Federal District Court, Federal Appeals Court

Certified Circuit Civil Mediator

Florida Dispute Resolution Center

Qualified Arbitrator

Florida Supreme Court

Q. Hi, My son signed a contract to an Artist consulting firm. The firm refuses to give my son a copy of the contract.

26 June 2019

A: I believe (WITHOUT researching the issue) that there is no statute that requires that type of private firm (that is not a lender, bank, etc.) to turn over a copy of a contract upon request from a party to the contract. However, a letter from an attorney might nevertheless produce results, especially if there is some legal issue or dispute that is arising from the contractual relationship. Also, if a lawsuit if filed for any reason, the firm must turn it over.

Q. My boyfriend and I signed a 1 yr lease. He recently moved out without informing the landlord. Am I solely responsible?

24 June 2019

A: I agree with Ms. Grossfeld. While you both ARE fully responsible for the rent payments, the real question is, what can you do if your b/f won't pay? One option is to hire an attorney to send him a nasty letter, and if that doesn't work, you might also be able to sue him, depending on the arrangement/agreement you had with him. But even assuming you have a basis to sue, you could wind up with a non-collectible judgment (as well as an even more soured relationship). You might want to look at the option of asking the landlord if he/she/it would be willing to terminate the lease early, without penalty, because your relationship didn't turn out as planned.

Q. We have a 1934 sq ft home in pa that we are renting out. Is it to small for 10 people

24 June 2019

A: I assume you're asking, "Am I legally prohibited from renting a 1,934 sq. ft. home to 10 people?" This depends on your county or city code, and if you happen to be in a homeowner's association, it would also depend on their rules. To determine if there's anything in your local jurisdiction's code on it, you have the following options: (A) hire an attorney to research it (which is the best option), (B) research it yourself by viewing the code on-line or at your local government hall, or (C) ask your local code enforcement office. However, if you already are renting it to 10 people, it's NOT a good idea for you to call code enforcement because if it is against code, they may cite you and hit you with a fine. You could have a neighbor call and say he/she is thinking about renting out their home to 10 people, and ask if that's okay - and if it's not okay, ask how many would be permissible.

Q. Can I file a Builders Lane on a family member if they refuse to pay me for material

20 June 2019

A: You apparently mean "lien", not "lane". Your question cannot be answered without a lot more facts about your situation. In any event, you should read Florida Statutes Sections 713.001 through 713.79, which cover all types of liens that may be filed. After you read all that, if you still don't have your answer, schedule a consultation with an attorney.

Q. I have decided to break my apartment lease due to constant inconveniences. Can I do so without paying the penalty fee?

17 June 2019

A: No, you must follow the statutory procedure for notifying the landlord, giving the landlord the opportunity to remedy the problems within 7 days of receipt of your letter. If the landlord fails to comply, the law allows you to terminate the tenancy or withhold rent until the problems are fixed. You need to do it the correct legal way, though, so consult a landlord-tenant attorney or general practice attorney in your area.

Q. a court order was issued in Puerto rico to help my older sister with the expenses of taking care of my mother.

17 June 2019

A: Generally, a Court Order must be complied with unless (A) you get the Court to vacate of modify the Order, or (B) the Order itself contains conditions that would permit you to stop paying (and I'm guessing it doesn't). So hire a lawyer who is in Puerto Rico or a Florida lawyer who is a member of the Puerto Rican Bar (see http://www.prbaflorida.org/ - website for Puerto Rican Bar Association of Florida). Alternatively, represent yourself on a motion to the Court explaining the circumstances and asking to vacate the Order, as well as set up a hearing on the motion. If you represent yourself, you'll need to read and understand the Court's procedural rules.

Q. I had 2 dogs that I rescued kept them at a my mothers house for over 2yrs I rescued them 7-8 yrs ago I lived with my fa

14 June 2019

A: Animal control, in most jurisdictions, won't pick up pets unless they've been abused or neglected, not simply because someone calls and says, "I don't want my pets anymore." Don't know if that's the case here, but your first step is to contact animal control to ask the reason for the pick-up and for any written reports made about it. If it wasn't due to abuse or neglect, then you should be able to adopt the pets from the shelter, assuming you have a home to keep them in. Also, it sounds like you never registered the dogs in your name, because if you had, animal control would have to notify you of pick up - at least right afterwards. If the dogs were registered in someone else's name, it is presumed that the dogs are owned by that someone else, and you probably would not prevail in any legal action against that person.

Q. I was in a drug rehab my medical information was released by a technician to make front of me in front of other clients

4 June 2019

A: You didn't ask a question, but you apparently want to know what you can legally do about the fact that this happened to you. Also, when you say "to make front of me...", I assume you mean, "make fun of me..." The U.S. Office of Civil Rights handles this type of complaint (for violation of the HIPAA laws), but I believe you missed the deadline for filing that, as you say this happened 18 months ago, and the deadline is 180 days (less than 6 months). You can also file a lawsuit for money damages for invasion of privacy, which may be filed within 4 years of the date of the incident. Whether it would be worthwhile to file such a suit depends on a number of factors, so you must schedule an appointment with an attorney who handles litigation (lawsuits and claims) in order to discuss the details. One of the factors to be analyzed is whether there is at least one reliable witness to the event who would be willing to testify. If it's going to be just your word against another's word (or the word of several), it most likely would not be worthwhile, as the outcome would be unpredictable.

Q. A lady made a false police report, which caused me a felony charge and time in jail. Is there anything I can do?

3 June 2019

A: Whether you have the right to sue depends on the technicalities of your plea deal, but as a practical matter, it's extremely unlikely that any lawyer would deem your potential case to be worthwhile due to the fact that you took any deal at all, rather than attempt to prevail. If you pled guilty and accepted a conviction, you cannot sue, as you admitted guilt. If you pled no contest and received a withhold of adjudication, you would a right to sue because you were not adjudicated guilty, BUT it's extremely unlikely that any lawyer will take your case for a few reasons, starting with the fact that you decided to exit your vehicle and engage in a confrontation, making the outcome of your potential case unpredictable at best. By exiting your vehicle, you were really asking for trouble!!