| FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) 1.
What type of clients does Gammon & Associates
represent?
1. What type of clients does Gammon & Associates represent? When Gammon & Associates was founded, we retooled the "law firm concept" to enable our firm to assume more of the monetary risk traditionally associated with Community Association legal work. Since that time, we have passed on these savings to a niche market comprised primarily of community association clientele. Consequently, we currently represent a large array of community associations including single-family subdivisions, condominium associations, and townhome communities. The founding members extensive litigation experience prior to the formulation of Gammon & Associates compliments its community association practice. Over the years, the firm has regularly handled contact and tort claims brought in behalf of a community association to ensure that developers and independent contractors live up to the expectations contracted for by the Board of Directors. [back to top] 2. How long has Gammon & Associates represented Community Associations? We are pleased to announce that we have been representing community associations since 1989. Because we have practiced in this area of law for over fifteen years, we are experienced in many of the nuances inherent in this specialized practice. Moreover, it is quite possible that we have confronted and solved many of the problems which may currently be plaguing your community association. [back to top] 3. What type of legal services does Gammon & Associates provide? Over the years, our firm has grown in both size and expertise and has been organized into two practice groups: Community Association Services and Litigation Services. Within each group, the legal work is performed in specialized practice areas where there is a free flow of expertise shared between our attorneys and professional staff. This gives our clients greater value by placing their legal concerns with the attorneys possessing the highest level of relevant knowledge. The result is that every kind of legal need, from maintenance fee collection to tort defense, is met with concise teamwork that draws upon the shared experiences of the members in the firm. [back to top] 4. What does Gammon & Associates provide to its clients that other firms do not? By reconstructing the Firm, its personnel requirements, as well as its information management system, the Firm has become a self-contained and efficient legal agent for community associations that is able to depart from the traditional method of uncontrolled billable hours and accommodate our expanding clientele base by offering a variety of cost effective billing methods. By utilizing our result oriented billing programs, legal fees incurred by a community association are typically not invoiced by Gammon & Associates until we collect money from the homeowner. In other words, under one of our unique billing formats, Gammon & Associates, in most instances, does not get paid until we perform. This result driven billing approach helps to ensure that a client does not get caught in the situation of paying out more in legal costs than they actually recover. In addition, unlike many traditional law firms, we provide our clients with timely information documenting the status of each and every matter through a secure web based monthly status report available on a 24 hour, 7 day a week basis. Clients receive timely reports which itemize legal work performed on all specific matters for a given status report period (click here to view a sample Status Report), as well as provide cumulative detailed itemization relating to monies recovered from homeowners and forwarded to an association (click here to view a sample Payments Received and Distributed Report). [back to top] 5. How does Gammon & Associates assume more of the monetary risk traditionally associated with Community Association legal work? Under the traditional monthly billing utilized by most law firms, attorneys have little incentive to reach an early conclusion to a matter or to provide cost effective services because they are billing for and receiving money up front from their clients for every legal task they choose to perform regardless of the success of their legal efforts. Consequently, under this "pay as you go" traditional billing method, the client assumes all of the risk associated with achieving the legal objective including how economically efficient an attorney chooses to be in accomplishing the objective. By utilizing our unique billing programs, legal fees incurred by a community association are typically not invoiced by Gammon & Associates until we collect money from the homeowner. In other words, under our result oriented billing programs, Gammon & Associates, in most instances, does not invoice legal fees that have been incurred until we perform. By agreeing to invoice legal fees incurred for a matter, not in the month in which the legal fee was incurred, but, rather, when the sums are collected from the homeowner responsible for the debt, we, in essence, “partner” with our clients such that we share in the risk of accomplishing the legal objective. By sharing the risk of achieving a legal objective with the association, the delay in performing a legal task that an association may have experienced in the past should be reduced and the likelihood of an objective being accomplished in a timely and cost effective manner is enhanced. An example of Gammon & Associates sharing the monetary risk with our clients is the Firm’s write-off and removal of all legal fees incurred in pursuing a maintenance fee collection matter upon the foreclosure of a property by a mortgage company. In addition, if a court awards attorney’s fees less than those actually incurred by the Firm under the terms of our result oriented billing program, then the Firm will only receive the attorney fee amount awarded by the court. This helps to ensure that a client does not get caught in the situation of paying out more in legal costs than they actually recover. [back to top] 6. What results can I expect if I choose Gammon & Associates as my legal service provider? Although we cannot guarantee the outcome of any matter which we may handle, our clients typically find that, under our firm’s guidance, their annual legal costs are dramatically lowered while, at the same time, their legal objectives are accomplished quicker and more effectively. In addition, many of our clients have realized that, with less legal cost outlay and greater assessment revenue, they are able to expend more money toward projects which enhance the value of their communities. In addition, the directors for our community association clientele are generally pleased with the manner in which employees of Gammon & Associates treat homeowners who have failed to live up to the expectations established by their community. In short, we are dedicated to enforcing the policies of an association through common respect. Should you desire to see what clients are saying about our services, please click here. [back to top] 7. If I were a client of Gammon & Associates, would I receive information detailing the monies collected from homeowners and forwarded to the community association? Yes. A client accounting report providing a detailed itemization of monies recovered from homeowners and forwarded to the association accompanies the monthly status report (click here to view a sample Payments Received and Distributed Report). [back to top] 8. What exactly is a Status Report? The Monthly Status Report sets forth all specific collection and deed restriction matters which Gammon & Associates is currently working on for the Association. The monthly status report itemizes all legal work performed on a specific account for the given report period, typically 60 days. For each given matter set forth on the monthly status report, specific legal tasks performed in a given status report period with the accompanying value of the service will be itemized and will be designated as either a Monthly charge, i.e. legal fees invoiced every 30 days, or a Progress Bill charge, i.e. legal fees invoiced when funds are collected from the homeowner. For those matters in which the Firm has agreed, because of the billing program chosen by the Association, to invoice legal charges incurred for a matter, not in the month in which it was incurred but, rather, when the sums are collected from the homeowner responsible for the debt, a line item, at the end of each collection matter listed on the Monthly Status Report, will set forth the cumulative total of legal fees incurred to date for the specific matter which has not yet been invoiced or paid. The monthly status report is divided into three sections: I. Collection counts, II. Deed Restriction Accounts and Matters with Both Deed Restriction and Collection, and III. Bankruptcy Accounts. Click here to view a sample Status Report. [back to top] 9. Do you charge a legal fee for attending a routine community association meeting? Typically No. As you might surmise from reviewing our approach to the practice of law, adding value to the attorney-client relationship is the foundation upon which Gammon & Associates has been built and will continue to grow. This is the substance from which long-term relationships are constructed and a central reason as to why we routinely attend board of directors meetings free of charge in order to provide insight and guidance on specific issues facing a community. [back to top] 10. How can I get more information about Gammon & Associates? Aside
from the information that you receive from our website, you can
also obtain written information by contacting our office at (713)
964-5340 or emailing us a request at info@gammonlaw.com.
We will be happy to answer your questions over the telephone or,
at your request, attend a meeting with the representative(s) of
your Community.
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