Homegrown Tales podcast: Meet Mike Davis of Mike Davis & Associates
Step 5 to homeownership: Be willing to admit when you need legal counsel even after closing day and the boxes are unpacked
Life has a way of lifen’. That’s about the best way I can describe what it has been like for me during the summer of 2022 until the fall of 2023. I’d reached the point where I wondered if I made a mistake with my condo purchase. I was no longer on the condo board and battling with the new board over renting my parking space. I was all set to go at it alone (pro se) in Small Claims Court, but there is so much to know — even if/when neither party is represented by an attorney. (That later changed for both of us at different points.) I quickly realized I needed help for small things such as filling out court documents correctly way before I talked to a judge or argued my case.
Spotify: Episode 5 of “Homegrown Tales: An Ode to Sugarbowl Sam”
Video: Episode 5 of “Homegrown: An Ode to Sugarbowl Sam”
After initially working with one lawyer and then trying to find a trial attorney, the latter legal professional introduced me to Mike Davis of Mike Davis & Associates. And I cannot begin to tell you how appreciative I am of that introduction.
Learning to have an even higher respect for attorneys
I have interviewed so many attorneys and lawyers over the years, especially during a freelance series with CBS Chicago called “Let’s Get Back to Work.” And one common complaint I heard from new (and established) attorneys was how much they wish they could’ve spent way more time in a courtroom instead of staring at a law book. In six virtual hearings and two in-person courtroom appearances, I see exactly how important that is —- and I’m still stunned more new law school students aren’t required to do this.
Recommended Read: Use the Wave app for simple invoicing ~ Perfect record-keeping website and mobile app for self-managed condo associations and small businessowners
The massive amount of work I did for a “simple” Small Claims case made me appreciate attorneys and their attorney fees way more than I ever would before this case started. And the amount of information I learned from Mike as my legal coach will stay with me forever, even though I’m still ignoring my mother’s and my Girl Scout leader’s decades-long advice to go to law school.
In the end, I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, but I didn’t get the worst-case scenario either. (I’m 99.9% convinced I would have gotten exactly what I wanted if I’d listened to Mike and submitted one vital document that I refused to release. There’s a [second] reason the “Be like Mike” slogan makes sense. I’m hard-headed. I admit it.) Either way, I still have the utmost respect for the judge for a fair trial.
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But this podcast episode is not about my own Small Claims case. It’s about the attorney who was my legal coach and who I had the pleasure of getting to know and work with before, during and after that lawsuit was over. Since then, we’ve collaborated on web design, social media marketing, blocking a phishing hacker and setting up his own Substack blog series on debt-defense settlement.
And in this podcast, we discuss his expertise for first-time homeowners, condo boards, the significance of bylaws and Rules & Regulations, why meeting minutes and having condo association meetings matter so much, and a bit about his debt-defense practice.
Attorney Mike Davis is licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois, Michigan and federal courts. The former prosecutor and former public defender earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, his master’s from the University of Chicago and his JD from John Marshall Law School.
His areas of focus are:
Debt-defense lawsuits (including credit card debt, alternatives to filing for bankruptcy, auto loan debt)
Please check out Spotify for Podcasters for my fifth interview on “Homegrown Tales: An Ode to Sugarbowl Sam” with attorney Mike Davis.
For more information on him, visit MikeDavisLaw.com. You can follow his new accounts on Instagram and Facebook as well. Or, book an appointment to speak with the Illinois/Michigan attorney for a 15-minute, free consultation.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the monthly posts on the third Friday.
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