Becker & Poliakoff

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Are NFT’s and Mortgages in Real Estate Possible?

I recently wrote an article discussing how the use of cryptocurrencies in real estate transactions may one day soon be commonplace. Cryptocurrencies have the potential to revolutionize real estate transactions, but cryptocurrencies are not alone in that regard. NFT’s also offer the potential to change the way real estate transactions are conducted and completed.

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Challenges to Address in the Anticipated Rise in Foreclosures

The third quarter of 2021 saw the largest quarterly percentage increase of foreclosures since 2014.  Lenders started the foreclosure process on 25,209 properties and repossessed 7,574.  That trend can be seen locally too.  We have witnessed an increase in foreclosure filings in Miami-Dade County.  For instance, one third of all foreclosures filings in 2021 have taken place […]

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Becker Real Estate Team Awarded Structures Award for Best Speculative Project

Becker is proud to announce that Hugo V. Alvarez, Michael E. Boutzoukas, Cherrie F. Goudreau, and Scott A. Marcus were awarded South Florida Business Journal’s 2021 Structures Award for Best Speculative Project on the Alture Westland Development. The Becker team represented Centennial Bank in the negotiation of a $22+ million construction loan to convert Hialeah’s former Ramada Inn into […]

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Becker Attorneys in Florida, New Jersey, and New York Recognized by 2021 Super Lawyers

Becker is thrilled to announce that several attorneys in the firm’s Florida and New Jersey offices have been named as 2021 Super Lawyers, an honor that recognizes the top 5% of the total lawyers in any given state. Additionally, Becker attorneys recognized as Rising Stars represent the top 2.5% of attorneys under 40 years old, […]

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2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America Recognizes 25 Becker Attorneys

The 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® honors 25 Becker attorneys across the Firm’s practices. Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected peer review publications in the legal profession. Becker congratulates its attorneys on their recognition as among the best and brightest lawyers in the United States. Perry M. Adair, […]

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2021 Edition of Florida Trend Recognizes Becker Shareholders as Florida Legal Elite

Becker is pleased to announce that five shareholders have been named as 2021 Florida Trend Legal Elite Honorees. Now in its 18th year, Florida Legal Elite presents the state’s top licensed and practicing attorneys selected by their peers. Less than 2% of active Florida Bar members practicing in Florida appear among the exclusive Florida Legal […]

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Becker Signs The Diversity in Government Relations Coalition Industry Pledge

Becker is proud to announce that the firm has signed The Diversity in Government Relations Coalition Industry Pledge. The DGR Coalition aspires to foster and strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion among entities that influence local, state, and federal policy through data collection, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement. This pledge is part of its greater non-partisan […]

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Becker Closes $4.5 Million Loan for Wyoming Property

Becker, a multi-practice commercial law firm with attorneys, lobbyists, and other professionals at offices throughout the East Coast, announced that it represented a Wyoming-based lender in a $4.5 million private loan for a Wyoming based property. The property is located in the popular tourist destination of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The lender, Capital Partners, provides private […]

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Becker Closes $22.45M Construction Loan for Alture Westland Development – Converts Hospitality Into MultiFamily Project

Becker, a multi-practice commercial law firm with attorneys, lobbyists, and other professionals at offices throughout the East Coast, announced that it represented Arkansas-based Centennial Bank in a $22.45 million construction loan for Miami-based apartment developer Estate Investments for the conversion of two buildings in Hialeah, Fla., into Alture Westland, a 251-unit multi-family development with a […]

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Community Update – March 2021

Paperwork isn’t the most glamorous part of being a community association member, but this edition of Becker’s Community Update outlines why ignoring administrative tasks would be a big mistake. From governing documents and electoral procedures to zoning and entitlement status, having your details safely squared away sets you and your community on the right path. […]

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“Buy the Right Insurance: It Could Make All the Difference” – FCAP Managers Report

Purchasing insurance is often expensive, time consuming, and confusing. However, today is the right time to make sure you have the proper insurance coverage in place and to confirm that your insurance company has the financial strength to handle the claims process. That way you can rest comfortably knowing that you will be in the […]

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Perform Due Diligence Before Buying Property at a Foreclosure Auction

In Can Financial LLC vs. Niklewicz, Case No. 4D19-3668 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020), Jack Niklewicz thought he was buying his dream home for a significant discount. Instead, he purchased a nightmare because he neglected to perform any due diligence before buying the property at a foreclosure auction. Can Financial LLC had obtained a final judgment […]

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“Why You Should Consider Buying Non-Performing Real Estate Notes” – National Real Estate Investor

The Great Recession was fueled by bad loans in the real estate market that turned into non-performing loans for many banks. Investors could purchase those non-performing real estate loans directly from banks during those troubled times and those deals were beneficial for the banks because they were able to unload non-performing notes from their books […]

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Community Update – October 2020

The 2020 Legislative Guide is here! Florida’s 2020 Session produced a bevy of newly passed community association legislation including the long-awaited criminalization of fraudulent emotional support animal requests. New laws regarding registration requirements for “55 and over” communities, rights for HOA residents to use fireworks on the 4th of July, and housing discrimination laws were […]

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“Navigate the Claims Process Successfully” – FLCAJ Magazine

Navigating an insurance claim after a significant loss can be frustrating, costly, and time consuming. Associations have an obligation to cooperate with their insurance company fully and completely during the claims process, even in the most daunting of circumstances. Failure to adhere to that duty may result in the denial of an insurance claim even […]

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19 Becker Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers in America® in 2021 Edition

The 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® honors nineteen Becker attorneys spanning nine practice areas. Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected peer review publications in the legal profession. Becker congratulates its attorneys on their recognition as among the best and brightest lawyers in the United States. The nineteen attorneys recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® (2021 Edition), […]

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Hugo V. Alvarez Appointed President of the Coral Gables Bar Association

Becker Shareholder and Miami native, Hugo V. Alvarez, has been appointed President of the Coral Gables Bar Association. The mission of the Coral Gables Bar Association is to observe the highest professional and ethical standards in educating their members on relevant issues in the legal profession. Hugo has successfully worked on cases involving Fortune 500 […]

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Becker Attorneys Honored as Florida Trend 2020 Legal Elite

Becker is pleased to announce that four attorneys have been recognized in the 2020 edition of Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite™. Florida Legal Elite publishes an annual roster of attorneys held in the highest regard by their peers and includes fewer than 1.4% of active Florida Bar Members practicing in Florida. The following attorneys were […]

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Episode 17: Insurance Company Litigating Local Claims Out of State – “Can They Do That?”

“The insurance company wants to take my Florida claim and litigate in New York. Can they do that?” Find out the answer from Becker Shareholder Hugo Alvarez. When it comes to association rules and bylaws, there seem to be more questions than answers. Becker’s video series, “Can They Do That?” tackles some of the unique […]

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Property Improvements Through Programs Such as PACE: Understanding the Issues

Property owners have often found that improving their property to make them more energy efficient or wind resistant is expensive. However, our legislators authorized Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs to help homeowners finance the cost of those home improvements. PACE programs are specifically designed to assist both residential and commercial property owners to finance […]

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Becker Attorneys Recognized as 2020 Super Lawyers

June 4, 2020 – Becker is pleased to announce that fifteen of its attorneys have been named as 2020 Super Lawyers, an honor that recognizes the top 5% of the total lawyers in any given state. The following attorneys have been listed in the 2020 edition of Super Lawyers: Florida Super Lawyer Recipients Joseph E. […]

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Questions Potential Buyers Should Consider When Buying an Investment Property During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Spring is traditionally the hottest time of the year for real estate.  Inventory typically spikes as many sellers put their properties for sale.  Buyers enter the market knowing that inventory is increasing. But that has changed some this year with the coronavirus in full effect.  The economy came to a stop with numerous “stay at […]

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Community Update – September 2019

As technology moves forward, community associations are becoming more and more self-sufficient. This is, at its core, a great thing. Associations can run their own websites and their own social media, among other activities. It’s important, however, that with this new freedom board members also remain informed on best practices. This month’s spotlight article, “Attorneys […]

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Seven Tips to Save Money on Closing Costs

There are many costs associated with the purchase, or re-finance, of a property. These are known as closing costs. Closing costs can include an application, loan origination, appraisal, home inspection, credit report, title insurance, attorney costs, appraisal, and/or survey. These costs must be paid before the transaction is complete, and they are often paid at […]

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Community Update – August 2019

Community Associations must learn to effectively communicate amongst themselves. Over time, more and more messages have become electronic, social media has become a popular platform for communication, and the lines between personal/professional messages have become increasingly blurred. It’s now more important than ever to understand the rules and regulations regarding these distinctions. Our featured article, […]

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13 Becker Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers in America®

The 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® honors thirteen Becker attorneys spanning nine practice areas. Additionally, Lee A. Weintraub is recognized as Lawyer of the Year in Construction Litigation, an honor only bestowed upon one attorney for each specialty practice and location. Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected peer […]

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Becker Attorneys Recognized as Florida Legal Elite

  Becker is pleased to announce that eight attorneys have been recognized in the 2019 edition of Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite™.  Now in its sixteenth year, Florida Legal Elite publishes an annual roster of attorneys held in the highest regard by their peers and includes fewer than 1.3% of the active Florida Bar Members […]

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Buyer Beware: How Home Buyers Can Avoid Buying a Liability

Home hunting is often very frustrating.  This true horror story of home buyers suing their real estate agent for $2 million after discovering that their home was infested with snakes is a cautionary reminder that all home buyers should take the necessary precautions to ensure that they too are not buying a home infested with snakes, or […]

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Review Your Insurance Policy to Ensure That Your Claim Won’t Be Decided in—New York?

Florida was battered by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Michael in 2018. Many individuals, businesses, and associations are still trying to recover from those devastating storms. It is common for insurance litigation to linger for years, even deca…

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Super Lawyers Recognizes Sixteen Becker Attorneys in 2019 Edition

June 3, 2019 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Becker is pleased to announce that sixteen of its attorneys have been named as 2019 Super Lawyers, an honor that recognizes the top 5% of the total lawyers in any given state. The following attorneys have been listed in the 2019 edition of Super Lawyers: Florida Super […]

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Becker’s 2019 Shareholder Meeting

Becker Shareholders and Senior Management recently came together for the firm’s 2019 Shareholder Meeting. Attorneys and lobbyists from the firm’s 16 offices throughout Florida and the East Coast convened in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for a productive and educational weekend of relationship building, strategic planning, and camaraderie. Hosted at the Dalmar Hotel, attendees took part in […]

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What Should a Buyer Do After They Have Purchased Their Dream Home?

Completing a home purchase is an exciting moment for everyone who worked on the real estate transaction.  The seller has sold a property and perhaps made a nice profit from the sale.  The real estate agents that worked hard on the transaction for several months are finally going to get paid for their services.  The […]

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Tariffs, Tomatoes, and How Litigation Resolved the Dispute

Litigation involves all different types of disputes. Take the fight over tariffs involving tomatoes where the United States Supreme Court was asked to determine if a tomato is actually a fruit or a vegetable. This story starts years ago when a tariff was passed that imposed a tax on all imported vegetables, but not on […]

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Dispute Between Governors Illustrates Necessity of Knowing Your Rights

Ron DeSantis, Florida’s newly elected governor was recently sworn into office. But as is the right of political passage, Rick Scott, the outgoing governor, made numerous political appointments during his last hours in office. Even though both governors are from the same political party, Governor DeSantis is reviewing Rick Scott’s appointments and the possibility exists that […]

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Hugo Alvarez Serves as the Bridge Between Developer and Bank for $51 Million Construction Loan

Miami-based apartment developer Estate Investments recently obtained a $51.35 million construction loan to proceed with Soleste Alameda, a two-building, 306-unit residential development. Of the $51.35 million, $46.7 million will be financed by Arkansas-based Centennial Bank. Becker shareholders Hugo Alvarez, Michael Boutzoukas, and David Blattner represented Centennial in the deal. Hugo, who acted as the bridge […]

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“How the Lessons Learned in Elementary School Will Help Your Association” – FCAP Managers Report

I am a schoolteacher’s son. I am married to a schoolteacher, and I have two school-aged children who just started another year of elementary school this month. So, I have seen and understand all of the work and effort that schoolteachers and parents put in throughout the course of a school year. But everyone works […]

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Four Lessons from Ghostbusters and Unusual Halloween Laws

As you get ready to go trick-or-treating on Halloween, I wanted to share with you some strange laws on the books while also discussing how Ghostbusters may be the all-time greatest film for anyone interested in starting a new business. For instance, real estate sellers in Florida are generally not obligated to disclose paranormal activity […]

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When Does the Buyer Get the Keys After Closing on a House?

A home buyer called me for advice regarding access to the home after “closing”. Apparently the closing had been scheduled for 6 pm on the Friday before a long holiday weekend.  The buyer explained that he had been living in his RV for the past two weeks as he was re-locating from the Midwest.  He […]

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Does Your Insurance Policy Cover a Cyberattack?

Large and small companies alike are being attacked by cyber-criminals and being held ransom. When this happens, some of these companies look to insurance to help alleviate the sudden financial sting of a cyberattack and to defray the costs of litigation. This in turn raises the question: what insurance options do companies have in the […]

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How to Prepare Your Business for a Cyberattack

You arrive at your office and you sit at your work station ready to tackle the day ahead. You turn on your computer and launch your email browser. You then start checking emails. One email from a familiar sender catches your attention. You open the email and the message prompts you to click on a link. […]

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Maintain Now to Prevent Future Liability

Summer is a great time in Florida. It means warmer weather, outdoor grilling, family vacations, lounging by the pool, and tans. It also means increased humidity, mosquitos, sun burn, and more need for air conditioning. For Associations it is a time not for relaxing but for checking their properties and continuing with their maintenance and […]

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Community Update – August 2018

With back-to-school season in full swing we don’t want you to miss out on your share of continuing education – certainly not when it comes to the board member or management responsibilities you have for your community. After all, why should the kids have all the fun? In this issue, we aim to provide you […]

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Property Improvements Through Programs Such As PACE: Understanding the Issues – 2018

Property owners have often found that improving their property to make them more energy efficient or wind resistant is expensive.  However, our legislators authorized Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs to help homeowners finance the cost of those home improvements. PACE programs are specifically designed to assist both residential and commercial property owners to finance certain energy […]

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Congratulations to Steven B. Lesser and All of Becker’s Best Lawyers in America® 2019

TWELVE BECKER ATTORNEYS NAMED THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® 2019 Steven B. Lesser Further Recognized as Lawyer of the Year in Construction Litigation The 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, announced today, includes twelve Becker attorneys covering four practice areas. Special congratulations to Steven B. Lesser, Chair of our Construction Law & Litigation […]

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Putting the Puzzle Together Regarding Insurance Coverage and Exclusions

In those pages and pages of insurance documents detailing your available insurance coverage you’ll also find exclusions explaining what is not covered in your insurance policy. There might, however, be some exceptions to those exclusions that should keep the claim from being excluded under the policy. Confused yet? That knotted paradigm is illustrated in a case that […]

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Community Update – July 2018

Summer is here in full dew point oppression, and while many people take this time to vacate the area, many managers and board members are hard at work with the day-to-day operations and maintenance of Florida’s communities. In this issue, we hope to make some of that work a bit easier. Our featured article, There’s […]

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Seven Becker Attorneys Recognized as Florida Legal Elite

Becker is proud to announce that seven of our shareholders were recently recognized in the 2018 edition of Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite™.  Alan Becker, Steve Lesser and Ken Direktor from our Ft. Lauderdale office, Marilyn Perez-Martinez and Hugo Alvarez from the Miami office, Gary Schaaf from our Tampa office, and Joseph E. Adams from […]

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28 Becker Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers

Becker proudly congratulates our attorneys selected as Super Lawyers. As of 2018, we boast 28 lawyers who have received this prestigious designation. Please click on their names to read more about each of these attorneys. Super Lawyer Recipients: Joseph E. Adams*, Real Estate (Office Managing Shareholder, Fort Myers/Naples) Hugo V. Alvarez, Insurance Coverage Disputes, Real Estate […]

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Accepting That Linkedin Invitation May Be a Violation of a Nonsolicitation Agreement

Social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are increasingly being used today for professional purposes. Those purposes include maintaining professional networks and promoting certain brands and companies. On the other hand, an individual’s social media activity may serve as the basis for a claim involving the breach of a nonsolicitation agreement. Read More     […]

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16 Becker & Poliakoff Attorneys Named 2018 Florida Super Lawyers/Rising Stars

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – February 6, 2018 – Becker & Poliakoff today announced that 16 of its attorneys have been named as top lawyers in the state for 2018 by Florida Super Lawyers. Here are the Becker & Poliakoff attorneys designated as Florida Super Lawyers and Rising Stars: Super Lawyer Recipients: Joseph E. Adams*, Real Estate […]

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Hugo Alvarez Wins Legal Luminary Award

Hugo Alvarez, shareholder in our Business Litigation group, has won the Legal Luminary Award from the Dade County Bar Association. Mr. Alvarez won the Legal Luminary Award in the Insurance category at the Association’s Awards Gala on July 26 after several rounds of voting by judges and lawyers. Hugo’s work with the firm focuses on […]

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Eleven Becker & Poliakoff Attorneys Listed In The Best Lawyers In America® 2018

The 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, announced today, includes eleven attorneys covering four practice areas from the Florida and New Jersey offices of law firm Becker & Poliakoff. Of note, Founding Shareholder Alan S. Becker was recognized in 2018 as a Lawyer of the Year for his practice area. The attorneys are […]

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Hugo Alvarez Featured Speaker at CLM Management & Professional Liability Conference

Hugo Alvarez was the featured speaker on Friday, July 28, at the 2017 CLM Management & Professional Liability Conference in Boston, MA. Hugo’s session, “How Technology has Impacted the Duty to Defend and Duty to Indemnify in EPL Claims,” focused on best practices when faced with claims involving new issues such as Uber/ride sharing, Airbnb/house sharing, […]

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Hugo Alvarez on Cuban-American Relations in the Daily Business Review

Hugo Alvarez, shareholder in our Miami office, was published by the DBR in a July 21 op-ed titled “Doing Little, Trump Does Much Harm to Cuban-American Relationship. As the title suggests, Hugo commented on the economic and social ramifications that President Trump’s policies – travel restrictions and business regulations in particular – are having on […]

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Yolanda Cash Jackson and Hugo Alvarez Nominated as Legal Luminary Finalists

Hugo Alvarez, shareholder in our Business Litigation group, and Yolanda Cash Jackson, shareholder in our Government Law & Lobbying group, have been nominated as Legal Luminary Award finalists by the Dade County Bar Association. Mr. Alvarez is a nominee in the Insurance category, Ms. Jackson in the Lobbying & Government Relations category. With over 71,000 […]

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