Doral Attorney
Attorney for Doral Business Owners, Buyers, and Families
Doral is a place where people work as much as live. The City of Doral describes itself as 15 square miles, about one mile from Miami International Airport, with approximately 81,182 residents and more than 100,000 people who work in the city. That mix of warehouses, offices, and homes shapes the legal questions Doral clients bring: buying or leasing commercial space, opening a business the city will license, and dividing a company or a property when a marriage ends. Arturo R. Alfonso P.A. has handled Miami-Dade real estate, family law, and bankruptcy matters in English and Spanish for 30 years from an office at 7821 Coral Way. Call (305) 266-9584 or request a free consultation.
Commercial Closings and Leases in Doral
Transfer tax is the first number that surprises commercial buyers and sellers in Doral. According to the Florida Department of Revenue, documentary stamp tax on a Miami-Dade deed is 60 cents per $100 of consideration, plus a 45 cent per $100 surtax that is not due on a document transferring only a single-family dwelling (Fla. Stat. 125.0167). A warehouse, office condo, or retail bay therefore carries $1.05 per $100, or $21,000 on a $2,000,000 sale. The purchase contract should say who pays it.
Leasing changed too. Florida’s sales tax on commercial rent under Fla. Stat. 212.031 was repealed for rental periods beginning on or after October 1, 2025, including rent for office space, retail space, and warehouses (DOR Tax Information Publication 25A01-04). A lease signed before then may still contain a clause passing that tax through to the tenant, so it is worth reviewing at renewal. The Department says a tenant who paid tax when none was due must seek the refund from the landlord.
Before signing a lease in Doral, check the use. The city’s business license process requires zoning approval of the business use at that location and an executed lease (or a deed, if you own), along with DERM and fire approvals, before it issues the Certificate of Use and Business Tax Receipt. A lease contingency tied to that approval can keep a tenant from paying rent on space it cannot open in. Florida does not require an attorney to close a sale; read title company or attorney closing, closing costs, and our real estate law services.
Courts, Filings, and Local Rules for Doral
Doral matters belong to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Deeds, mortgages, and liens are recorded with the Miami-Dade Clerk’s County Recorder, in person at the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, by mail, or through an approved eRecording vendor. Divorce, custody, and support cases go to the Family Division at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, 175 NW 1st Avenue in downtown Miami.
A commercial eviction follows different rules from a residential one. For a nonresidential tenant who stops paying, the landlord serves 3 days’ written notice demanding the rent or possession (Fla. Stat. 83.20(2)). Once suit is filed, the tenant must pay the rent alleged, or the amount the court determines, into the court registry, and failing to pay under a court order is an absolute waiver of the tenant’s defenses (Fla. Stat. 83.232). The residential process is explained in how to evict a tenant.
When a Doral business owner divorces, a company started or acquired during the marriage is generally a marital asset divided under Fla. Stat. 61.075, even if only one spouse runs it. One spouse must have lived in Florida for 6 months before the petition is filed (Fla. Stat. 61.021). See what happens to a business in a divorce and our family law services.
Bankruptcy cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. An owner who personally guaranteed a lease or a loan and files individually is protected by the automatic stay, but that stay generally does not extend to a separate LLC or corporation that did not file. Foreign owners selling Doral property face FIRPTA: the buyer generally must withhold 15 percent of the amount realized (26 U.S.C. 1445). See the automatic stay, foreign buyers and FIRPTA, and our bankruptcy law services.
Common Questions
Is there a transfer tax surtax when I buy a warehouse or office in Doral? Yes. In Miami-Dade, a deed carries documentary stamp tax of 60 cents per $100 plus a 45 cent per $100 surtax unless it transfers only a single-family dwelling, so most commercial deeds pay $1.05 per $100.
Do I need city approval before opening a business in leased space in Doral? Yes. The City of Doral requires zoning approval of the use at that location, an executed lease or deed, and DERM and fire approvals before it issues the Certificate of Use and Business Tax Receipt.
Contact Us
Whether you are buying a warehouse, signing or renewing a commercial lease, dividing a business in a divorce, or weighing bankruptcy after a guaranty comes due, Attorney Alfonso can review your documents in English or Spanish. Hablamos español. Call (305) 266-9584 or contact us to schedule a free consultation.
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