Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The guy who is supposed to set the rules of engagement for, well, you know, banks and borrowers. The guy who is supposed to be setting the guiding principles for the U.S. housing markets. He’s a “doctor” – which, one presumes, entails SOME kind of education…. CONTINUE
Estate Planning: The Ultimate Love Language – Part 2
As a follow up to a recent War Story Wednesdays post, below we’ve included the most likely scenario for how this estate planning dispute could play out. OPTION A: Successor Sally would most likely prevail. The fact pattern says that Don carefully planned his estate, and only wanted to name Sally as sole beneficiary, so… CONTINUE
A Fool and “His” Money
Six and a half years in prison. That’s what one Fool got for trying to defraud some lenders out of THEIR money. Robert Jacobsen got caught while weaving his elaborate scheme and is now paying the consequences. Oh, and giving up the yacht he bought with his ill-gotten goods. Seems Jacobsen concocted a plan where… CONTINUE
Estate Planning: The Ultimate Love Language
Decedent Don is a hard-working and successful Baby Boomer, who lives with his longtime live-in girlfriend, Cohabitant Carol, and his adult Millennial daughter, Successor Sally. Decedent Don is divorced from his first marriage, widowed from his second marriage, and while he enjoys Cohabitant Carol’s company, he has no interest in giving her any legal recourse… CONTINUE
Cement Pond
“Swimmin’ pools and movie stars…” or the “cement pond” – whichever you call it, having a swimming pool is a pretty fun thing. Nothing beats the sounds of kids laughing during a water fight, or the repeated calls of “Mom, watch me” when it’s for the 13th belly flop, or the endless (and I do… CONTINUE
The Perils of Probate
You’ve been working on this project for over a year. It’s an assemblage of several lots that, once purchased, will allow you to build that new shopping center complex. You’ve finally got the last property parcel into contract. It’s the key to development. Your due diligence is complete. Your funding secured. You are almost ready… CONTINUE
Follow The Money ?
The real estate business is a good one to be in. Most of the time. I’ve been licensed for over 40 years. (And only practice law now…) In that time, I’ve seen a real estate ‘cycle’ or two. And, sure as green grass follows a rainstorm, licensee numbers increase when the market is ‘good.’ One… CONTINUE
You Talk Too Much
There is a doctrine out there that many refer to as the “Good Samaritan Rule.” It stands for the proposition that you can help someone, and if your “help” goes wrong, you can’t be sued for having given it. Well, almost. It works like this: You can see a guy lying in the gutter with… CONTINUE
E&O Insurance: Are You Covered or Naked?
E & O CLAIM – TENDER ADVISORY We are asked, frequently, whether a client should tender a claim to the client’s errors and omissions (E&O) carrier. The answer has many parts, and we thought it would be helpful to outline some of them for you in this Advisory. It is important to understand what E&O… CONTINUE
