Articles & Blogs
New Legislation Impacts Tax Lien Certificates
Arizona recently introduced legislation that modifies the expiration of tax lien certificates. A.R.S. § 42-18127 now specifies that the original tax lien and all subsequent liens on a property have a 10-year statutory limit based on the date that the original lien was acquired.
The Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement
The residential real estate market in Phoenix and nationwide is typically the busiest in the spring and early summer. If you are in the market to either buy or sell your home, be prepared to review and sign a large number of important documents during the process. One important document that the seller typically completes as part of a residential sale is the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement or SPDS.
Age Discrimination On the Rise
A number of major U.S. companies, including IBM and IKEA, have been named in recent lawsuits claiming discrimination against older workers. The most recent lawsuit against IBM follows a ProPublica story published last March that exposed a companywide strategy aimed at “correcting seniority mix.” For Ikea, this is the fifth age discrimination lawsuit filed against the company in just over a year. Discrimination against “older workers” is clearly an increasing problem.
Internet Libel
Think you can post anything you want on the Internet or on social media? Well, think again! The internet is not a safe haven for offensive speech, particularly when it defames and harms the reputation of a business or an individual. Individuals often try to escape exposure for defamation and libel by shielding themselves with a cloak of anonymity the Internet seems to provide.
Lost and Found – Kindness
I was working at my desk one afternoon, recently, when I received a peculiar telephone call. Our receptionist told me that the caller was from Israel and announced that I did not know him but he asked to speak to me. I have family in Israel and a daughter studying there this year; so, I thought it could be related to either and I took the call.
College Student Leases: What You Need To Know
Some colleges require first year students to reside on campus or in a complex associated with the University. Be careful when signing those leases as they have many harsh provisions unlike the typical residential lease.
Understanding UnderInsured Motorist Coverage
As we enter the summer months, many of us may plan on taking a vacation, road trip or even a stay-cation. With that in mind, it is important to know exactly what protection your car insurance may or may not provide you in case of an accident.
Changes to the Estate and Gift Tax
Last month we advised you about changes to the income tax that limited deductions for real estate taxes and interest on home equity loans. President Trump’s signing of the new tax bill not only affected income taxes but also significantly changed the federal estate tax laws.
Tax Reforms: Impact on Real Estate Tax Deductions
Three changes to U.S. tax code resulting from the recent tax reform laws could impact your real estate tax deductions on your federal taxes.
Investing in Real Property Tax Liens
In Arizona, counties can place a lien on real property for unpaid property taxes and subsequently auction off the lien to investors in the form of a tax lien certificate. A separate tax lien certificate is issued and auctioned off for each year of unpaid taxes, which means there could be multiple investors on the same property. The tax lien is prior and superior even to a mortgage or deed of trust securing a loan on the property.
You’ve Been in a Crash…Now What?
An automobile accident can be a traumatic and terrifying experience. One moment you’re driving down the road headed to your destination. The next you’re in shock and feeling like your life has been turned upside down.
Last year alone, there were 126,845 motor vehicle crashes in Arizona.
Why Mediate?
I almost always recommend mediation as an option to get a case resolved. Mediation is a voluntary process where the parties come together to try to resolve their case with the help of a trained, unbiased third party, i.e., a mediator. In mediation, resolving the case is not mandatory which means that you might engage in mediation and not resolve your case at the mediation.
A New Slant on Trademark Law
In 2006, Simon Tam founded an Asian-American rock band in Portland, Oregon. He named the band “Slants”. In Mr. Tam’s words, “It actually sounds like a fun, 80s, New Wave-kind of band. And it’s a play on words. We can share our personal experiences about what it’s like being people of color—our own slant on life, if you will.
Bad News for Consumers With Credit Card Debt
A recent Arizona Court of Appeals ruling in the matter of Mertola, Inc. v. Alberto J. Santos, et al is bad news for consumers when it comes to credit card debt. Until now, creditors in Arizona had a limit of six years from the time a minimum monthly payment was missed to file a debt collection lawsuit.
Lessons from the Super Bowl
Most of us watched the Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. If you didn’t watch it, you most likely heard about the largest comeback in Super Bowl history (25 points) and that it was the first Super Bowl overtime game ever. I am not writing this letter because I am a Tom Brady or Patriots fan. In fact, I am a die-hard Giants fan and will let you know that Tom Brady and the Patriots are now 5-2 in Super Bowls, both loses inflicted by my Giants (but I digress). I believe there is a great lesson to be learned by the Super Bowl outcome.
Ripples of Kindness
With the Start of the New Year – secular that is – I want to share a true story of another new year.
On the Second day of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year, in an Orthodox Synagogue, five men are called up to offer a blessing on the Torah reading for the day from the book of Genesis. In Hebrew this is called an “Aliyah,” related to the word for going up.
My Bucket List
As I approach a milestone birthday in the coming year, I feel more compelled to accomplish what I perceive as my “Bucket List” in life. One of my “list” items was attending a home football game of my favorite team – the New York Giants. Something I have always wanted to do.
Copycats and Copyrights
“Don’t believe me just watch! Don’t believe me just watch!” lyrics to Bruno Mars’ wildly popular hit “Uptown Funk” song could not be any more appropriate for what he is going through right now. Recently, surviving members of an 80’s funk band, Collage, sued Bruno Mars for copyright infringement.
Click and You’re Sued?
In today’s electronic world of websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., sharing one’s feelings with others is as easy as clicking a mouse or hitting “post” on a smart phone. The author can even remain anonymous if s/he chooses. But, what if the statements that are shared online aren’t true? Defamation – a false statement made to a third party about a public or private person – is no laughing matter.
New Laws That May Affect You
For several months my wife Carol and I were members of the wine club sponsored by the Baron Herzog wineries, one of the largest kosher wineries in the United States. Every quarter the winery would send us one of their choicer reserve wines plus a featured wine of another winery, such as a wonderful chardonnay from the Goose Bay Winery in New Zealand. Then suddenly the shipments stopped.
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