Blog
- What to do with a post-foreclosure or post-short sale 1099?
- New Federal Tax Law Enacted
- Real Estate Roundup
- Cybersquatting And The Courts
- Employment Retaliation Claims Surging
- Different Ways To Hold Investment Property
- Taking Land For Economic Development
- U.S. Supreme Court: Arbitration Is The New Employment Law
- No Estate Taxes for POD Beneficiary
- Better(?) Disclosure For Mortgage Consumers
- Websites and Where to Sue
- Innocent Spouse Tax Relief
For most married couples, filing federal income taxes jointly rather than separately results in a lower tax bill. However, this “all for one, one for all” approach can have a downside if questions arise about the accuracy of the return. The general rule is that[...]
- Sculptor Slays Government Goliath
Some 20 years ago, a World War II veteran and prominent sculptor won a government competition to sculpt a memorial to Korean War veterans in Washington, D.C. His creation depicts a platoon of stainless steel, larger than life foot soldiers arranged in what has come to […]
So you received a 1099 following the short sale or foreclosure of your home. Now what? The answer will depend upon whether you received a 1099-A or a 1099-C. A 1099-A does not create a tax liability so that form can be put away for future reference. [...]
On December 17, 2010, the president signed into law an $858 billion federal tax package. The main elements of the legislation are a two year extension of the reductions of income, capital gains, and dividend taxes enacted during the Bush Administration and a one year [...]
Joseph and Kimberli bought an unimproved lot in a subdivision and then engaged an architect and a contractor to design and build the home of their dreams on it. The lot and finished home together would cost them about $731,000. They borrowed most of the sales price from a [...]
A former employee who refused to give up a domain name that he had registered for the benefit of his former employer has been hit with a sizeable damages verdict. The federal appeals court that heard his case looked unfavorably on his having held the domain name for "ransom," [...]
The case can be made that discriminating against an individual in the workplace because of the person’s gender, race, religion, and similar characteristics is something of a behavioral aberration that is not a part of human nature—or at least most people would like to think that is [...]
Convinced that property values have finally bottomed out in your area, you decide to take the plunge and buy some real estate as an investment. As the saying goes, buy low and (hope to) sell high. In such ventures, one of the earliest and most important decisions concerns which type [...]
A city negotiated with property owners to acquire a strip of land and some temporary easements for the purpose of installing a deceleration lane for traffic that would access a new development. Included in that development was a building to be occupied by a [...]
The employment law component of the docket during the most recent term of the U.S. Supreme Court was dominated by decisions on arbitration. Some of the cases have the potential to affect large numbers of employers [...]
Before James died without a will, and with an estate valued at about $12 million, he had designated his teenage goddaughter, Jessica, as the beneficiary on two payable on death (POD) accounts worth almost $4 million at his death. Jessica and her parents were then sued by James's estate, which was seeking reimbursement for[...]
The federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is a consumer protection law for homebuyers that is enforced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The thrust of the law is to require that loan originators make certain disclosures to borrowers so that they can be more informed consumers, entering into more transparent[...]
After she became dissatisfied with the services of home remodeling contractors that she had obtained through an Internet referral website, Victoria sued the referral business for breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation, and negligence. The referral website involved a series of web pages. Victoria entered project information on the first page, clicked to the [...]
