Michigan Businesses: New Bill to Limit Employer Liability for Hiring Convicts with Certificate of Employability

House Bill 5217 would give incentives to Michigan businesses for hiring convicted felons back into the work force. Today the Senate Judiciary recommended that HB 5217 be given immediate effect.   As background…   There are a number of great companies who reach out to support putting Michiganders with certain barriers to work.  Goodwill IndustriesContinue reading “Michigan Businesses: New Bill to Limit Employer Liability for Hiring Convicts with Certificate of Employability”

Mortgage Holders, Investors, and Agents: New Case Law Definitively States No Standing After Redemption Period?

A case decided April 10th may cut off any claims of wrongful foreclosure by a homeowner after the expiration of redemption period.   The Case is Glenna Bryan v JP Morgan Chase,Docket No. 313279 (April 10, 2014, Mich Ct App)   There, the Court of Appeals noted that:   “Defendant argues that plaintiffs lacked standingContinue reading “Mortgage Holders, Investors, and Agents: New Case Law Definitively States No Standing After Redemption Period?”

Businesses: Consider Limitation Clauses in Your Contracts

A few days ago the ABAJournal posted an article about a lawsuit that has been 13 years in the making – Allstate agents signed a “right-to-sue waiver” – are they precluded from filing a lawsuit now? See the article here   A few thoughts after reading that article:   Do you use standard contracts in your business?Continue reading “Businesses: Consider Limitation Clauses in Your Contracts”

Michigan Senate Bill: Owner of Real Property Owes No Duty to Trespasser

Back in February I posted an update on real estate legislation in Michigan, including Senate Bill  788, a proposed bill that would provide that an owner of an interest in real property would generally owe no legal duty to a trespasser. You can see that proposed Bill Here   The Senate Judiciary Committee is MeetingContinue reading “Michigan Senate Bill: Owner of Real Property Owes No Duty to Trespasser”

Universal Legal Forms: A Win for Legal Zoom?

A few of my blog posts have discussed the pitfalls of relying on universal legal forms like those provided through Legal Zoom.   the ABA Journal has posted what seems to be a legal victory for Legal Zoom – the South Carolina Supreme Court has declared that Legal Zoom’s document service is not the “unauthorizedContinue reading “Universal Legal Forms: A Win for Legal Zoom?”

Business law – Tricky Terms and Conditions (part 2) – General Mills Product Eliminates Right To Sue in Their Legal Terms.

I previously wrote a blog post about how businesses should be careful to read their contracts, particularly those tiny printed “Terms and Conditions”. You can read that blog post here   An update in General Mill’s policies, prompted by Court rulings, was posted through the ABAJournal provided another illustration of this point. See that articleContinue reading “Business law – Tricky Terms and Conditions (part 2) – General Mills Product Eliminates Right To Sue in Their Legal Terms.”

Real Estate Professionals: New Michigan Law Can Extinguish Redemption Rights

Real estate law is complicated.   I am just going to throw that out there.   Particularly when dealing with a mortgagor (borrower’s) rights associated with the redemption period at a foreclosure sale.   I. Purchasers at Foreclosure Sales – what do they own? In general, if a third party is the bidder at a foreclosureContinue reading “Real Estate Professionals: New Michigan Law Can Extinguish Redemption Rights”

Estate Dispute Caused by “E-Z Legal Form” – Another Illustration of the Need For Sound Legal Counsel in any Legal Transaction.

  I wrote a previous post about the Problem with Universal Legal Forms   The ABA Journal reports another example making headlines, that highlights my point.   In the article a Florida woman, Mrs. Aldrich, used an E-Z legal Will form that she filled out herself; after she passed away it became apparent that the Will did not haveContinue reading “Estate Dispute Caused by “E-Z Legal Form” – Another Illustration of the Need For Sound Legal Counsel in any Legal Transaction.”

Businesses: Check Out My Guest Blog Article About the Legal Role of Your Board of Directors

  Yesterday I published a guest blog article with GRAPE where I address the role of a board of directors/board of managers in a business.  You can see that article here   I met with a client very recently that illustrated another important, and related, point:   It is  important to have good people serving on a board of directorsContinue reading “Businesses: Check Out My Guest Blog Article About the Legal Role of Your Board of Directors”

Question For Businesses: How Can You Trust your Employees?

I recently met with some business owner clients.  There is no simple way around it, they were in a serious mess.   Facts:   Clients own several businesses. They most recently purchased a business that had a lot of potential for growth. With the business, client assumed the employees of the business.  All signs were thatContinue reading “Question For Businesses: How Can You Trust your Employees?”