New
on the McTexLaw Business Owner’s Resource Center
THE
CASE OF THE BLOCKHEADS (posted 5-1-02)
H&R
Block and its franchisees are duking it out in the Missouri courts.
After the first round in district court, it's Block 1, franchisees
0. Round two in the appeals court could radically change some
long-held assumptions about so-called "evergreen" arrangements
between franchisors and franchisees. Read about the lessons this
case teaches about written contractual relationships.
New
on the McTexLaw Commercial Real Estate Resource Center
GOVERNMENT
DOTH NOT TAKE WHAT IT MERELY DELAYS (posted 5-1-02)
Governments
may regulate private land use, up to a point, without compensating
owners for the burdens or for the reduced value of the land imposed
by the regulations. But if the regulations rise to the level of
a "taking", then the landowner must be compensated.
The U.S. Supreme Court has now determined that a 6 year regulatory
ban on all development of private land is not a "taking,"
which leads to the question, can there ever be a regulatory taking
anymore? Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council v. Tahoe Regional Planning
Agency, Case No. 00-1167, Decided April 23, 2002.
WHY
INSURANCE PREMIUMS ARE RISING: MOLD PLUS 9-11 (posted 5-1-02)
The
next time you see your insurance agent in person, mention the
word "mold" in the conversation and watch them squirm
in emotional torture. In 2001, in Texas alone, insurance companies
paid out $1 billion for mold related residential property damage.
Insurance rates were already going up in the summer of 2001. And
then came 9-11, further straining insurance companies. Read this
story to learn more about mold claims and how long this will continue
to affect your insurance rates.
WHAT
ARE THE CHANCES AN ESTATE TAX RETURN WILL BE AUDITED?
The
Internal Revenue Service recently issued a publication showing
it received 123,500 estate tax returns during calendar year 2000,
and audited 6% of them, which comes out to 7,707 returns. But
the percentage changes depending on the amount of the value of
the estate. The IRS audited 3% of the returns for estates worth
less than $1 million, 8% of the returns for estates between $1
million and less than $5 million, and 29% of the returns for estates
of $5 million or more. Regis should be so lucky to work with trivia
of this quality.
UNIQUE
LAW FIRM MARKETING
A
little firm in Denver, Colorado, takes a unique approach to marketing.
This little firm includes six lawyers who are "to put it
most politely, uppity women, who through various shenanigans and
underhanded schemes control the firm." Not to fear, men:
"this has not resulted in undue hardship on the male lawyers
who are generously allowed a five minute coffee break every other
day (so long as they continue to ponder client matters and continue
billing accordingly)." Menu choices on their website navigation
bar include "Agonized Clients", "Sleazeball Lawyers"
and "BFH Reporter" (short for "bitches from hell").
Check
out the rest of this not-so-serious law firm website at http://www.ppbfh.com.