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Since the introduction of the Headley amendment (Proposition A) to Michigan’s property tax laws, the property tax assessment has been divided into a Taxable Value (TV) and a State Equalized Value (SEV). The TV is what taxes are actually based upon. The TV may not increase by greater than the COLI or 5% whichever is

If you plan to buy property, you really should get a survey. A mortgage report is not sufficient. If you buy property without a survey, you run the risk that the boundaries of the property are not where you thought. Your house may encroach onto your neighbor’s or theirs may encroach onto yours, or part

Medicaid is the government program that will help pay for care in a nursing home. The complicated rules and policies surrounding this program usually cause people to seek the advice of an elder law attorney. Historically, with the help of an attorney, a spouse could receive Medicaid benefits without having to spend down any assets.

In November 2013 the IRS announced new rules for up to $500 of unused amounts in a health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that is part of a cafeteria plan. The old rule was that if you didn’t have medical expenses during a plan year that totally used up your FSA, you were permitted a “grace

We have all heard the radio advertisements: Set up a corporation or LLC for your business and you will protect your personal assets form company creditors. So after setting up the corporation or LLC, why am I sued personally? I have heard this question many times where the client set up a corporation or limited

Most of us do it every day after we visit the mailbox. “Junk mail, junk mail, junk mail, wait … what is this?” This is the response that Record Transfer Services and Local Records Office are looking for. These companies recently sent solicitations to my client after helping with her estate plan. Her plan included preparing a

Estate planning for second family often gets overlooked. The irony is that these situations typically require the most planning. In Michigan, a person who passes away without an estate plan will have her assets distributed under Michigan’s Inestate Succession statute. This one-size-fits-all approach often misses the mark. These laws rarely take into account the issues

Many years ago the state adopted what some call the Sunshine Law: the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. The Act is intended to make information about government more accessible to the public, with certain exceptions. Much of the litigation over the Act involves these exceptions. Michigan’s Court of Appeals, in a case involving Delta College,

Building a home on former farmland can be tricky. For one thing, you need to consider a “recapture tax” you might have to pay. If the property is subject to a Farmland and Open Space Preservation Agreement, called a PA 116 agreement, the land owner agrees not to develop the land for a while in