|
Vtlegalhelp.com
"Information is Power"
September 2009 |
|
|
|
Hello Folks:
This is our second newsletter. We hope you enjoyed the first. In this issue, we focus on the real estate part of our law practice. Real estate transactions are managed in house here at 1097 Main Street through Montshire Title and Closing Company, LLC, with Attorney Bob Brazil, paralegal Ginni Lavely, and administrative assistant Jen Rector primarily in charge and other members of the law firm in support. Our entire law firm represents clients concerning any other real estate issues, including litigation. In that way, we have you covered when real estate issues arise.
We hope you have had a lovely summer, and wish you a colorful Autumn!
Warm regards,
Deb Bucknam
|
|
|
| 
|
Ginny Lavely, paralegal
Ginny has been with us since 2007. She started as an administrative assistant, and we were so impressed with her work, we promoted her to paralegal. She works primarily for Attorney Bob Brazil and Montshire Title and Closing Company , where she and Bob and administrative assistant Jen Rector work as a team to ensure real estate transactions proceed efficiently, while making certain that clients' interests are protected. Ginni and her husband, Justin own The North Star Monthly, a newspaper that highlights feature,
human interest, and historical stories and articles about Vermont's Northeast
Kingdom. Ginni and Jen Rector are both now earning their paralegal certificates at Franklin Pierce University online paralegal certificate program Ginni and Jen will graduate in August 2010. Congratulations to you both!
| |
Social Networking comes to our office
Several months ago, we began a page on Facebook, Deborah T. Bucknam & Associates, PC. It has been fun to be able to post news of the firm, thoughts I have regarding the legal system, and to see responses to some of my posts. Facebook has different types of pages: personal pages where you invite friends to join, groups of all kinds-- from the ridiculous to the sublime--that you can join as a member, and business pages where "fans" can sign up, receive posts, and post their own messages. On a personal page, in order to have a friend, both people must agree to be friends--a privacy protection. A business page is different in that anyone can be a fan--no acceptance by the business is required. Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with friends and colleagues. I hope you will sign up to be a fan of our page! ---Deb Bucknam |
|
Deborah T. Bucknam & Associates, PC
 Serving Vermont and New Hampshire Legal and Real Estate Needs |
Appealing Property Tax Appraisals
Procedures for appealing a town assessment--and saving on property taxes
 By Bob Brazil, Esq. Many Vermont taxpayers are facing re-appraisals of their properties.
With the changes in property values over the last several years, and
the increased burden of property taxes, it is good advice for you to
review your town's appraisal of your property and to consider appealing
the town's assessment if you believe it is above fair market value. There
are a couple of general principles to keep in mind when considering
whether or not to challenge your property tax assessment. First, do
some homework. Understand the basics of the property tax process. Take
some time to learn how your property was appraised and how your
property's assessed value compares to other similar properties in town.
While you may ultimately choose to handle the appeal on your own,
consider spending some time with an attorney prior to filing your
appeal. This will help you understand not only whether or not you have
an issue for appeal, but will also help you understand how to best
present that issue to the hearing officer. Before you begin the process
it's worth knowing whether or not your complaint has a legal "handle." Second,
understand that a successful appeal of your property tax requires more
than a gut feeling that your assessment is too high. Nearly everyone
"feels" their property taxes are too high. Similarly, appeals based on
the "unconstitutionality" of property taxes will not be successful. Read more... |
Avoiding construction and home repair pitfalls
Building or remodeling a home needs careful legal planning to avoid future litigation.
In our office, we frequently have clients who have had work done on
their homes--new roofs, additions, renovations, and even new
construction--and the work is not satisfactory. They are faced with
potentially expensive litigation against the contractor to remedy the
wrong done to them. There are legal remedies against a contractor who
has not performed his or her job, including claims for breach of
contract and consumer fraud claims. However, litigation is expensive,
and collecting your judgment may be problematic. For example, the
contractor may be operating as a corporation or LLC, and those entities
may have no assets from which to collect the judgment. In addition,
married couples in Vermont are not liable for any sole debts or
liabilities, so if all of your contractor's assets are held with his or
her spouse, those assets are not available to you to satisfy a
judgment. Finally, not only is litigation expensive, but there are long
delays before your case will be heard. Therefore, it is advisable to do
some preventive medicine before the work has begun, so that if the work
is substandard, you will have an easier time obtaining compensation for
your loss. Here are some things you must do to avoid costly litigation
for sub-par work: Read more... |
|
Deborah T. Bucknam & Associates, PC
1097 Main Street
PO Box 310
St. Johnsbury, Vermont 05819
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
