When you act as a trustee under a Trust or as an attorney-in-fact or POA under a Durable Power of Attorney, you are doing so as a fiduciary and under a legal role where you have certain legal authority. The above question could apply to any documents you sign such as a mortgage, promissory note, contract, or check. The short answer to the above question is – no, you do not need to. However, you may want to (depending on the type of document), and it may better practice to do so. Moreover, what the document actually says may control despite however you may sign.
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Posted in Asset Protection,Real Estate Law
Previously, the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 (“PTAF”) provided some protection to Florida tenants leasing property in foreclosure. Subject to certain exceptions, the PTAF mandated that purchasers at a foreclosure sale take title to the property subject to the rights of a bona fide tenant. It also required the purchaser comply with certain notice requirements prior to terminating a lease. Unfortunately, the PTAF expired on December 31, 2014, potentially leaving Florida tenants unprotected. Thus, Florida legislatures enacted Section 83.561 of the Florida Statutes to help fill the void left by the expiration of the PTAF.
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The Firm is republishing a September 2014 blog post regarding the ability of Florida property owners to contest or appeal the assessed value of their property. The republished blog, below, includes updated information for 2015.
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Medicaid has been around for many years, as it was designed to help low income people with healthcare. In today’s society, many people use Medicaid as their long-term care insurance and it pays for the majority of nursing home care for patients across the United States.
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Posted in Asset Protection,Probate & Trust Administration,Real Estate Law,Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning
Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship (JTWROS) is a form of joint property ownership available to two or more people and characterized by the right of survivorship. Upon one tenant’s death, the share of the property passes to the surviving co-tenants. There are five requirements for creation of a JTWROS: the right of survivorship and the four unities of possession, interest, title, and time.
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A recent study conducted by Experian anticipates about $265 billion in home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) will begin entering a repayment period, affecting millions of consumers. HELOC originations, which continued to increase from 2005 until the start of the housing crisis, are generally divided into two periods. For the first ten years, a HELOC remains in the draw period, which allows consumers to use the line of credit while making minimum, interest-only payments. After ten years, many HELOCs enter the repayment period. This may cause a hike in monthly payments, sometimes as much as triple or quadruple the monthly payment amount during the initial draw period. Debt-relief consultants anticipate defaults to skyrocket as these HELOCs enter the repayment period.
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One of the many complicated facets of planning for a possible divorce as part of estate planning is the division of property. When a marriage dissolves, property that is classified as a marital asset will generally be equitably distributed between the parties. On the other hand, property that is classified as a nonmarital asset will not.
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Calendaring important IRS and tax authority deadlines can save you a lot of headaches at tax time. To avoid paying penalties and other tax consequences, keep a calendar and review tax deadlines with your Accountant, CPA, Enrolled Agent, or Tax Attorney. Jackson Law Group has tax attorneys that can assist you with IRS or other tax problems. The below items are a few examples of important dates:
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