Regardless of your opinion about marijuana in our community, it’s here and it’s likely to stay. In fact, I think it’s likely to become a legal part of local commerce, and I estimate that will happen in the next few years. So what does this mean for Ukiahans? Well, marijuana has many impacts, some obvious, … Read more
With spring in the air, it probably won’t surprise you to hear that more people are putting their homes on the market. What may surprise you is that if a home is priced more than 10 percent above its value, it is likely to sell for less. Confusing? Yes. Statistically true? Also yes. Let’s say … Read more
Last week, I began answering a reader’s questions about lease agreements, specifically about the minimum contract a landlord should consider, what should be included in the contract, and whether a contract is even worthwhile. I reviewed all the issues covered in our lease agreement. This week, I’ll get into the addendums we use—some we always use; … Read more
While I like the idea of confirming an agreement with a handshake rather than a contract, I’ve seen a few too many handshakes turn into fisticuffs to recommend them, especially when the agreement involves an asset worth several hundred thousand dollars. This week’s column is dedicated to answering questions from a reader about how to … Read more
As I’ve mentioned before, to own real estate you must hold title, and the way you hold title affects how the ownership of a property can be transferred and how the property can be financed, improved or used as collateral or taxed. This week I’ll talk about joint tenancy, community property, community property with the … Read more
As I mentioned last week, to own real estate you must hold title, and the way you hold title affects how the ownership of a property can be transferred and how the property can be financed, improved or used as collateral—it can also have significant tax consequences. This week I’ll talk about partnerships and limited … Read more
To own real estate you must hold title, and the way you hold title affects how the ownership of a property can be transferred; how the property can be financed, improved or used as collateral, and it has tax implications. Methods of holding title include limited liability companies (LLCs) and limited liability partnerships (LLPs), … Read more
As you may recall, last year we sponsored a contest asking for recommendations to make Ukiah a safer place to live and work. The vast majority of people who submitted entries—including contest winner Jane Covella—suggested activities for the Ukiah Police Department (UPD) to undertake. Police Chief Chris Dewey listened intensely to all suggestions, and appropriately … Read more
Recently, rural properties in California have had a harder time qualifying for homeowner’s insurance. After the big fires in 2014 (and the not-so-big Black Bart Fire locally), many insurance companies have declined new requests for coverage and even opted not to renew existing policies. Why? Because the Department of Insurance disallowed a rate increase for … Read more