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This article is the second in a series about changes in the MCIOA. In this series of articles, we are analyzing the different provisions of SF 1750, which made numerous changes to the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act (“MCIOA”). With the exception of a few changes in definitions, which were...

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In what area of law do you practice and why did you choose this? Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Administration, Real Estate, Landlord/Tenant, and legal counsel for small businesses. I have found these areas are relevant to most people’s every day lives. What did you want to be when you...

In the world of estate planning, you may come across the acronym HEMS from time to time. HEMS stands for “health, education, maintenance, or support” and is frequently included in trust agreements to guide a trustee on the types of distributions they may make to a trust beneficiary. When a...

The limited liability company (LLC) is a popular business structure that offers liability protection and avoidance of double taxation. Trusts are popular asset transfer vehicles that allow you to avoid probate and keep assets out of the hands of creditors. By placing LLC membership interests in a trust, business owners...

As COVID continues and another flu season looms on the distant fall horizon, the City of Bloomington has passed the new Earned Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance. Bloomington joins Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Duluth as the fourth city requiring Sick and Safe Leave for employees. The new ordinance will go...

A nonfungible token (NFT) is a unique digital code that represents a digital item such as art or music, as well as a growing number of physical items, that runs on the blockchain (a secure, decentralized, and cryptography-backed online ledger) and provides proof of ownership of virtual collectibles. That explanation...

Whatever kind of business you are in, chances are you have some interaction with a state agency. Whether it is the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Human Services, or the Department of Health, there is somebody whose job it is to decide whether your business is doing...

Every year on the Fourth of July, Americans across the country celebrate our nation’s declaration of independence from Great Britain. Yet only about one-third of Americans have an estate plan—meaning that most Americans have given up their independence when it comes to deciding what will happen to them should they...

Most homebuyers look for properties that only require minor touch ups, if anything. While move in ready properties are attractive to the masses, they are the exact opposite of a house flipper’s dream property. When the market is high, or cost prohibitive for a young first time homebuyer, flipping is...

In response to growing inflation and other economic pressures, the Federal Reserve recently raised its key benchmark interest rate by 75-basis points, the largest single increase since 1994. This has predictably increased mortgage rates from 3.0% in October 2021 to upwards of 6.5% today (a 3.5% increase in approximately 8...

A purchase price escalation clause provides that an offer to buy real estate will automatically increase to exceed any other offer by a certain amount (see examples below). An escalation clause may be an effective way to make the highest bid; however, an escalation clause should be used only in...