Conversion of another person’s property has been defined in Michigan as “any conduct inconsistent with the owner’s property rights.” You could take someone else’s property and conceal it, sell it, destroy it, or simply refuse to give it back upon request; if you do, you may have committed common law […]

            You, a family member or friend may have questions about the divorce process. This pamphlet will give the reader a practical overview of divorce in Michigan. This is only an overview. It does not answer specific questions. Specific questions are best answered by consultation with an attorney specializing in […]

This is not your first time transporting hazardous materials. Safeco, your trucking company, is familiar with and follows every DOT regulation governing the transportation of hazardous material. It knows just what to do if a shipment of hazardous material is damaged, or begins to leak. 49 CFR 177.854 gives the […]

Under a change to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, employers are required to permit nursing mothers to take breaks to express milk and to provide a private location, other than a bathroom, to do so. Nursing mothers may take “reasonable” […]

Bob Cleary recently conducted a transition workshop for a client who completed an asset purchase (bought a company) and wanted to minimize the usual discomfort it takes for the merged parties to become efficient as new compatible working partners. The client was relieved that the workshop produced swift results, claiming […]

Federal law and Michigan law require a purchaser of property to investigate whether the property is environmentally contaminated; otherwise, the purchaser runs the risk of becoming legally liable to pay the cost of cleaning up contamination on the property, even though caused by a prior owner. Unlike most states, Michigan […]

While the economic downturn in 2008-2010 created significant difficulties for many people related to their real estate holdings (dramatic losses of equity, difficulty in selling and financing or re-financing houses and, in some cases, short sales or mortgage foreclosures), it also has presented opportunities for prospective purchasers to purchase real […]

Give the Notice, the Whole Notice, and Nothing but the Notice 1. Give the Notice The first question that should cross the mind of anyone planning to purchase or lease a gas station is: have the underground gasoline storage tanks at the station ever leaked? If so, negotiating responsibility for the […]

Article Originally Published: September 2009 The information contained in this article is not intended to be legal advice. Readers should not act or rely on this information without consulting an attorney. One of the biggest “hammers” wielded by the government to impose environmental liability on private companies with contaminated property is […]

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