Each year, homeowners in subdivisions and condominiums throughout Indiana complain to their state legislators regarding real and perceived problems with their neighborhood associations. Those elected officials respond each year by introducing a variety of legislation designed to solve the problems of their constituents. This year was no different. There were a number of legislative initiatives, some potentially catastrophic, that were introduced into the 2011 Session of the Indiana General Assembly. Fortunately only a few became law. However, those bills will have an impact on the operation of homeowners associations in Indiana. This article will discuss the 2011 initiatives that became law.

The construction job is complete. Your invoice has been submitted to the customer. However, several weeks have passed since you submitted the invoice and you have not been paid. On your last day at the job site, the architect (or foreman, general contractor, building manager, homeowner, etc.) told you that he was delighted with your work, asked you for business cards to submit to colleagues and friends, and promised that you would be paid “but it might take a few extra days.” When you were out with your spouse during the weekend, you were sure you saw your customer at the ballgame (or grocery, trade show, department store, movies, etc.) but he put his head down and walked the opposite direction. That is when you realized that you have a problem – you are not going to get paid. Of course, your fears are confirmed when your phone calls or emails to the customer go unreturned or are returned at times when you are sure not to be in the office.

By: Dennis L. Voelkel, Esq. Download PDF Version Several years ago, hardly anyone had heard of limited liability companies (“LLC”). Now businesses operate as LLCs in all states, and the press and media have nothing but good things to say about them. Is all the hype justified? Much of it is, especially where the business […]

By: Dennis L. Voelkel, Esq.Download PDF Version If you’re like most people, you don’t like to think about planning your estate. But it’s an important part of ensuring the financial security of your loved ones. One of the easiest and most common tools used in estate planning is a program of giving gifts. Gifts can […]

By: Dennis L. Voelkel, Esq.Download PDF Version A well-known, but sometimes overlooked, way to buy and sell real estate without paying tax at the time of the transaction is through the use of “like-kind” exchanges. In a like-kind exchange, investment property is traded for other investment property. The person transferring one piece of property receives […]