Author Archive
September Charity Luncheon Reminder
We’ll have our September charity luncheon on Wednesday, September 2. Our sponsored charity will be Hand Tools for Hope. Hand Tools for Hope gets hand tools to those in need in Third World countries. As always, there will be plenty of good food. Please bring a hand tool or donation if you are able to do so. [...]
Like Getting Smacked with a Mallet
Transferring property to your children to avoid probate causes a multitude of legal problems. See my recent post on Bankruptcy Law Network for a brief discussion on why this is such a bad idea. http://www.bankruptcylawnetwork.com/2009/08/10/transferring-property-to-avoid-probate-like-getting-smacked-in-the-head/
August Charity Luncheon Reminder
Just a reminder that we’re having our August charity luncheon this Wednesday, August 5 at noon. We took a month off in July and are looking forward to seeing you all again. Our sponsored charity is Operation Home, which makes emergency home repairs for disadvantaged residents of Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. We look forward to seeing you! –Russ DeMott
Got a Dog of a Business Picture?
My good friend and photographer, Tammy Wolfe, will be taking pictures right here in my office on July 31 and August first. My daughter, Marissa, is just completing an internship with Tammy up in Pennsylvania. Tammy and her business partner, Tamar London, have some slots available for professional head shots. So if your pics are a bit out-of-date, give them a call. They also [...]
Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Part Two)
In my last post, “Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Part One),” we examined the legal effect of an unsatisfied mortgage. This post will address one commonly used solution to an unsatisfied mortgage, as well as the penalties a lender faces under South Carolina law for failure to satisfy a mortgage once full payment has been made. [...]
Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Part One)
You’re headed toward the finish line. The goal: closing. You’ve taken all the precautions, done all the leg work. Maybe it’s your first closing, so you’ve got your helmet on and your training wheels attached. You’re moving right along. Then it happens: there’s a missing mortgage satisfaction. A Big Fat Title Defect. I confess that [...]
Closing Attorney Does Not Represent Lender
Today, the South Carolina Ethics Committee issued Ethics Advisory Opinion 09-07. The Committee addressed the issue of whether, in a routine residential closing, the closing attorney has an attorney-client relationship with the lender. The Committee said the attorney does not act as an attorney for the lender unless the lender is relying on the closing attorney for more [...]
Thank You to My Friends
Now that I’ve been blogging for about two months, I’d like to say thank you to some friends of mine who have helped me along the way. First and foremost, I’d like to thank my good friend Dave Walker. Dave is both a true friend and a talented website designer and software programmer. Dave has [...]
But I Paid the Rent!: Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009
There is good news for any tenant facing eviction after foreclosure. The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009, which became law on May 20, guarantees almost all tenants at least 90 days after receiving notice of foreclosure before they can be evicted from their homes. This applies even to month-to-month [...]
Insurable Title and Marketable Title
Every few months I get a call from a realtor or a client asking me to explain the difference between “marketable title” and “insurable title.” Usually, this comes up in connection with some particular title issue that has either been disclosed by the seller or that our office has found during our title search. “Marketable [...]
