Get The Most Bang for Your Buck

How does an unlimited fund dedicated towards remodeling your home sound? Most of us would gladly accept such an offer; however, the reality is that most of us are on a budget of some kind. The good news is that home improvement projects don't have to break the bank to yield effective results. Here are some helpful hints to point you in the right direction (towards improving your home for as little $ as possible that is):

1. Give your kitchen cabinets a makeover! ($1000)
- Give your cabinetry a new look with a fresh coat of paint (or wood stain)
- Automatically improve their appearance by installing new hardware
- Get professional help for about $540 or do it yourself for the bargain
price of about $200

2. Create an office nook! ($250)
- If you don't have an empty room to use for an office, try making room for
a nook in a room corner or unused closet
- Closet kits, shelves, hanging hardware, and rolling file carts are all
perfect igredients to create an office nook that maximizes utility and
minimizes cost

3. Organize and de-clutter your garage! ($1000)
- Invest in slatwall systems to organize your garage
- Look for systems that allow you to hang hooks, shelves, and baskets so you
can increase space
- A garage organization project is an extremely low cost, high yield project
- Learn more about storeWALL units and how to order them here and here

4. Give your closet structure! ($500)
- Empty your closet and decide what to keep, what to trash, and what to
donate
- Go online at Rubber Maid and choose an organization system that fit's your
closet's measurements

If it is value that you are trying to add to your home, try these helpful hints:
1. Replace a window! ($500)
- If you have a window that is leaky or extremely difficult to open or
close, replace it and add value to your home in the process
- Tip: If you purchase an Energy Star-qualified window before December 30,
2011, you can claim a tax credit for %10 of the cost!

2. Hard-wire a room! ($1000)
- A hard-wired system is a small prject that will payoff when selling
- Hard-wired system will provide faster data transmission and more security
and reliability

If you are not planning to sell, and are looking to add style to your home, read below:
1. Remodel an entrance! ($250)
- Brighten up your home';s front entrance by paiting the front door with an
accent color
- Install new hardware on your front door for even more style
- Replace your old, beat up mailbox
- Make your house unique and personal by adding customized house numbers to
the front exterior

2. Update your lighting! ($500)
- Get rid of outdated light fixtures and put fashionable fixtures in their
place
- If you don't have the budget to update all of your light fixtures, start
with the fixtures in the most noticeable spots (Ex. Dining-room table)

We hope our tips help and we wish you happy home re-modeling!

Maitland Law Rocking the House- Tar Heel Style!

Maitland Law congratulates the Tar Heel Men's and Ladies' Basketball Teams for their berths in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA National Championships. GO HEELS! We are also celebrating our own "March Madness" by hitting our 3,000th real estate closing this month!

Can't make it to the basketball games this weekend? How about UNC baseball's home series vs. Dook? Game times have been adjusted as to not conflict with the basketball games, Friday now at 3:00, Saturday at 2:00, and Sunday at 1:00. GO HEELS!

No More Warnings!

As of November 30, 2010, there will be no more warnings given out by North Carolina State police/authorities for obscured license plates and illegal license plate covers. Those unlucky enough to be caught with an obscured license plate will be subject to a $100 fine and court costs. This new law, which applies only to vehicles that are registered in North Carolina, has been implemented to ensure law enforcement safety. It may seem unimportant, but in reality, there are several states that use the same license plate color schemes as North Carolina. It is a safety issue if police officers and state troopers cannot see the state name or registration information on license plates, because it could mean that the tags are falsified. In order to avoid being stopped and fined, be sure to take a second look at your own vehicle. If any information is obscured by a license plate frame, do yourself a favor and remove the frame! Find more detailed information about the new law here.

Example of what NOT to have on your vehicle:



Example of an APPROVED license plate:

2010 Changes to Corp-LLC

The Maitland Law Firm helps many of our clients create new North Carolina business entities for business or investment ventures. It is important to choose the best entity, Corporation (S or C Corp.), Limited Liability Company (Member or Manager managed LLC), Professional Corporation or PLLC, General Partnership, or other options to fit your needs and tax situation. From a legal perspective, our primary concern is to ensure "limited liability" for the owners and investors of the entity to make sure their personal assets are never at risk for the sake of the business entity.

The simplest, and a particularly relevant situation in our area, might be where parents are buying a rental property for the use of their college bound children and intend to rent portions of it to third party roommates. Should something happen, say during a "study session" or party where a third party slipped and fell or otherwise became injured, most landlords choose the LLC as an effective way to limit their potential exposure to the equity in the rental property rather than put all of their hard earned personal assets at risk. Of course, a more traditional scenario is where the client is starting a new business venture and wants to create the proper structure to encourage investment and provide management. We can assist clients with the myriad of issues to consider and make sure your new business gets off on the right foot.

Once we advise on the creation of the new entity, we believe it is our responsibility to keep you informed of annual changes to the law and other developments that might affect your business. The most common way for people to lose the benefit of "limited liability" even after creating a business entity, is to fail to comply with the simple formalities required of a business. Such failures can invalidate the business entity or open the door to "piercing the corporate veil," "alter ego," and other issues. We advise our clients along the way to make sure they avoid these pitfalls.

Along those lines, each North Carolina business entity is required to file an Annual Report with the North Carolina Secretary of State and pay an annual fee. The Legislature recently passed new legislation changing the due dates and reporting requirements for most business entities effective June 30, 2010. A summary of the changes can be found here. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Thanks!

Team Edward or Team Jacob? Beware of Team Virus!

Be careful when searching for Twilight related content. There are definitely a lot of Twilight related links out there that lead to scams and corrupted websites.

Here are some tips to help you avoid scams and other viruses.

If you download Twilight movies or videos clips, make sure they’re from well-known and trusted sources

Keep in mind “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” will not be available for legitimate download for months. In addition to being illegal, pre-release downloads often carry viruses or spyware. Be especially cautious if you’re being asked for your credit card information.

Don’t click on search engine results for images of Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, or other cast members unless you can verify the website

An increasing amount of rogue spyware directs consumers away from search results. Most common is a links that warns you of a “threat” and offers free anti-virus or anti-spyware. Actually, if you click on it, you will actually download malware – viruses, antispyware and other malicious software.

Whether you’re on Team Edward or Team Jacob, know how to spell it correctly

Slightly mistyped names can present search results with bad Web sites. Typo “squatters,” as they’re called, will often buy URL’s with slightly different spelling to capture unsuspecting visitors. They might drop malware on your computer just from visiting the site, or request personal information for financial gain.

Purchase your Twilight gear from well-respected online retailers

Reputable online retailers such as EBay and Amazon monitor phishing and impersonations of their Web sites. They look for typo squatters and other cybercriminals that are responsible for fraud and take them down.

Be wary of clicking on links in Twitter — shortened links make it difficult to confirm legitimate and recognized Web sites

Twitter allows users to post shortened URLs, making it easier for users to keep the messages within the prescribed character limit. URL shortening is similar to URL re-direction and can be abused by malware authors.

Entering a Twilight contest online? Here’s what to look for to make sure it’s legit

Make sure the Web site encrypts your data when sending it over the Internet. In this case the URL starts with “https” instead of “http.” Additionally, some Web sites have the trust seal issued by VeriSign to Web sites that meet its standards. You should be able to click on the VeriSign Trust Seal that opens up a window displaying information about the company you are about to do business with.

Always check the URL to verify that you are on the Web site you think you are visiting. You can also copy the domain name and verify the ownership using tools that can be found online. These tools will give you information about the domain you are visiting.

Alienation of Affection Claim Leads to Big $ for Greensboro Woman

North Carolina is one of the few states still recognizing the claim of alienation of affections. This claim is becoming fairly popular as of late due to the recent $9 million jury award in Guilford County. National news reports have also been discussing the claim in relation to the John Edwards saga in nearby Chatham County. With as popular as this claim has become in recent months, Tiger Woods and his stash of secret “putters” are lucky none to date have been identified as a resident of the Tar Heel state.

The claim itself involves a wrongful act which deprives a person of the affection, love, society, companionship, and comfort of their spouse. By allowing the spouse to sue the third-party adulterer, this claim protects and recognizes the sanctity of marriage. The claim itself requires proof of three elements: 1) there was a marriage with love and affection existing between the husband and wife; (2) that love and affection was alienated; and (3) the malicious acts of the defendant produced the loss of that love and affection.
If proven, a person may be awarded compensatory and punitive damages. In the Guilford County case, the jury awarded her $5 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages. The $9 million dollar jury verdict was awarded in Guilford County also included claims for alienation of affections, criminal conversation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
With this recent decision mistresses and adulterers better beware that there actions might have a hefty impact on their bank accounts.
To read the news coverage, click:
• Wife Wins $9 Million From Husband’s Alleged Mistress – ABC News
• The Price of an Affair? $9 Million – Greensboro News & Record

Economy Impacts Divorce

North Carolina families have not been immune to many of the same factors that have hit families across the country. One disturbing trend is the reality that because residential homes have lost significant value recently, many married couples who wish to seek a divorce simply cannot afford to because they owe too much on their marital home. The attorneys of Maitland Law use their unique backgrounds in both family and real estate law to assist clients with innovative strategies to resolve this and other difficult issues. Where others pose more questions than answers, the attorneys of Maitland Law turn your questions into answers.

According to one MSNBC report, a contested proceeding involving a couple with at least one child can expect their divorce to cost approximately $53,000 to $180,000, if they should go to court. The numbers factored in attorneys’ fees, financial advice, counseling and real estate costs for buying or renting separate residences.

In past times many of these expenses were recaptured when the couple sold their marital home and divided the proceeds. Nowadays the disastrous real estate market leaves many homeowners with their largest marital asset, the marital home, turned economically upside down, as they owe more on the property than it is worth.

Despite such dire statistics, we have found that with proper planning and creative thinking Maitland Law can successfully help our clients cope with difficult financial issues that might otherwise become an insurmountable obstacle to a mutually desired divorce. The key is good communication and valued legal experience for the parties to achieve their goals. Please feel free to contact us with any questions at infor@maitlandlaw.com and let our unique team of family and real estate law professionals go to work for you. We look forward to the privilege of assisting you with your legal matter.

For the complete MSNBC article, please click here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27808110/.