| Volume 52 Number 11 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
It is illegal in Texas to charge more to someone who pays with a credit card. It is legal, however, to give a discount for cash. This discount is for the savings to the merchant who does not have to pay the fee that the credit card company charges. Click here for more.
Vendor Reports for Sports Venues
This week, ESPN released a story exposing MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL venue food vendors inspection reports. The story, picked up by almost every major media outlet, has raised eyebrows and made some stomachs queasy. The report found vendors serving food with flies, roaches, rats and rat droppings. The most common infractions were associated with vendors keeping food at too high of a temperature, causing the food to spoil, but still serving it to consumers. Do you want to know how your food is handled and prepared? Or do you prefer to be kept in the dark? To find out the results of your local venue inspection, Click here for more.
Top Ten Consumer Complaints
According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators and the Consumer Federation of America, car, debt collector, and home construction problems topped the list of ten most frequent consumer complaints. To read the rest of the top ten consumer complaints, Click here for more.
16 States to Offer Tax-Free Weekend
As early as today, July 30, many states will be offering sales-tax holidays for shoppers. Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia are all planning tax-free weeks or weekends. To find out when your state will have its tax-free holiday, and to find out the rules that apply to the holiday, Click here for more.
Your Money
Do you own certificates of deposit? Calculate your earnings and more! Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Debtor must pay creditors or remain in bankruptcy. The Eleventh Circuit held that an “above median” debtor could not obtain confirmation of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan lasting less than five years. The court noted that section 1325(b)(4) of the Bankruptcy Code was enacted as part of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. This section generally requires above median income debtors to remain in bankruptcy for an “applicable commitment period” of at least five years, unless unsecured claims are paid in full. Click here for more.