| Volume 71 Number 7 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
A debt collector may call you at work until he or she knows your employer prohibits such calls. Once you tell the debt collector the calls are prohibited, federal law says the calls must stop. Click here for more.
Top 10 Counterfeit Goods
Every year, United States Customs and Border Protection seizes hundreds of millions of dollars in counterfeit goods. Last year alone, the agency seized 25,000 shipments of counterfeit goods at a total value of $178.9 million. So, how can you spot the counterfeit goods? In some cases, it is obvious. In others, you could have a hard time telling you're buying an inferior product. For a list of the top ten counterfeit goods and how to make sure you get the real thing, Click here for more.
What to Know if You Contest a Will
What can you do if you feel like you've been cheated out of an inheritance? First, you must understand who can and who cannot challenge a will. In order to state your case, you must be an "interested party," which means you're included in the will, or would inherit if there was no will. Several states have laws protecting surviving spouses, but what can you do if you don't have any protections and you are an "interested party?" Click here for more.
Facebook Offers New Verification Process
Facebook has taken another interesting step in their evolution, deciding to allow its users to operate under fake names, but only after verifying their real identity. How could anyone have legitimate reasons for using a fake name on Facebook? Look no further than Stefani Germanotta. Not many people that Stefani Germanotta is, in fact, Lady Gaga. In order for Lady Gaga and others to use Facebook, they will need to submit a government-issued photo ID for verification. Do you feel comfortable with Facebook verifying your ID? Should users be allowed to contribute using a fake name? Click here for more.
Your Money
What is your tax bracket? Use this 1040 calculator to estimate the amount you owe or are owed. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Truth in Lending Act rescission claim time-barred after three years. The Ninth Circuit held that the Truth in Lending Act's statute of repose extinguished a borrower's right to rescission three years after the consummation of her loan – regardless of whether she provided notice of her rescission within that period. The court noted that, “15 U.S.C. §1635(f) is a three-year statute of repose, requiring dismissal of a claim for rescission brought more than three years after the consummation of the loan secured by the first trust deed, regardless of when the borrower sends notice of rescission.” Click here for more.