| Volume 108 Number 2 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Buying a gift "all sales final" means the person you give it to cannot return it simply because he or she doesn't like it or it doesn't fit. But "all sales final" does not mean you are out of luck if it is broken or defective. Even in a final sale, the seller warrants the goods are not defective. Only when goods are sold "as is" should buyer beware.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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Relief for Corinthian Students
Last month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced $480 million in relief for Corinthian College students who took out high-post private student loans to attend the school.
Corinthian College has been the center of federal investigations for quite some time. Last year, the Department of Education reached an agreement with Corinthian for the controlled shutdown of several schools. In February 2015, new ownership took over more than half of the Corinthian schools.
Did you attend a Corinthian school? Did you take out a loan?
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Don't Go Without a Living Will
A living will (also known as advance directive) is a document that spells out to your health care wishes should become unable to speak for yourself. You don't need an attorney to make one, but that doesn't make it any less important. In the event you become incapacitated but don't have a living will, your health care decisions will be made by others, and can lead to disagreements about how to proceed.
It's especially important to name a health care proxy. If you don't, the state will assign one for you. This is especially important for same-sex couples that live in states that don't recognize their status.
It doesn't take long to create a living will. Forms are available online, making it easy for you to make your wishes known. Yet, despite the ease of the process, less than half of adults over the age of 65 have a living will. That said, a living will isn't just for people over the age of 65. Any adult over the age of 18 should have one.
How can you make a living will? What happens if you become incapacitated without one?
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Your Money
Do you run a business? Should you lease or buy equipment?
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For the Lawyers
Mandatory water and sewer charges do not involve a debt under Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
The Second Circuit held that sewer and water charges were similar to municipal taxes levied automatically in connection with ownership of property, and are not a debt for purposes of the FDCPA.
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