| Volume 122 Number 12 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
The current scam against small businesses involves “selling” equipment and having the business pay for it through a “lease.” Be careful before you sign any lease agreement. Do not sign a form with any blanks, and carefully read everything. If the goods are never delivered or are defective, you may still have to pay the lease. Click here for more.
Mitsubishi Motors and False Mileage Tests since 1991
An internal investigation found that Mitsubishi Motors Corp. had intentionally lied about fuel economy data for some of its models since 1991. However, this sort of cover up is not new. Mitsubishi Motors struggled to win back consumer trust after cover ups on defects relating to failing brakes, faulty clutches and fuel tanks prone to falling off, were exposed in the 2000s. As of now, production and sales of all affected models have been halted. Click here for more.
Your Money
Do you need a will? Generally speaking, you should have an up-to-date will. Tabloids are full of stories about the disastrous fallout when celebrities die without wills. Elvis Presley might be the most famous example, but there are countless others, including Marlon Brando, Michael Jackson, and now Prince. To avoid the confusion, a will makes the transfer of assets less confusing and also tells the decedent’s executor or personal representative how his or her assets should be divided. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Failure to sign agreement defeats motion to compel arbitration. The Eastern District of Pennsylvania held that by its own terms an arbitration agreement must be signed to be a valid contract. The court concluded that this language was a clear and unambiguous statement of mutual intent that the parties would only relinquish their litigation rights if they signed the agreement. Because defendant had not signed the “Mutual Agreement” and was not formally bound by it, neither was the plaintiff. Accordingly, the court overruled the motion to dismiss. Shank v. Fiserv, Inc., (ED PA) Click here for more.