| Volume 22 Number 3 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Texas has a lemon law. It applies to new cars, and gives you substantial legal rights against the manufacturer. A car is a lemon if it has been in the shop four or more times for the same problems, or two or more times if the problem is a safety defect. Click here for more.
Cramming: Mystery Phone Charges
"Cramming." No, we're not talking about studying for an exam, although you may want to study your monthly phone bill more closely in the future. This type of cramming refers to unexplained charges on your phone bill for services you never ordered, authorized, received, or used. Sometimes a one-time charge for entertainment services will be crammed onto your phone bill. Other times, monthly recurring charges are crammed onto your phone bill. Cramming of monthly recurring charges falls into two general categories: club memberships, such as psychic clubs, personal clubs, or travel clubs; and telecommunications products or service programs, such as voice mail, paging, and calling cards. Click here for more.
Get Above Water: When You Are Struggling to Make Mortgage Payments
Many borrowers are struggling to make their mortgage payments. It may be because they were attracted to an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) that at first had affordable monthly payments. Now that the interest rate has adjusted upward, the only direction most ARMs are headed these days, the homeowner can't make the new higher payments. They may have been manipulated into a loan they cannot afford to repay. They may have been convinced that because they had less than perfect credit the only way they could refinance was with a loan with high fees and high interest rates. Whatever the promises that the loan was right for them, too many homeowners now feel that they are drowning in debt and at risk of losing their homes. Click here for more.
10 Tax Laws You Just Gotta Know
This filing season, the biggest beneficiaries of new tax laws are homeowners. Click here for more.
5 Tips For Haggling Over Medical Bills
Insurance companies aren't the only ones who can negotiate a lower price -- you can, too. Here's how. Click here for more.
Your Money
Should you buy or rent your next home? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Bankruptcy exemption cap does not apply to homestead interest established within 1215-day period if debtor acquired title before period. The 5th Circuit has noted that for purposes of the bankruptcy code, the exemption cap does not apply to homestead interest established within 1215-day period if debtor acquired title before that period. Click here for more.