Voted Best Law Firm in the Mid-Valley!
Saalfeld Griggs was awarded the Gold Metal in the Statesman Journal’s “Best of the Mid-Valley” competition for 2013. The firm was voted “Best Law Firm” for the third year in a row! Thank you for your support!
House Bill 2662A: Super-Priority Lien
On May 30, 213 the Oregon Senate forwarded to Governor Kitzhaber for signature a bill that would permit local governments to clean up vacant nuisance properties and pass along the cost to the property owner or foreclosing lender in the form of a super-priority lien. House Bill 2662A provides local governments the authority to clean …
Residential Real Estate Title and Financing in Oregon; Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. “Mers”
On June 6, 2013 the Oregon Supreme Court released two important opinions affecting residential real estate title and financing in Oregon. The opinions concern two cases commonly known as Brandrup and Niday. Both opinions concerning the validity of the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. or “MERS”. In the two opinions, the Oregon Supreme Court found that MERS is …
Follow Up to Senate Bill 558A: Changes to Oregon’s Foreclosure Laws
On Tuesday June 4, 2013 Governor Kitzhaber signed into law an expansion of the foreclosure avoidance mediation legislation first approved by the Oregon legislature last year. The law was expanded after the legislation failed to affect the foreclosure process in 2012 because many lenders and loan servicers pursued judicial foreclosure instead of non-judicial foreclosure to …
Avoiding the 3.8% Medicare Tax on Self-Rental Income
By Business & Taxation Practice Group For those of you who don’t have the opportunity to read the tax code like I do, you may not know that the federal government has imposed a new 3.8% Medicare tax on certain investment income. Absent some up-front planning, this tax can apply to rental income that is …
Preparing for Retirement
By Estate Planning Practice Group Hoping to retire in the near future? Here is an overview of seven things to consider. Plan for Health Insurance Affordable health insurance is one of the biggest obstacles to retiring prior to age 65. Group coverage is typically less expensive than purchasing individual coverage. Look for group coverage through …
Your Office Lease- Not an Afterthought When Buying A Practice
By Mark Shipman & Doug Alexander You just started the initial negotiations on purchasing a dental practice. In addition to discussing the purchase price of the practice, the goodwill, and the equipment, there is a single line on the letter of intent that says you will assume the existing lease agreement or that you will …
How Do We Select Judges?
By Hunter Emerick By all accounts, the Oregon Court of Appeals is one of the busiest intermediate appellate courts in the country. Almost any party aggrieved by a decision issued by an Oregon state jury, trial judge or administrative law judge has an absolute right to appeal the decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals. …
Senate Bill 558A: Changes to Oregon’s Foreclosure Laws
The Oregon Legislature approved Senate Bill 558A on May 22, 2013. The legislation is headed to the Governor Kitzhaber for signing. Senate Bill 558A contains a number of significant changes to Oregon’s foreclosure laws and dramatically expands the existing foreclosure mediation program by, among other things, requiring mediation as a condition to completion of judicial and …
Construction Contracts: Using Price Escalation Clauses to Address Rising Costs
While the housing industry appears to be on the rebound, contractors are now faced with a number of challenges in trying to meet the recent increase in work. One of the biggest challenges relates to significant price increases in building materials and products. Of course, unanticipated price increases will affect the bottom line in most …