If investing in real estate appeals to you but you are not so well heeled that you can go shopping for investment properties like they were appliances, you may want to give some thought to investing in one or more real estate investment trusts (REIT). As you would with shares of common stocks, you can buy and sell different REITs, and having REITS in your portfolio of investments could be a good way to add some diversification. Continue reading
Author Archives: Mark Klein
When is an Employee a "Supervisor"?
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits the creation of a harassing hostile work environment based on the prohibited forms of discrimination, such as discrimination based on sex or race. To hold the employer liable for the harassment, the plaintiff must show that the work environment was so pervaded by discrimination that the terms and conditions of employment were altered. Isolated or trivial occurrences are not likely to be sufficient. Continue reading
E-Mail is Binding
In law as in society at large, signing contracts on paper in ink (and maybe in triplicate) now seems so 20th century. If your reflex is still to regard e mail communications as only informal give and take, think again. … Continue reading
Is Your Business at Risk?
We’ve all heard about the woman who spilled scalding coffee on herself and successfully sued McDonald’s or heard reports of burglars suing homeowners after injuring themselves during a burglary. And don’t forget the story of the Winnebago owner who won … Continue reading
Deducting the Business Use of Your Home
The federal income tax deduction for the business use of a home has a good dollars and cents upside for those who qualify. Some detailed questions have to be answered correctly to get to that point, however. Not surprisingly, the … Continue reading