Just as your home (vs your entire property) in Ohio is your "castle" in terms of being able to stand your ground and defend yourself/family against an intruder, the Ohio Senate in SB 56 has recently voted to amend Ohio’s recreational marijuana statute (Ohio Revised...
Content By Stephen D. Richman
Ohio Court Case Highlights the Importance of Clarity in Real Estate Agreements
A recent Ohio Court of Appeals decision highlights the importance of clear, precise and complete language in residential as well as commercial leases (and other real estate documents). The General Rule: Judicial Deference to Language Within the “Four Corners” of...
Significance of Comma Placement, Word Selection, and Grammar Rules in the Legal World
It is time to thank our high school English teachers. They were right when they said, “watch your language,” and that grammar counts in the “real world.” In the real world of real estate leases, easements and other commercial agreements, this principle is well...
How Do You Spell Relief? Changes to Homestead Exemption to Provide Relief for Eligible Ohio Homeowners
With 8.3% inflation last year and rising property taxes due to increased property values, we all could use some relief; especially those who really need it. Legislative Action to Alleviate Property Tax Burdens Thanks to Reps. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Township, and Steve...
Bill to Provide Tax Relief for Ohio Properties Harmed by COVID-19 Passes Legislature
Both chambers of the Ohio legislature have passed Senate Bill 57, which aims to provide tax relief for property owners who have been harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This bipartisan legislation, which passed in the Ohio House and Senate with unanimous approval, is...
Ohio’s New Notary Law Definitely Worth Noting
We’ve been getting some questions lately regarding the new notary law that recently went into effect in Ohio. The law (Ohio Senate Bill 263, the Notary Public Modernization Act) makes significant changes for Ohio Notaries Public and those who wish to become...
Another Local Point of Sale Ordinance in Ohio Held to be Unconstitutional
(Criminal Penalties and Lack of Warrant Procedure Held to be Key Failings of Bedford, Ohio’s Former Point of Sale Ordinance) The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has held in Pund v. City of Bedford, Case No.1:16-cv-1076 (N.D. Ohio Sept. 10,...
Electronically Signed Email Exchange May Constitute Enforceable Real Estate Contract
By: Stephen D. Richman, Esq. - Senior Counsel- Kohrman, Jackson & Krantz (A Watch Your Language Series Article) (“Watch your language when creating contracts [and when not intending to create a contract”]) As established in other “Watch Your Language” articles for...
A Greenhouse Is Not a Building
Ohio Board of Tax Appeals ruling on greenhouses could impact any property owner with “movable business fixtures” That old adage – “if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck” – may hold true for waterfowl and a host...
Abolition Of Dower Rights In Ohio Now Up To Ohio Senate
On June 6, the Ohio House of Representatives passed HB 407, which would abolish dower rights in Ohio. Dower rights relate to the interest that a surviving spouse holds in the estate of a deceased individual. Since its passage in the House, the bill was introduced in...