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...
Content By Stephen D. Richman
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...
Caveat Emptor (“Let the Buyer Beware”) Is Still Alive and Well in Ohio Property Law
The doctrine of caveat emptor (“let the buyer beware”) is still alive and well in Ohio, generally precluding recovery in an action by a purchaser against a seller pertaining to a property’s defective condition if: the condition complained of is open to observation or...
Ohio Supreme Court: Reversion Language No Longer Necessary to Create Fee Simple Determinable Estate
As established in other “Watch Your Language” articles for this Blog, as a general rule, courts will typically uphold commercial document provisions unless they are contrary to public policy or statutory law, or the subject of a mutual mistake. Courts...