As of July 11, 2016, soliciting a fee for providing a copy of deed is a now regulated activity in the State of Michigan and carries civil penalties for noncompliance. The new law is known as the “Solicitation of Deeds Act. [1] A previous article provides background into what has been a contentious issue with […]
Author: Gregory Roth
Vote Jennifer Callaghan for Oakland Probate Judge Tuesday November 8th!
It has often been said that democracy works best at the local level. Amid the hype and circus atmosphere of the National election it is easy to forget this. Real lives are affected and furthered by dedicated people working on a daily basis, not through media sound bites or zingers. Attorney Jennifer Callaghan is running […]
Register of Deeds Recording Fees Increasing October 1, 2016
Effective October 1, 2016, pursuant to Public Act 224 of 2016 which amended Public Act 236 of 1961, the fee for recording a document with any county Register of Deeds will increase from the current fee of $14.00 plus $3.00 for each additional page to $30.00 flat fee (inclusive of Michigan Remonumentation and Register of […]
Roth Law Endorses and Supports Attorney Jennifer Callaghan for Probate Judge, 2016
To the Oakland County Community: I am pleased to endorse and support Attorney Jennifer Callaghan for Oakland County Probate Judge in the upcoming 2016 county/judicial election which coincides with the 2016 Presidential election. Probate judges play an important role in our community, handling family matters involving children, the elderly, and the disabled. I have had […]
Appeals Court Upholds Exempt Property Allowance, Defeating Disinheritance Provision in Will
A recent decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals is making waves in the probate and estate planning community. In a self-proclaimed issue of first impression, the Court in In re Estate of (Shelby Jean) Jajuga [1] upheld a sole surviving, disinherited child’s claim to exempt property in her deceased mother’s probate estate. In a […]
Legacy Contacts and Digital Assets
You have spent years building your digital self. So what happens to that digital self when you die? Your Digital Self People tend to think of assets as physical possession, such as real estate and cars; or in terms of money, whether it be bank accounts, stock, etc. In the modern information age, however, we […]
Local Revolutionary War Hero Remembered
On Sunday, October 5, 2014, two local chapters of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution held a ceremony to dedicate the grave site of Revolutionary War patriot Hooper Bishop. Local VFW and girl scout members, local dignitaries, and members of the public were in attendance. Hooper is buried in the Novi […]
Document Retrieval Services: Scam or Convenience?
You receive an official-looking and urgent letter in the mail stating that you need to obtain a certified copy of the deed to your house in order to protect yourself and that the company sending the letter can help. This needs to be done immediately, so drop what you are doing and send in your […]
Recording Letters of Conservatorship
In Michigan, appointment as conservator legally vests the conservator with title to all of the protected individual’s assets or those assets specified by the court (if less than all assets). The former is a full conservatorship; the latter, a limited conservatorship. Letters of Conservatorship, as generated by the court, are the evidence of transfer of […]
Michigan Guardians May Now Execute DNR Orders
On November 5, 2013, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed into law Public Acts 155, 156 and 157 of 2013 giving a legal guardian the power to execute a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order on behalf of the guardian’s ward. The Acts amend the Michigan Do-Not-Resuscitate Procedures Act (enacted in 1996), the Adult Foster Care Licensing Act (enacted […]