Blog
A Dream House with Hidden Problems
Posted on April 6th, 2014 by Joe Pioletti
You recently bought the perfect house, but after the moving in, you’ve discovered it isn’t as flawless as you thought. Perhaps the roof leaks, the basement floods, or the plumbing is suspect. Whatever the issue might be, there may be legal remedies available to handle the matter. The first step is to contact your insurance […]
Illegal Downloading: A Far From Covert Crime
Posted on March 23rd, 2014 by Joe Pioletti
It all seems so easy. Movies, music and even computer software is out there in the cyber world, free, seemingly at your fingertips. For some, downloading illegal copyrighted material is justified by their at times exorbitant prices. But in the end, it could cost you a lot of money. While one can find and download […]
The Court Has Ordered an Eviction, Now What?
Posted on March 15th, 2014 by Joe Pioletti
You have just won a forcible entry and detainer action in court against your tenant in default. The tenant is still occupying the building. Are you immediately entitled to retake possession? Not so fast. Strange as it may seem, winning an eviction suit does not immediately entitle you to take possession of the property. Once […]
The New Concealed Carry Law in Illinois
Posted on January 27th, 2014 by Joe Pioletti
In 2013 Illinois became the final state in the country to authorize some form of concealed carry of a firearm. Effective January 5th 2014, people 21 years of age who have completed the required 16 hours of training can begin applying for a permit. As recently as early January 2014 the wording of the new […]
Section 1031 Exchanges: Deferring Taxable Gain on the Sale of Property
Posted on December 10th, 2013 by Joe Pioletti
Whenever you sell business or investment property for a gain you typically have to pay tax on that gain. The IRS has created an exception to this rule known as the Section 1031 exchange. These exchanges are also referred to as like-kind exchanges, deferred exchanges, tax free exchanges, and Starker exchanges. If at the time […]
Section 1031 Exchanges: Swap Till You Drop
Posted on December 10th, 2013 by Joe Pioletti
TURNING A TAX DEFERRAL INTO A TOTAL TAX AVOIDANCE Section 1031 Exchanges: Swap Till You Drop Previously we looked at the requirements and mechanics of a Section 1031 Exchange. For a better understanding of the basic operation of 1031 exchanges please check out that article. Here we look at one aspect of Section 1031 Exchanges […]
The Real Cost of a DUI in Illinois
Posted on November 29th, 2013 by Joe Pioletti
Getting a DUI is expensive. I would guess most people already figured that. But how expensive is it? In 2013 the Illinois Secretary of State published a study that estimated the average DUI in Illinois ends up costing the driver a whopping $16,580 before it’s all said and done.[1] That’s excluding any costs associated with […]
How-to Get Your Security Deposit Back
Posted on November 25th, 2013 by Joe Pioletti
Illinois Security Deposit Recovery What are my Security Deposit Rights in Illinois? The problem of landlords wrongfully keeping a tenant’s security deposit is a huge deal in Illinois. Landlords are allowed by law to deduct the costs of repair and back-owed rent from a security deposit. However, many landlords think of a tenant’s security deposit […]
Guide to the Affordable Care Act – The Individual Mandate Part 1
Posted on November 14th, 2013 by Joe Pioletti
THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE AND POSSIBLE PENALTIES FOR LACK OF COVERAGE This is part 1 of an ongoing series that will break down the different provisions of the new Affordable Care Act. The goal will be to educate taxpayers on ways the Act will affect them so that they may plan more effectively. We begin by […]