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![]() Ronald LipmanHouston Chronicle |
Only one spouse needs to be 65 years of age or older to be eligible for the Texas over-65 homestead exemption. Q: My wife turns 65 this year, but she...
Some Texas counties offer free notification services which alert you to any activity involving your property title. Q: I am a retired 74-year-old...
If actions to quiet a neighbor's barking dog don't work, you can sell and move to a quieter home. Q: The neighbor who lives behind our house has a...
Complications arise if a city owned tree falls on someone's home. Q: We live in a townhome community in Texas. There is a large tree in the...
A diminished value claim after an accident is tricky because you don't own the vehicle, the leasing company does. Q: My leased car had only 900 miles...
Q: My wife and I live in Harris County and we had our wills prepared by an attorney who resides in a different county. He apparently used some other...
Is it reasonable to ask the insurance company to fairly compensate my mother for the money she lost over a mistake that was fully theirs? Q: My...
If you've been asked to be an executor for someone, you don't have to accept. And giving up the post is simple. Q. My aunt is a widow, has no...
Going to prison does not automatically put child support payments on hold, but the terms can be adjusted by a court. Q: I'm told that I can purchase...
Q: My husband and I own a $600,000 home free and clear, and we intend to sell it this year. The home is in good condition but does need a few repairs...
Prenups are common. The way to make sure assets you purchase after marriage are separate property is to sign a marital property agreement, also known...
You should keep copies of all records relating to your income tax returns for as long as they may be relevant to the IRS in determining how much tax...
Make a New Year’s resolution to find an estate planning attorney to review your existing documents and advise you on the best path forward. Q: We...
The amount of tax-free money you can give or leave to someone upon your death is increasing in 2025. Q. Are the gift and estate tax laws going to...
Reviving a homeowners association takes communication and transparency — and some legal guidance. Q: Our Homeowners Association president resigned,...
There are several steps to take once your mortgage has been paid off. Q: My grandson had Guaranteed Asset Protection insurance coverage on his car...
If you stop making minimum payments, the credit card companies will likely attempt to collect from you either by using bill-collection firms or by...
My niece moved out of her apartment, her cell phone is no longer in service. How can I locate her so she can claim her inheritance? Q: Why is it...
A parent in Texas kept an adult son's vehicle on their auto insurance. The son caused an accident in Florida where he lives, and the parent wonders...
The first step in ending recurring charges on a dead relative's accounts is to contact the financial institutions and credit card companies to let...
There is no federal law that requires a business to accept cash. And as you might expect, neither the State of Texas nor any city in Texas has that...
Unpaid credit card debt will not simply disappear. Each unpaid credit card will become a debt of an estate. Q: An 86-year-old friend has a lot of...
Barking dogs are not typically a priority for law enforcement, so don't expect immediate results if you call police to address noise coming from a...
It is very common for wills to be over-drafted. But it’s not necessarily the case that the documents have provisions that are redundant,...
To protect the assets of a relative with dementia, one may be named agent on a power of attorney or as trustee of a revocable trust to a court may...
Distribute money and jewelry should have happened within months of your friend’s death in 2015. Q: A good friend bequeathed $10,000 and some...
Going to court to force an absentee landowner to mow an overgrown lawn is not a good idea. You could spend thousands of dollars on legal fees with...
The person designated as the backup to you in the will would be appointed to serve if you decline to serve as executor of an estate. Q: Let’s say...
You should consider offering to share the cost of removing an ailing tree if it is really that important to you. Q: Our neighbor behind our house...
Your personal auto policy will likely cover rental cars, including liability, collision and comprehensive damages. Q: Is it necessary to pay for...
Your signature doesn't need to include your full name, and it can be as simple as an “X.” Q: I've been signing my full name, using longhand...
It may not be worth filing a claim against insurance companies in Justice (Small Claims) Court. Q: I have a $640 claim against two major insurance...
A business promised to clean gutters but backed out. Justice Court, or small claims court, isn't the venue to try to make a person or company...
Hurricane Beryl knocked out power for more than 2 million CenterPoint customers in July. Getting the company to come out to upgrade gas meters that...