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Estate planning is a crucial aspect of ensuring your financial security and the well-being of your loved ones in the event of incapacity or death. While many people focus on wills, trusts, and other elements of estate planning, they often overlook the importance of a financial power of attorney (POA).

Estate planning is a topic that often gets pushed to the back burner, especially by younger individuals who may perceive it as a concern for the elderly. However, this misconception can have serious consequences. Estate planning isn't just about passing on your assets; it's about ensuring the financial security and well-being of your loved ones, regardless of your age.

Introduction: Beneficiary designations are one of the most important elements of an effective estate plan. These designations dictate who will receive your assets and how they will be distributed after your passing. The importance of proper beneficiary designations cannot be overstated, as they c...

If you spend any significant amount of time as a landlord, the names and faces of applicants you reject for housing will become a blur. In many cases, those applicants will be little more to you than a credit report and information on a written application. But if you fail to keep a record of the...

The eviction process is expensive. It can get even more expensive if you have to hire your local sheriff's department to move your tenant's belongings out. Most counties in southeastern Wisconsin require large deposits in order to take on this task. There is good news, however. If you have proper...

Many tenants believe if the landlord fails to make repairs, rent no longer needs to be paid. It certainly depends on the situation, but if a tenant remains on the property, he/she still needs to pay rent. Rent abatement is a remedy provided by state law when the landlord fails to provide the cond...

Tenants can come up with what seems like one million excuses as to why they should not be evicted. But, did you know that there are only 5 permitted defenses to an eviction action? The court has authority to determine whether or not a tenant's excuse falls within one of the five defenses. If one ...

Proper service of an eviction notice can make or break your case. Differing from service of process in litigation, an eviction notice can be served by the landlord or an agent of the landlord. As previously discussed in another blog, certified mail is the best way to serve and eviction notice, however, personal service can still be achieved. There are different tiers to personal service and each tier must be attempted with due diligence before moving to the next tier.

There is a common misconception that upon expiration of a lease, the landlord needs to serve a tenant with an eviction notice if they do not vacate on their own. This is not the case! If a tenant’s lease has expired and they are holding over, a landlord may file an eviction immediately without first serving an eviction notice.

We get way too many calls to our office from landlords who are unsure of what type of tenancy characterizes their tenants. The word “squatter” routinely gets thrown around simply because landlords do not understand the different types of tenancy. Understanding the different types of tenancy is crucial for understanding the eviction process and writing/serving notices. So, how well do you know the different tenancies?

Although meant to be a speedy process, an eviction may seem as if it takes forever if you are trying to get rid of that awful, potentially dangerous, tenant. Thanks to legislature enacted in 2015, landlords have a remedy to get rid those terrible tenants. Landlords now can issue a five-day no right to cure notice. Before you get too excited, be aware that this notice is only for specific circumstances, but provides a remedy if you find yourself in a sticky situation.

Cash is king and time is money. If youre a landlord, these words ring very true. Whether you rent out a single family home or own multiple rental complexes, your business depends on rental income. However, if you are a landlord, you will probably encounter at least one tenant who is consistently...