2020 will certainly be remembered as a year of great challenges for our country and world: COVID-19 Pandemic, urban riots, a raucous Presidential election and terrible economic challenges for many workers and business owners. But in the midst of that upheaval, Finney Law Firm has been proud to be a part of the solution for our clients and community, once again “Making a Difference.”.
Only months before the pandemic hit, our firm moved to the Microsoft 365 Cloud with our data, and transitioned to laptop computers for most of our team. This meant that our attorneys and paralegals could continue servicing clients uninterrupted from home safely.
We had breakthrough constitutional litigation wins for our clients, re-opening retail shops, gyms, day cares, and amusement parks, allowing tens of thousands of Ohioans to get back to work. We briefly stopped the Ohio eviction moratorium until a federal moratorium kicked in.
In 2020, we added a bankruptcy practice group headed by Susan Cress Browning. She handles individual Chapter 13, and Chapter 7s, as well as business reorganization’s under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.
We added Rebecca L. Simpson, both a capable civil litigator and a brilliant public interest advocate. She excels at government advocacy, using both her grass roots talents as well as the full range of legal tools this firm offers.
In one week, we will be announcing the addition of yet another team member for our real estate transactional group, an experienced commercial mall leasing attorney.
In May, Eli-Krafte-Jacobs obtained his Ohio title insurance license, bringing to four the number of Ohio licensed title insurance agents at Finney Law Firm and Ivy Pointe Title.
We launched a great new web site for Finney Law Firm, and great new social media and printed marketing materials to spread the word in greater Cincinnati about the incredible team we have ready to leap to action to help your legal needs.
Many credit our work on the Gang of Five case as leading to 2020’s biggest local story — federal felony criminal indictments of former council members Tamaya Dennard, Jeff Pastor and P.G. Sittenfeld. We are not sure there is a connection, but our firm unquestionably started the ball rolling to expose the dark underbelly of lawless conduct at City Hall.
Please let us know how we can help you build your business, avoid or mitigate costly litigation battles, and confront overzealous government actors.
Our entire team is as ready in 2021 as they were in 2020.
As we explained previously, the pandemic relief bill that has been approved by both Houses of Congress, but still awaits the President’s signature, contains good and bad for our nation’s market-rate residential landlords. From the article:
It extends the CDC eviction moratorium through January 31, 2021 (and it is expected to be extended further from there under the Biden Administration).
Tenants can qualify for up to 15 months of federal rental assistance.
The criteria for qualification are not clear as of yet.
This assistance partly will cover months of unpaid back rent, rewarding landlords who have not evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic. A landlord cannot get back rent if the tenant has already left.
Rental assistance money will be distributed by states and cities.
Renters will apply for the help, and the money will be sent directly to their landlords. If a landlord doesn’t cooperate, the tenant can access the funds directly.
Renters looking for assistance can call 211 or go to the website www.211.org. It’s a confidential referral and information help line and web site.
So, the landscape will be changing soon very significantly in the relationship between landlord and tenant in the affordable housing sphere.
We will post more detail as it becomes available.
Contact Chris Finney (513.943.6655) if you have questions.
There is a flurry of concern arising from the notices hitting mailboxes in Hamilton County from County Auditor Dusty Rhodes telling property owners of their new valuations for the 2021 tax bills. The notice shows the prior 2019 value (2020 tax bill) of your home or business property and your new 2020 valuation (2021 tax bill).
The valuation increases average 15%, but some property owners we are hearing from are seeking hikes more than 25% on specific properties.
Naturally, taxpayers are assuming that means their tax bill will in fact go up that same percentage. But that actually is not so, not at all. Let us explain:
The simplistic formula for determining your tax bill is: Property tax = property valuation * tax rate for more than 15 tax levies. Then take the sum of each of those individual calculations. The sum of these individual levy calculations plus a “kicker” for something called “inside millage” for the City, Village or Township and the School District — less a host of credits and adjustments — equal your tax bill. (The inside millage is about 10% of your total tax rate.)
Other than the inside millage, most (not all) of the levies generate a fixed, flat amount of income each year for the tax entity (for example, $10 million per year for a school operating levy or $15 million per year for a mental health levy). Saying it another way, total levy revenue for most levies does not rise or fall based on fluctuations in total valuations — it by law stays constant year after year.
On the other hand, that very small part of your tax bill that is inside millage does rise proportionately with your valuation.
That annual fixed revenue amount from most levies is generated from the total of the valuations in that taxing jurisdiction, i.e., the sum of valuation of all properties (let’s call this the tax base) in the political and taxing jurisdiction in question (say, a school district).
Thus, the rate for each individual levy is — in a simplified sense — the fixed annual sum generated from the tax divided by the tax base that changes from year to year, usually upward, but occasionally downward.
What this means is that as the value of all properties in a taxing jurisdiction rise, the rate drops by the same ratio (except the inside millage and a few other exceptions).
Therefore, if the average valuation increase in Hamilton County is 15%, then the tax rate on average should be dropping about 10-12%. Thus, the real increase in your actual taxes paid should only be around 3-5%.
Now, two more cautions:
If your tax valuation went up more than the average for the political and taxing jurisdiction in question, your tax hike will be more than that 3-5%. So, if you were unfortunate enough to get one of those 25% hikes, your taxes will indeed go up another 10% or more.
The other factor that impacts the taxes that you pay is the tax rate, so if your school district or City had a property tax hike (because of COVID, there were a remarkably low number of levies on the ballot this fall), your taxes may rise as a result of the as well.
As you can see from this blog entry, the calculation of your tax bill involves dozens if not hundreds of individual calculations. The bills are tremendously complicated. But these overarching principles do apply, and therefore most taxpayers will not see tax increases anywhere near the whopping valuation hikes they are seeing on these recent Auditor notices.
We hope that gives property owners some comfort that these preliminary notices do not reflect the actual hike in your taxes coming in January.
Entertain us, if you will, as we serve as Jacob Marley to landlords in visiting the ghosts of eviction moratoriums, past, present and future.
After months of experience with the eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control, we now know that most residential evictions — even those for non-payment of rent — can proceed per normal procedures, at least until new regulations are issued and the moratorium never applied to eviction for issues other than non-payment (e.g., criminal activity and damaging the premises,)
The past
As reported here, the Centers for Disease Control on Friday, September 4, 2020 imposed a residential eviction moratorium for non-payment of rent in certain limited circumstances through the end of the year due to the impact of COVID-19. That relief required the tenant to certify that 1) the individual has used best efforts to obtain government assistance for the payment of rent, 2) the individual falls below the above-income thresholds ($99,000 for individuals and $198,000 for those filing jointly), 3) the individual can’t pay rent due to loss of income or medical expenses, 4) the individual is using best efforts to pay the rent or as much of it as he can, and 5) eviction would render the individual homeless.
And as we report here, the CDC clarified that Order, allowing for more vigorous actions by landlords pursuing eviction: Cross examination of a tenant who claims he has met the criteria, allowing commencement and pursuit of an eviction action even if the set out is not until after the first of the year, and imposing criminal penalties upon tenants making false certifications.
The present
Our experience in recent evictions is that many tenants cannot stand up under cross examination as to the CDC certifications: They usually have paid no rent at all, which hardly ever complies with the CDC “best efforts” criteria, and it is unlikely the eviction will result in homelessness for the vast majority of tenants.
In Hamilton County, before conducting the forcible entry and detainer hearing, the Magistrate has a separate evidentiary hearing on whether the CDC criteria are met — including allowing a landlord to cross examine a tenant — and then, when the tenant fails to meet this burden, allows the eviction hearing to proceed. In all, the takes an extra 5-10 minutes to try an eviction case and we have not yet failed to exceed the CDC standards.
The future
Add to all of this the fact that an eviction commenced today won’t result in a set out until well into January. Thus, the moratorium no longer has any application to new evictions being filed.
Finally, we don’t know either how the Trump administration will address the regulations after their year-end expiration until his term ends on January 19th, or how the new Biden administration will address the issue thereafter. For both Presidents, the issues are difficult: Millions of tenants are facing severe financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, but on the other hand, landlords have to pay bank loans, real estate taxes, building repairs, and for insurance. Many can’t meet their obligations if tenants are not paying their rent. Then, if they start en masse to default on mortgage loans, it could destabilizing banks as in 2007-08. These are not easy issues for anyone.
So, the next few weeks and months will determine a new course for landlord-tenant legal relationships. Stay tuned for more updates, and contact Chris Finney (513.943.6655) with any Ohio or Kentucky eviction issues you may have.
To appeal your taxes or not appeal your real property taxes, that is the question.
For some property investors, 2020 has been a difficult year: Many retail properties, hotels and office buildings have suffered from high vacancies, high rental defaults, and slow-to-no calls from new tenants. For these categories of income-producing properties, the enormous challenges presented by COVID-19 seem to have caused a significant reduction in property values.
Thus, it makes perfect sense to challenge those values in 2021, right?
Well, not so fast. Here are some considerations:
State of Ohio
Tax valuation challenges filed in Ohio in 2021 are for tax year 2020, and the “tax lien date,” the target date for valuation decisions is January 1, 2020.
That is, of course, months before the deleterious effects of COVID-19 impacted the USA real estate market.
Therefore, an Ohio property owner is likely to lose a valuation challenge brought in 2021 based primarily or solely upon a downturn starting in March of April of 2020.
Even worse, a property owner is entitled to bring tax valuation challenges only once in a “triennial,” the 3-year cycle which Ohio uses for Board of Revision cases.
Hamilton County, Clermont County, Butler County, Franklin County (Columbus) and Montgomery County (Dayton) all start new triennial cycles in tax year 2020. This means that if a property owner brings and loses a tax valuation challenge brought in calendar year 2021 in those counties, the valuation by law must stay in place through tax year 2022 (first challenged again in 2023).
On the other hand, if a property owner waits until first quarter of 2022 to file a challenge (for tax year 2021) in those counties, he will have a much stronger basis for valuation reduction (valuation target date is then January 1, 2021).
On the other hand, Warren County, Lucas County (Toledo), Stark County (Canton) and Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) (among others) are in their last year of the triennial in 2020, meaning a property owner can bring a complaint in 2021 (win or lose) and then turn around and bring a fresh challenge in 2022.
So, an Ohio property owner should carefully consider whether to bring a 2021 challenge. It could bring great rewards or lock in an articificllay high value for three years, potentially unnecessarily.
State of Kentucky
Kentucky is an entirely different matter. Challenges of value — which are started by PVA meetings the first two weeks of May — in 2021 are for tax year 2021. Thus, the full impact of COVID-19 on property values are at issue in challenges in 2021. It is much more straightforward.
Conclusion
For assistance with an Ohio or Kentucky property tax valuation matter, contact Casey Jones (513.943.5673) or Chris Finney (513.943-6655).
The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has spurred a second suspension of jury trials in Hamilton County, this one “until further notice.”
This applies to to both civil and criminal jury trials. As far as other proceedings (from conferences with the Judge to non-jury trials), it is “hit or miss” and each case and each Judge may have a different schedule. However, our experience is that things are proceeding, if slower than normal.
Many prospective clients of the firm are experiencing actual or threatened utility cutoffs due to income disruption caused by the COVID 19 crisis. Many calls to our office are exploring bankruptcy as an option to address their predicament. This article addresses alternate solutions and whether bankruptcy is a good option for utility disconnections.
Introduction
COVID 19 has had far reaching and unprecedented financial effects on our communities. Due to layoffs, furloughs, and shutdowns, we have seen a showing of togetherness and unity (community concern) as our leaders have come to the aid of those less fortunate and provided financial assistance. We have seen income assistance by way of unemployment payments, PPP, and COVID stimulus payments. In addition, we have seen moratoriums on foreclosures, evictions and utility disconnections. Fortunately, the two former have been extended until the new year. However, many areas are seeing the end of a moratorium on utility shutoffs and an increase in disconnection notices. The purpose of this blog is to make the consumer aware of what options may be available in and out of the bankruptcy arena.
Kentucky Utility Shutoffs
In Kentucky, the moratorium put in place on March 16, 2020 has been lifted as it applies to non-residential customers effective, October 20, 2020. However, the Kentucky Public Service Commission is requiring utility companies to provide payment plans of at least six months to residential consumers who are behind due to COVID-19. For those of you facing arrearages please contact your utility company to set up a payment plan. In addition, these links will connect you with Kentucky Community Action and Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services where you will be directed to further resources.
Ohio Utility Shutoffs
Ohio, however, has lifted the moratorium as to utility disconnections and customers are beginning to receive shutoff notices. This has prompted a spike in phone calls to our office regarding what can be done prevent disruption of utility service. If utility arrearages are your main concern, it makes sense to attempt to remedy the situation outside of bankruptcy first and leave bankruptcy as your last resort. First, contact your utility provider to inquire as to whether they offer a payment plan and what those payments might entail. If the plan provided is not feasible for your budget, consider contacting a local social services agency to determine if you qualify for their assistance programs. These links will connect you to Ohio’s website for Home Energy Assistance Program as well as their list of social service agencies by county.
Conclusion
As we all know, there is a sense of urgency when you receive a disconnection notice for your utilities. If you find that you are not receiving the assistance you need, do not qualify for assistance or have insurmountable additional debt, bankruptcy may be an option. Utility arrearages may be included in bankruptcy as a dischargeable debt. One caveat is that once you file for bankruptcy, you will be required to place a deposit with the utility company to begin a new account. In many cases, this is a small amount to pay in comparison to the mounting utility bills some debtors face.
If you are experiencing financial hardship and would like further information about the bankruptcy process, please contact Susan Cress Browning (513.797.2857) at Finney Law Firm, LLC for a FREE CONSULTATION. I will discuss your financial situation with you to determine what options you have and what is the best direction to take to resolve your debt issues.
In Part One of our Bankruptcy Basics series, we discussed Ohio Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, which can be read at this link. In Part Two of our series, we discussed Ohio Chapter 13 Bankruptcy which can be read at this link. In Part Three of our series, we discussed Ohio Chapter 11 Bankruptcy which can be read at this link.
In our final blog in the series, we explore a new Bankruptcy solution now available to small businesses called the Small Business Reorganization Act – or Subchapter V to a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
Finally, More Favorable Relief for Small Businesses
There have always been economic fluctuations in operating a small business that have necessitated relief under the Bankruptcy Code. However, this has historically proven to be a lengthy and expensive process. Legislators recognized these deterrents to small business debtors getting a fresh start and drafted a new Subchapter to the Bankruptcy Code to improve the process and allow more small business debtors to take advantage of its provisions.
The enactment of these provisions, which pre-date COVID-19, are timelier and more appropriate than the drafters could have ever thought possible. With shutdowns, social distancing, and mask orders, now more than ever, we are seeing small businesses struggle, especially in the restaurant and food service industry.
Small Business Reorganization Act- Subchapter V
The Small Business Reorganization Act became effective February 19, 2020. The purpose of the Act was to streamline the process making it less expensive, and easier and quicker for small businesses to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
To take advantage of Subchapter V, the debtor must qualify as a small business debtor and must be engaged in commercial or business activities. It is likely that this definition would include the winding up of a business as well as the continuation of business in Chapter 11. This requires that at least 50% of the debtor’s debts come from commercial or business activity.
In addition, there is a debt limit that a debtor must not exceed in Subchapter V which is set at $2,725,625 million. However, the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“Cares Act”), effective March 27, 2020, changed this to $7.5 million for one year following the effective date. This amendment will allow even more debtors to take advantage of the new Subchapter V provisions.
Filing
The filing procedure of a Subchapter V case is different from a standard Chapter 11 case. The debtor must make an election upon bankruptcy filing to take advantage of the provisions. Parties in interest may object to the debtor’s election of Subchapter V status.
Once a debtor becomes a Debtor in Possession, controlling the assets and operations of the business, it has powers of a trustee. A Debtor in Possession must provide its most recent balance sheet, statement of operations, cash-flow statement, and federal tax return.
A Debtor in Possession, or senior management, must file a monthly operating report, procure insurance, attend meetings and hearings, and file statements of financial affairs including required schedules.
A disinterested Subchapter V Trustee is appointed to facilitate, provide oversight, and monitor the case. Some of the Trustee’s duties include: Facilitating in the development of a consensual plan; Appearance at status conferences, confirmation, modification hearings, hearings on valuation of secured property and sale of estate property; reviewing and objecting to Proofs of Claim; accounting for property received by the estate; opposing discharge in proper cases; and, filing final reports.
These duties are expanded in a case where the Debtor in Possession is removed due to fraud or misconduct.
Some procedural benefits to Subchapter V are that no creditor committees are formed and no disclosure statements and hearings on disclosure statements are required unless ordered by the court.
The United States Trustee is not paid by the debtor in Subchapter V; rather, the Subchapter V Trustee is paid for services by the debtor as an administrative expense.
Initial Status Conference
The court will hold an initial status conference within 60 days after filing. The debtor, debtor counsel and Subchapter V Trustee must attend, and creditors may elect to attend. The purpose of this conference is to further the expeditious and economical resolution of a case under Subchapter V.
A debtor is required to file a report 14 days ahead of the first status conference, detailing what efforts have been made to procure a consensual plan agreeable to the creditors.
Debtor and Trustee may hire a professional to assist in the case. However, Trustee, debtor attorney and any other professionals must be disinterested.
A distinct change for debtor attorney is that they may be owed up to $10,000 in pre-petition fees without being considered a conflict of interest. However, these fees may only be paid as a general unsecured creditor. If debtor paid the attorney an avoidable preference the attorney is disqualified from representation.
The court will set the confirmation hearing, deadlines for acceptance or rejection of the proposed plan, objections to confirmation and filing Proofs of Claim.
Bankruptcy Plan
A plan of reorganization must be filed by the debtor within 90 days of filing.
Only the debtor may propose a plan. This differs from Chapter 11 where creditors may propose a competing plan after the exclusivity period ends.
There is no disclosure statement or hearing required unless ordered by the court. However, a statement of the history of operations of the business is required in the plan when submitted. In addition, a liquidation analysis, and projections of disposable income available to pay the plan are required to determine its feasibility.
A proposed plan may be a consensual plan if all classes of creditors consent to the plan. This requires that more than 50% of the creditors in each class approve the plan and those creditors represent at least 2/3 of the total dollar amount in the class. A consensual plan must pay administrative and priority claims on the effective date of the plan. If a creditor fails to file a timely ballot it, is deemed to have accepted the plan.
If a consensual plan is not accepted, then the debtor may propose a cramdown plan without approval of any creditors.
The cramdown plan will propose to pay debts to be discharged over a three to five-year period. Long- term debts may be paid over a longer time but will not be discharged. Priority debts and administrative claims may be paid over the three to five-year plan period. Unsecured creditors may receive a percentage of their claim or they may receive nothing.
Secured creditors’ claims can be crammed down to the value of the collateral. The remainder of the claim will become an unsecured claim. However, secured creditors can elect treatment that requires that their claim be paid in full, but they receive no interest.
One of the biggest changes in bankruptcy law is the ability of a debtor to modify a mortgage on their principal residence if the loan was not used to purchase the property and was primarily used for business purposes. In this situation, the loan would be secured only to the extent that the value of the residence supports it. The balance will be deemed a general unsecured claim. This may be particularly relevant in SBA loans that require a lien on personal residence.
The debtor may modify the plan at any time prior to confirmation.
Confirmation
For the court to confirm a plan it must be fair and equitable and must not unfairly discriminate.
A consensual plan requires that all classes must vote in favor of the plan. For a class to accept the plan, more than 50% of creditors in the class and at least 2/3 of the monetary claims in that class must vote to accept.
If any or all classes fail to approve the plan, the debtor may propose a cramdown plan. This plan is funded with projected disposable income despite whether the debtor is an individual or business entity. Projected disposable income is the income a debtor has that is not reasonably necessary for the maintenance and support of debtor and dependents, including payment of domestic support obligations, and that which is necessary for the continued operation of the business. In the case of a business filing, projected disposable income is the income of the business beyond what is necessary for the continuation, preservation, or operation of the business. There is more room for discretion in this analysis based on individual circumstances and businesses than in other bankruptcy chapters.
The projected disposable income is paid for a three-year period or such longer time as the court may determine, not to exceed five years.
Feasibility is determined by the ability of the debtor to make the payments. The debtor must be reasonably certain to make the payments. In addition, there must be set remedies in the event debtor fails to make the required payments.
Creditors can object to confirmation of the plan.
Trustee Duties
In a consensual case, the Subchapter V Trustee is terminated when the plan is substantially consummated. This is generally when property has been transferred and distributions have begun. The debtor will make payments to the creditors.
In a nonconsensual plan, the Trustee will make payments to the creditors, unless the plan provides for the debtor to do so, and the trustee will continue as the trustee in the case.
Post-confirmation Modification
A consensual plan may be modified at any time prior to substantial consummation if creditors do not reject the modified plan and it meets all other confirmation requirements.
A cramdown plan may be modified at any time prior to the last payment made by the debtor if it meets all other confirmation requirements.
Only the debtor may modify the plan.
Discharge
Discharge in a Subchapter V case depends on whether the confirmed plan was consensual or a cramdown plan.
In a consensual plan, discharge will be issued upon confirmation of the plan for both an individual and a business entity. However, if the plan is a liquidation of most or all the debtor’s assets, the business would no longer operate, and the debtor would not be eligible for discharge in a Chapter 7, then a discharge will not be entered.
Discharge will be granted despite whether any creditor filed a Proof of Claim or accepted or rejected the plan. Debts owed to governmental units and certain taxes will not be discharged by an individual or business entity.
Discharge will not be granted to an individual when the debt is for certain taxes, fraud, larceny, breach of fiduciary duty, domestic support obligations, and/or unscheduled claim, just to name a few.
In a cramdown plan, the discharge will be entered as soon as practicable after the three to five-year period. Only the debts scheduled to be paid in the three to five-year commitment period will be discharged. Long term debts will not be discharged.
In a cramdown plan an individual may not discharge claims based on fraud, domestic support obligations, larceny, breach of fiduciary duty, unscheduled claims, certain taxes etc. Due to the language of the statute it is unclear whether a business entity may discharge debts of this type.
Default
Remedies for default will be spelled out in the confirmed plan. In a consensual plan, the creditors have agreed and possibly negotiated for default terms. In a cramdown plan, the court and Subchapter V Trustee determine whether the default language is acceptable.
Default provisions could include sale of non-exempt property, conversion to Chapter 7 if assets are available for liquidation, dismissal if conversion would add no value to the estate, and debtor may be removed as Debtor in Possession, and/or relief from stay may be granted for pursuit against secured property.
When plan is consensual, dismissal results in the confirmed plan replacing old obligations and creditors must pursue their rights under those new terms.
In a cramdown plan where dismissal occurs, creditors and debtors return to their pre-bankruptcy status including costs and fees accumulated during the pendency of the bankruptcy.
Conclusion
With these distinctions made between the new Small Business Reorganization Act Subchapter V and other bankruptcy options it is hopeful that this Act will be a new tool in the small business debtor’s arsenal to navigate the bankruptcy process and alleviate debt concerns.
In reading the above, you will note that this process can be quite complex. This article is written to outline those complexities and to give contrast to the other types of bankruptcy relief in the other three parts of the blog.
If you are struggling financially, please contact me so I can explain solutions available to you in a FREE Consultation. Susan Browning, Finney Law Firm, (513) 943-6650, or email at [email protected]
Despite laws requiring drivers to carry insurance, we have unfortunately seen a number of cases recently involving accidents caused by uninsured or underinsured motorists. Luckily, most car insurance policies can provide some relief in these circumstances.
When does a UIM claim come into play?
An uninsured driver scenario is fairly self-explanatory – the driver who causes the accident doesn’t have insurance and, thus, collecting on a claim against him or her may prove difficult, so you have to go through your own auto insurance policy for compensation. An example of an underinsured driver, on the other hand, may be a situation where you are in an accident caused by another driver, and your medical bills and lost wages total around $40,000.00; however, the at-fault driver only has policy limits of $10,000.00. Your own auto insurance policy may kick in to cover the difference, as well as additional damages for pain and suffering. Of note, many underinsured motorist policies have specific conditions – for example, coverage may only “kick in” if the at-fault driver’s coverage is below a certain threshold, regardless of whether that threshold adequately compensates the victim.
“My insurance company is not offering me as much as I think the claim is worth. . .”
Many people operate under the reasonable but, unfortunately, mistaken belief that because it is their own insurance company that is responsible for paying a UIM claim, they should have an easier time receiving fair compensation.
“But we pay them ‘good money’ each month in premiums, and they work for us. Shouldn’t they be willing to pay more to make us whole?”
Many are surprised to learn that really isn’t the case.
We often hear complaints that the insurance company is offering an insultingly low settlement figure. It is not uncommon for our clients to have already received an offer before they reach out to us, and they do so because aren’t satisfied with the initial offer.
We can help make sure you submit an appropriate demand amount, provide all of the supporting documentation for your insurance company to make a reasonable and informed settlement offer, and frame your claim in a way that makes sense for the assigned adjuster, all in order to maximize your recovery.
. . . And if they still don’t offer a reasonable settlement figure?
Insurance companies are bound by a duty of good faith in investigating and evaluating first-party claims like UIM claims. If your insurance company unreasonably denies your claim, refuses to make a timely investigation and offer (i.e., drags their feet), or offers you an unreasonably low figure relative to your damages after exhausting all negotiations, you may have an additional claim for bad faith. If successful in bringing that claim, you may also be entitled to punitive damages, court costs, and/or attorneys’ fees, in addition to your recovery on the underlying accident claim.
We are here to help…
I often hear of car accident victims being afraid to involve an attorney for fear that their legal fees may “eat into” any settlement they may receive. While this is certainly a valid concern, working with counsel frequently has the opposite effect, ultimately. This is because we can often increase the “net” to you by framing your claim in a way that maximizes recovery and, possibly, getting your subrogation liens reduced where appropriate. We make it a priority to never take a case unless we believe we can “create value” for the client. Please feel free to reach out to me at (513) 943-5673 or [email protected] if you’d like to set up a free consultation. I am also offering remote consultations to during this time to honor COVID-19 health concerns.
Back in February, I wrote on the Ohio Dog Bite Statute (R.C. 955.28) and debunked many of the myths surrounding liability for such claims. You can read that entry here. Recently, our litigation team was able to achieve a settlement for our client, through a dog owner’s/homeowners’ insurance policy, of more than 12 times our client’s economic damages.*
Under Ohio law, dog owners/keepers/harborers are strictly liable when their dog injures another person (with very few, limited exceptions), even if it is the dog’s first incident – i.e., there is no “one free bite.” However, in instances where the dog has demonstrated aggressive tendencies previously, a victim may also be entitled to additional, punitive damages under common law. As responsible pet owners (and as the owner/lover of two extremely sweet, but large German Shepherds myself), it is our obligation to make sure that we understand and acknowledge our dogs’ temperaments and propensities, both for the safety of others and for our own economic interests.
The consequences of a dog attack can be severe and long-lasting for the victim, both from a physical and financial perspective, as well as mentally, and even for those victims who love dogs or may even have a dog of their own.
If you have been injured by a dog and would like to discuss your options, please feel free to contact me at (513) 943-5673 or [email protected], and I would be happy to discuss the matter with you at no charge. I am also offering remote consultations to during this time to honor COVID-19 health concerns.
*Case values are dependent upon the unique circumstances surrounding each case and do not necessarily predict the value of any other case.
