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Questions Answered by John Michael Frick
2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Texas on
Q: I will be purchasing a home, owner to owner from my landlord. What type of questions should I ask when signing.

I will be renting to own the rental I live in. The landlord and I have come to an agreement as far as price/down/monthly payments. What type of questions should I ask? Should I be liable for taxes of the property during the timeframe I will be renting to own? She does have an attorney that will be... View More

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 26, 2024

1. You need to verify that there is no mortgage lender or other liens recorded against the property.

2. You need to verify that the landlord is the sole legal owner of the property.

3. You need to verify that the home is not anyone's homestead and is not claimed as...
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1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Texas on
Q: Seller left shed; now it's being repossessed. What can buyer do?

We closed on a home in Texas about 3 weeks ago. A shop building (on a crushed gravel slab but not anchored) was negotiated in the sale, but was not mentioned in the purchase agreement. Two days ago, a repo agent called us saying the shed was rent-to-own and it's being repossessed. Our real... View More

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 25, 2024

The first thing you need to do is to check to see if the company for which the repo agent is repossessing the shop building filed a UCC-1 perfecting a security interest in the shop building.

The second thing you need to do is to contact the title insurance company for your buyer's...
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1 Answer | Asked in Criminal Law and Federal Crimes for Texas on
Q: I have evidence of coerced and falsified documents from a probation officer/judge and misconduct/bias/prejudice

Also a pretexual traffic stop/unlawful stop/premidated conspired set up.

What can I do about that?

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 25, 2024

You should tell your criminal defense attorney. Evidence obtained during your traffic stop could be excluded if you can show that the stop was unlawful and pretextual. But you need to raise this complaint properly in a pretrial motion or objection at the time of your trial, or you could waive... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Divorce and Family Law for Texas on
Q: House owned by wife. Married in 2009. Live in Texas. Married 16 years. Getting divorced.

I was a silent partner on a note refinance, signed paperwork (I am not on the deed). Replaced appliances, did interior upgrades, etc. Do I have 50% equity in the house?

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 25, 2024

It depends on whether the house is your wife's separate property or community property. If the house was bought by your wife before your marriage, it is her separate property. If the house was bought by your wife during your marriage, it is community property unless she used entirely her... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Arbitration / Mediation Law, Employment Discrimination and Employment Law for Texas on
Q: Can an associate in a law firm give a lawyer in another firm a copy your arbitration deposition transcript 3 years pos

Deposition transcript was never used in arbitration ,case settled during discovery, transcript was shared 3 years later to another lawyer in another arbitration proceeding I was involved in ....it was actually stolen by the associate

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 25, 2024

If the associate was an attorney in the law firm that represented you in the arbitration proceeding, he should not share your deposition transcript without your permission.

If the associate was an attorney in a law firm representing another party in that arbitration proceeding, he can...
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1 Answer | Asked in Personal Injury and Civil Litigation for Texas on
Q: I won a tow hearing and won the appeal. Can I sue for time missed working and stress/ medical.
John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 21, 2024

Ordinarily, mental anguish damages are not recoverable for temporarily being deprived of the use of personal property like a motor vehicle.

It would be very difficult to prove that the temporary deprivation of your motor vehicle was a proximate cause of missed time from work unless you can...
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1 Answer | Asked in Traffic Tickets for Texas on
Q: i got a handi cap ticket in my apartments for parking in handicap but the management told me i could park there because

apts just open and we didnt have parking set and towing yet and they were doing the gates and the lines were being re done and would change including handicap what can i do to get money back after car ws booted and made to pay to get it off

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 20, 2024

If the apartment management had your car towed, you should ask the individual who gave you permission to park in the handicap space to pay any expenses you incurred in reliance upon what he/she told you.

If the towing company towed your car without authorization, you could probably sue the...
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1 Answer | Asked in Employment Law for Texas on
Q: If a given company wants their employees to wear a jacket with their logo on it only, do they have to provide the jacket

I work at a car wash in Texas, this company does not want the logo on our uniforms covered up and wants them always showing. They recently told us that we are not allowed to wear a hoodie underneath our uniforms (long sleeves permitted only). With that, we cannot wear a jacket without the company... View More

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 20, 2024

The employer must either supply the uniform or provide notice to the employee of a third party vendor from which it can be obtained. An employer may deduct the reasonable cost of the uniform as well as cleaning costs from an employee's paycheck as long as doing so does not reduce the... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Texas on
Q: Undivided Property

When two people share equal interest in a parcel of undivided property and one passes away, do their heirs get equal shares with the remaining original interest holder?

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 20, 2024

If two people share an equal interest and one dies, the deceased person's 50% interest passes to that person's heir(s). The deceased person can specify in a Will the interest that each will get; otherwise, it passes in accordance with the laws of intestate succession. That may mean the... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Child Custody and Family Law for Texas on
Q: My daughter's father won't let me have her and every attempt he avoids the custody agreement. Motion filed against him

FIled motion for a hearing and his hired attorney trying to get transferred and delay everything from not agreeing on dates available in my county

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 18, 2024

Talk to your attorney about whether you filed in the correct county. Normally, if the child resided in the county where you filed for the preceding 90-days, you filed in the correct county. Otherwise, a transfer to that county would seem to be the correct procedure. If a transfer is appropriate,... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Divorce and Family Law for Texas on
Q: I am needed advice on how to proceed with divorce?

I was married to this man for 22 years and he has moved out the house this morning, he is the sole provider of this household I don’t even share a bank account with him, to have access to any funds , I am worried I have a 17 year old son . We are divorcing due to infidelity and irreconcilable... View More

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 18, 2024

You should contact an attorney who practices in the area of law of divorce and/or family law in or near the county where you live. If you do not already have a bank account in your name, you should open one in your sole name. If you do not already have a credit card in your name, you should open... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law and Banking for Texas on
Q: When the client of a lawyer requests a copy of his file, is lawyer required to supply that either hard copy or digital
John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 18, 2024

Yes. Whether the file is maintained as a hard copy file or in electronic format, the lawyer is required to provide the client's file to the client upon request.

A lawyer is not required to keep a copy of the client's file after the engagement has ended. The lawyer is required to...
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1 Answer | Asked in Criminal Law, Federal Crimes and Small Claims for Texas on
Q: Can I call the cops on someone for throwing my things away from their house without letting me know? Is it theft?

My uncle had a room in his house that I was going to move into, but after I got my belongings in there he changed his mind but let me keep my things there for safe keeping and free storage. They moved to San Antonio and didn't tell me they discarded my things until after the fact.

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 15, 2024

There are not enough facts to answer your question. It would be important to know whether there was any written agreement between you and your uncle. It would be important to know how long your things were at your uncle's house. It would be important to know how often you went to your... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Business Law for Texas on
Q: How long can it be since an act that we can still file a lawsuit against a bank?

Years ago our bank took money from our account to pay a Dish Network service that we never signed up for.

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 14, 2024

To the extent that the bank actions breached its account agreement with you, four years. If the bank's act was not a breach of contract. most likely a two-year statute of limitations applies. There are certain legal doctrines which can delay or toll the running of a statute of limitations... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Criminal Law and Identity Theft for Texas on
Q: is the police department trying to pull a fast one on me?

kinda a long story but the gist of it is i have an exgirlfriend that stole my credit card info and used it 4 months after we broke up for over $2,000 with 70+ transactions over the course of a single month.

the detective is telling me that because i gave her my card to get food at one point... View More

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 18, 2024

It is not legal, but police may not make an arrest or submit criminal charges to the district attorney for prosecution. They most likely will consider it a civil matter.

You can timely challenge any charges she makes with your credit card company as fraudulent use of your credit card. You...
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1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Business Law for Texas on
Q: Provided call center services for 24+ months; client now refuses to pay invoices. Can we take legal action to recover $?

Provided call center services to client for 24 months. Now they refuses to pay three invoices totaling $19,181.83. Per our contract, a $200 weekly late fee per invoice has accrued, bringing the current amount owed to $41,581.83. Client also failed to honor a three-month cancellation notice, costing... View More

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 13, 2024

First, seeing a contract alone does not necessarily mean that the other party agreed to its terms. If I receive and read your contract, I will be aware of its terms, but that does not mean that I agreed to them. The lack of a signature indicating assent to the terms is going to be a problem. It... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for Texas on
Q: Where should I go if custodial parent refuse to honor our schedule of visitation in the long distance parenting plan?

Custodial parent moved from Florida without the relocation agreement, to Seattle, WA, I sent information about his ticket some days ago and yesterday she said she won't have permit in her job to honor a parenting plan order, I live in Texas, the Order is from Florida but she is living in... View More

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 12, 2024

It's not up to her job.

If this were a Texas court order, I would recommend that you file a motion for enforcement in the court that issued the order.

Since it is a Florida order, you need to ask the advice of a Florida attorney who practices in the area of family law.

1 Answer | Asked in Domestic Violence and Juvenile Law for Texas on
Q: How do I know if it’s discipline, or neglect/abuse?
John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 11, 2024

Whether acts or omissions constitute discipline or neglect/abuse depends upon the specific facts and circumstances presented by the competent and admissible evidence in a lawsuit which will be adjudicated by a finder of facts (either a judge or a jury).

Generally, reasonable discipline...
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1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for Texas on
Q: How do i know my marital status. And what are the conditions for an annulment.

I was married in the USA for five years. He filed for divorce, and I left the country. I no longer have any paperwork regarding the marriage. Now, I need to find out whether I am still married or not, and I’m wondering if I can apply for an annulment.

John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 11, 2024

You most likely cannot file for an annulment because the grounds on which an annulment can be granted are very narrow.

If he previously filed for divorce, you should check the Vital Statistics Unit at (888) 963-7111, Monday through Friday, 8 AM–4 PM to see if he ever finalized the divorce.

1 Answer | Asked in Civil Litigation for Texas on
Q: What is the best way to address a Small Claims Debt Citation?
John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Nov 11, 2024

If you owe the debt, the best way to address it is to pay the debt.

If you paid the debt, or a portion of the debt, the best way to address it is by filing an answer specifically listing each payment you made by date, amount, and method of payment, and then appearing at trial with proof of...
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