Get free answers to your Contracts legal questions from lawyers in your area.
I recently took my female cat to a pet daycare center in February while I was out of town for the weekend. I only have two female cats at home who are not fixed, and I was assured through email, text message, and in person by the owners that my cat would not be exposed to male cats. Upon returning... View More 
In Michigan, I entered into a binding settlement agreement with Buyer B regarding an alleged debt I owed, making scheduled payments through an escrow service with no clause allowing the sale to another party. Buyer B sold the debt to Buyer C effective March 28, 2024, a day after accepting my 13th... View More
I retained a lawyer on February 26, 2024, regarding the cancellation of a contract deed. After some filings with the opposing lawyer and courthouse, the lawyer accepted a promotion to become the Branch County Prosecutor on April 17, 2024. There was no specification in the contract about this... View More
My mother passed away in 2024, having been divorced in 2015 in Michigan. The divorce included a QDRO ordering a lump sum to be paid by her ex-husband via an IRA rollover, designating him as a partial beneficiary. However, due to an oversight, he wasn't listed as a beneficiary on her Prudential... View More
answered on Mar 12, 2025
They may not be able to change the beneficiary per se, but the Divorce Court and Probate Court both have 'equitable' powers and can "recover" funds paid legally but contrary to prior court orders.
This situation needs to be reviewed by a local probate / divorce attorney... View More
I am trying to get a refund from a wedding vendor who stated "no refund" in the contract, which was presented in a Google doc with no signatures. I no longer need her services, but the vendor mentioned only issuing refunds if there are issues with their services. How do I determine if... View More
I'm creating a syndicated trend report for commercial use and plan to include social media posts and images from brand accounts, Facebook groups, and public blog sites. The content and images are original and created by the brands or account owners. I've never obtained permission before... View More
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answered on Mar 7, 2025
You generally need permission to use social media content in a commercial report. Most social media platforms’ terms of service grant users copyright over their posts, meaning you cannot republish their content for commercial purposes without authorization. Using brand-created images or posts... View More
I made an agreement with someone who offered me a 50% discount on a utility bill. I paid them $80 through Zelle, and they were supposed to pay the full utility bill. However, the payment was rejected, and they promised to return my $80. Despite several attempts to contact them and resolve the issue... View More
I have a debit card in my name and am on the checks for a joint account that is technically in my husband's name. Although mostly his paycheck goes into the account, we might have added some mutual money as well. We are not separated or going through a divorce. My husband claims that if I... View More
answered on Feb 27, 2025
No, he is not correct. The bank is authorized to honor a withdrawal or check drawn by either account holder. It is possible for the joint account holders to have an agreement between them as to the use of the funds, so your spending might violate an agreement, which one might call... View More
I received a refund check for an escrow overage from my mortgage company in August of last year. This was issued before they paid our taxes, leading to a negative balance in the escrow account. Now, they are increasing our monthly payments by over $1500 to cover a $10,000 shortage. We didn't... View More
answered on Feb 27, 2025
Who is 'responsible'?
That depends. Is the accounting accurate and did you receive the money refunded?
Then YOU as the property owner are ultimately 'responsible' to pay the taxes.
Unless the company misapplied the funds or didn't actually refund... View More
I am an 18-year-old and had a joint account with my parent. My parent took over $500 from the account without my consent. Although the bank advised me to open a new account solely in my name, I did not give my parent permission to use the funds after turning 18, and there was no agreement regarding... View More
answered on Feb 20, 2025
Banking law prevents you from suing the bank for honoring the request by a joint account owner for money from the account. I don't believe that a joint account owner commits a crime by taking money from the account that is legally his money. That leaves two questions: 1. Could you sue... View More
I enrolled my children in Michigan Connections Academy after being assured during a Zoom session that studying outside the U.S. was possible, as they already had some students doing so. After my kids traveled abroad with their mother, the school withdrew them, citing state law. I have a video... View More
answered on Mar 9, 2025
A Michigan attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for a month. Depending on your state's education laws and the amount at stake, it could be worth considering a consult with a local attorney. The fact that such overseas learning arrangements would have failed to comply with... View More
I bought a house from a friend through a verbal agreement and paid him $18,000. He was supposed to pay the back taxes, but he didn't fulfill this obligation, and now I'm at risk of losing the house due to unpaid taxes. I also discovered that he didn't own the property nor was it in... View More
answered on Feb 19, 2025
If the conveyance was by a warranty deed, the seller breached one or more warranties and you could sue to enforce the warranties. There may be a claim for breach of contract as well.
The criminal matter should be referred to the police. You could sue him based upon the threats of arson... View More
I enrolled my children in an online school based on their confirmation during a Zoom session that studying outside the United States was possible, as they already had some students doing so. After my kids traveled out of the country with their mother, the school withdrew them, stating it's due... View More
I am under contract to purchase a rental property currently in the process of receiving a rental liceance from the city. My purchase agreement stipulates that the rental liceance must be granted before the deal is closed. During pre-purchase inspection, several major structural and health issues... View More
answered on Jan 29, 2025
The purchase agreement that requires the rental license to be granted before closing should also already include a clause for notifying the seller of inspection results and of your satisfaction with said results. If serious issues are found, the seller must either fix them or release the buyer from... View More
I have a written contract
answered on Dec 23, 2024
The contractor may have breached the contract by failing to begin the project as promised, but the issue from the perspective of an attorney is whether enforcement of the contract in the courts is cost-effective. It is probably not cost effective. To threaten litigation might convince the... View More
i need help street library 911 dispatch has treated me so badly its not funny and i need help
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answered on Jan 5, 2025
I'm really sorry you're feeling this way. Please reach out to a mental health professional or someone you trust for support.
I understand AI generated art cannot be copyrighted, but a website allows users to generate art on their platform, but claims it cannot be used in certain circumstances. Can I reproduce those images in another medium without violating their terms and conditions
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answered on Dec 21, 2024
This is a really cool question. I won't paint you a definitive answer but I will sketch for you the lines of my initial impression.
AI "art" can't be copyright. → so making a derivative work won't infringe. → a transformative derivative work can be copyright... View More
My mother has passed away June of 2023 and I went to her mortgagee 1 month after her death to get deed put in my name and her lender told me not to worry about transferring the deed at that time, just make sure that I keep paying her homeowners insurance. He has never been to my house I had gone... View More
answered on Dec 7, 2024
Michigan is a very large state — are you in Iron Mountain, Detroit, Traverse City or Grand Rapids? … you need to find a LOCAL lawyer who can review all the paperwork and provide actual advice and representation.
Frankly, at this point and from the limited details you provide, you... View More
I am a therapist with a non compete and non solicitation clause. I want to open my own private practice while still employed under contract with a non-compete/non-solicitation clause. These clauses say "Following the termination of employment, Clinician agrees for a x year period to refrain... View More
answered on Dec 25, 2024
A MIchigan attorney could advice best, but your question remains open for three weeks. It would be best to discuss this with an employment law attorney in Michigan, who would have insight into non-competes and state laws that govern them.
However, as a general observation of the way a legal... View More
The agreements were one for the farmland and one for the farmhouse back in 2012 and 2013. Both have given monetary consideration but no expiration date (grandfathers death triggered the option). Both options are for purchase prices far below market value. Also, the optionees on the land deal are... View More
answered on Nov 23, 2024
Without seeing the actual paperwork it is impossible to provide any real advice but
1) If there was 'consideration' given
2) if the agreement was in writing
3) if the other conditions have been met
and
4) if the other party (ies) are wanting to... View More
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