Santa Cruz Business & Commercial Law Attorney Blog

When it comes to zoning disputes, the vast majority of issues surround development or construction matters. However, there are a wide range of land use and zoning conflicts that can occur, some of which have nothing to do with buildings or development. One such dispute has led to a lawsuit filed by a California County Supervisor in an effort to get the county to give their approval of the at-home burial of the man's wife.

The Supervisor lost his wife in March, and upon her wishes buried her remains on the couple's property. However, private burials are not permitted under California law. The lawsuit asks that the county issue a death certificate and burial permit for the action, which would, in essence, equate to the county signing off on the burial and acknowledging the legitimacy of the act.

As the recession gained full steam after 2006, thousand of homeowners and business owners found themselves underwater and unable to meet their mortgage obligations. However, some people who did manage to keep up with their mortgage obligation still felt the sting of wrongful foreclosure. For California residents who were falsely foreclosed on, settlement checks have been sent out to rectify business and real estate transactions that were mislabeled or wrongfully labeled as overdue.

So far, reports indicate that 200,000 California residents are in a position to receive a settlement check. Victims who contend they were the target of wrongful foreclosure had to file a claim proving their status. Those homeowners who successfully filed such a claim will receive roughly $1,500 each.

As the recession gained full steam after 2006, thousand of homeowners and business owners found themselves underwater and unable to meet their mortgage obligations. However, some people who did manage to keep up with their mortgage obligation still felt the sting of wrongful foreclosure. For California residents who were falsely foreclosed on, settlement checks have been sent out to rectify business and real estate transactions that were mislabeled or wrongfully labeled as overdue.

So far, reports indicate that 200,000 California residents are in a position to receive a settlement check. Victims who contend they were the target of wrongful foreclosure had to file a claim proving their status. Those homeowners who successfully filed such a claim will receive roughly $1,500 each.

Many people, especially those with over $1 billion in their bank accounts, create a will directing what should happen to their money and other property after their death. However, a case that has been going through both state and federal government courts illustrates the importance of careful estate planning, especially in the case of a remarriage. A recent ruling in a California courtroom will give the case life for, at the minimum, another year.

Almost 20 years old, an unlikely pair met and married -- a 26-year-old stripper and a 90-year-old oil tycoon. The oil tycoon, J. Howard Marshall, died just over a year later, and the former stripper, the now-deceased Anna Nicole Smith, argued that she had a stake in his estate. His son disagreed. After a series of events that eventually led the case to the Supreme Court, a federal judge ruled that Smith's estate did not have a right to the $475 million it requested.

When many people think of estate planning, the first thing that comes to mind is an elderly individual who may want to get their affairs in order. However, it is just as important for younger people, especially those with families, to think about how their loved ones would be affected in the event of their untimely demise. California residents may wish to include paying for their children's college funds as part of their estate planning.

No parents want to think of leaving their children due to death, but they especially do not want to consider leaving their children unprepared in the event that such a tragedy occurs. Laying out guidelines for their children's college funds could be beneficial when parents create a will. By creating accounts that will continue should parents become unable to provide for their children, there is a better chance of securing children's financial futures.

Like it or not, the vast bulk of American financial transacting and social interaction is moving to the virtual realm. Online banking has become the norm for many California families, and more and more companies are making online transacting a requirement of doing business. Even the most stalwart of traditionalists are learning to accept the fact that the Internet is here to stay. Many people exchange photos and other creative works exclusively online, meaning that family memories are often password protected rather than ensconced in family photo albums. This change has led to new estate planning needs.

When a great deal of information is stored online and is only accessible through websites or cloud storage devices, heirs can encounter difficulty gaining access to information they need or assets that were intended to be handed down. This potential complication has led many within the estate planning industry to urge clients to consider some type of password storage option. There are a wide range of choices available, including the old-fashioned approach of a pen-and-paper list.

California electric car owners are likely aware of two major apps that assist drivers in locating charging stations across the country. Recargo and PlugShare both offered customers the ability to plan trips around the availability of recharging stations, and allowed users to rate the services offered at various locations. Xatori and Recargo, the companies behind these apps, are now merging to expand their services and grown within the electric vehicle services market. As with any new venture, this merger will engender business formation and planning needs.

The companies seem ideally suited for a merger, as they only claim to have 20% market overlap. That means that a large number of new customers are likely to sign on for services under Recargo, the name the newly formed entity will use. The combined venture will include not only the charging station locator app, but also a tool that allows electric car users to track and monitor their vehicle's energy level and a program that can manage an entire fleet of electric vehicles.

If the City Council grants its approval in a vote scheduled for Thursday, the city of Capitola will sell a parcel of land on McGregor Drive to the Soquel Creek Water District.

The Water District plans to build a pumping station on the 7,110-square foot parcel. It is paying $100,000 for the land. That price was determined by a neutral, third-party assessor.