Systems Are a Way to Limit Liability Risks
Posted on | May 28, 2009 | No Comments
In the past, I’ve written about business systems as a way to maximize profits. Systems provide another advantage that is near and dear to my heart- limiting liability risks. In fact, systems are an essential way to limit liability risks and protect the assets of a business’ owners.
Here’s an example taken right from the pages of my law firm’s operations manual-
My law firm is a “debt collector” under federal law, because we collect debts for our clients. That means I have to comply with a set of rules found in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. One of those rules requires my office to deliver the “Mini-Miranda” Warning each time we communicate with a consumer debtor. The “Mini-Miranda” Warning reads:
We are debt collectors. This is an attempt to collect a debt. Any information we obtain during this communication may be used to collect that debt.
But how do we ensure that a staff and office of 18 people reads that warning each and every time we communicate with a debtor?
Systems! That’s how.
Here’s what is in my office’s Operations Manual and systems to comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act-
- We have a written policy that all employees must read and agree to follow.
- Our initial staff orientation includes training on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
- We hold regular staff training on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and any changes in the law.
- We solicit from our staff ideas and new ways to improve our systems.
- A brightly colored copy of the “Mini-Miranda” Warning is posted on, literally taped to, every staff member’s telephone.
- A stack of brightly colored copies of the “Mini-Miranda” Warning are at the receptionist’s desk and handed to any debtor who comes to my office.
- The “Mini-Miranda” Warning is printed on every collections documents we send from our office.
- We police our staff and follow up with any questions or issues.
- And more.
There are more components to our system, but that’s not the point. The point is that we have systematized the way in which we handle this compliance issue. Our system creates predictable results, which is the greatest advantage of systems. We know that we are complying with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, because of our system. We’ve taken all the “guess work” and risk out of the equation. And, when the law changes, we can easily change the system to match the new law.
Every business needs similar systems to conduct its affairs. There are no exceptions. Every business needs systems. Systems make it easier to become and stay profitable, while reducing risks. But, you need to make sure the system is being implemented. You have to “police” your staff to ensure the system is working.
What systems do you have in place?
What systems need improvement?
Do you have systems that are not fully integrated into your business operations?
What are you doing to improve your business with systems as a key tool?
Tags: Asset Protection > Collections > lawsuit > limited liability
Protecting Your Business From the Lowest Common Human Denominator
Posted on | May 6, 2009 | No Comments
Recently, I was helping a client write a User’s Manual for a new product it is going to manufacture. I was writing warnings about injuries that could result from the misuse of the product. Later, as I was explaining to the client why I included some fairly obvious warnings, it struck me how ridiculous the law has become and how businesses are constantly under threat from frivolous lawsuits.
Mind you that this post is not about dangerous products or unsafe stores. Rather, this is about customers and clients blaming you and your business for obvious errors made by the client or things clearly beyond your control. Let me give you some examples to illustrate my point.
In products liability cases, manufacturers have to tell a consumer how to use and how NOT to use a product. Manufacturers must also warn consumers about the consequences of misusing a product. It is not enough to assume that a consumer will use a product for its obvious and intended purpose. Nor is it enough to assume, for example, that a consumer understands that lighting a charcoal grill in the living room might cause a house fire or dangerous fumes that might harm people’s lungs. You have to assume, as another example, that a consumer might try to scrap paint off an old house using a weed wacker. Sounds ridiculous, but that’s a fair view of how the law now works.
The law requires you to protect your business against the dumbest customers imaginable. Assume that your customers will make the silliest mistakes. Now guard against those risks. Unfortunately, that’s how you must now operate. You cannot assume that your customers are of average intelligence.
Please understand that there is a gap between what the law says and how it is actually applied. The law does not actually require you to protect yourself from injuries or losses sustained as a result of a customer’s unreasonable errors in judgment, but judges and juries apply the law that way. Bad facts, as we say, make bad law. Sure, you can appeal. But at what costs?
Most people have heard of the “reasonable man” or “reasonable person” standard. That remains the law. There is, however, the reality of what judges and juries do in actual cases.
The solution to these business risks is to prevent claims and lawsuits by assuming the worst. Create systems, policies and procedures that guard against claims by your dumbest customers and clients. Get insurance. Work with a good attorney, and take my warnings seriously. In short. . .
Hope for the Best, but Plan for the Worst.
Tags: Asset Protection > attorney > Indiana > lawsuit > limited liability
What to Do, When a Judge Gets It Repeatedly Wrong
Posted on | April 17, 2009 | 1 Comment
Question from One of Matt’s Readers
“I am a landlord with several properties. I’ve been having a problem with a particular small claims court judge. He always want to put off rendering a decision on a cases. It takes two to three weeks to get a decision on any type of damage hearing. When I do receive the decision in the mail the amount awarded is always about half of what I asked for, with no explanation. I take meticulous records and proof to court and have everything documented. I’m always surprised when he doesn’t make a decision right there. Is the judge required to explain why he disallowed part of my damages. Is this something I should appeal? On what grounds?
or am I throwing good money after bad?”
Matt’s Answer
In Marion County, Indiana, there are nine small claims courts. You can appeal judgments from these nine courts to the Marion Superior Court on any grounds. Actually, you don’t need a reason to appeal. So, one option is for you to obtain your ejectment in the small claims court and then appeal the adverse monetary judgment to the Marion Superior Court. That will be a longer process, however. That is one option.
Another option is to avoid the small claims courts completely and file all of your lawsuits in Marion Superior Court. That is a slower and more complicated process, however. My law firm had a client who experienced the same troubles that you are experiencing. That client, out of pure frustration, filed all its lawsuits in Marion Superior Court. It costs more money and often requires a lawyer’s help. That is a second option.
A third option would be to ask the judge for a few minutes of her time to discuss her court procedures in private. You cannot talk about a specific case in private with a judge, but a good judge would be receptive to a general discussion about her courtroom procedures and the evidence she requires. I would try to make that overture. That might not work, but it is probably worth a try.
A fourth option might be to change the way in which you present your case. If you do not provide the court with a one-page summary of all your damages, you should start doing so. I would label the summary as an exhibit and formally introduce it into evidence. I would make a “big deal” out of your summary of damages. It should be typed, include a title, and look like a formal document. Make it a serious effort.
Here’s yet another suggestion… file a motion to correct error or a motion to reconsider after your next inadequate judgment award. Describe why the court erred and provide an itemized damages calculation. There is not a formal means by which the court in small claims cases can consider a motion to correct error or motion to reconsider, but I would still give it a shot. If you try this, make sure you file this document soon after you get your judgment.
Another option is to simply keep doing what you’re doing. Frankly it is not unusual to wait two or three weeks to get a decision out of any judge in any court in any county in the state. So, I’m not surprised or alarmed that it is taking some time for you to get your judgments.
As a final thought, it might worth trying to bring an attorney to your next case. Judges tend to treat litigants differently when a lawyer is present. After that one case, you might find that the judge treats you differently.
I have given you several suggestions. You might experiment with one, two or all of these. Unfortunately, there is no single, absolute and perfect solution. It is frustrating when courts ignore the law and the facts. It is even more frustrating, when it seems that a court has its own agenda. Please be patient and diligent. Persistence helps as well. Keep trying, and keep fighting for a just result in your cases. For your own good, assume that it is your fault that the judgments are wrong. Assume that you could communicate your position better. In other words, don’t blame the judge for hearing you wrong. Try speaking clearer. Present a better case. You may be perfectly right and you may be doing a good job of presenting your case, but assume you could do better. You might find that a better articulated and presented case will serve you well.
Good luck.
Should You Include An Arbitration Clause in Your Contracts?
Posted on | April 13, 2009 | No Comments
As the costs of litigating disputes continue to increase, litigants are increasingly settling their disputes through arbitration. Arbitration is a process in which a neutral third person (arbitrator) or panel, usually of three persons, considers the facts and arguments presented by the parties and then renders a decision. By utilizing arbitration, litigants can avoid trial, and the lengthy and expensive process of getting to trial. Arbitration usually results in a quicker decision than could be had by going to court. After the arbitrator renders a decision, that decision can be enforced by the courts. However, the courts cannot hear an appeal of an arbitration decision, except in the case fraud.
Arbitration is often preferable for the plaintiff who wants quick redress for the harm he or she has suffered, but defendants may prefer the longer and slower processes of trial and appeal in the courts. The rules of evidence in arbitration differ from those in trial. There are other differences between the two processes. Consequently, before a party agrees to submit to arbitration, thereby waiving the right to trial, careful consideration should be made as to which process is more likely to yield the better result.
How do parties choose arbitration over trial? They simply agree to arbitrate, usually in a written agreement. Written agreements to submit a dispute to arbitration can be signed before or after a dispute arises. So, for example, an employment agreement might include a provision requiring an employee to submit a wage dispute to arbitration. Nearly any agreement can contain an arbitration provision. Agreements can even be written to require mandatory arbitration only if requested by one but not the other party to the agreement.
Whether arbitration is right for you depends on a number of factors particular to your circumstances. However, all parties to an agreement in which significant disputes might arise should consider whether arbitration is a preferable alternative to resolving those potential disputes.
Tags: arbitration > attorney > Contracts > dispute > Indiana > lawsuit
A Question About Non-Compete Agreements
Posted on | April 7, 2009 | 2 Comments
Question for Matt-
“Matt-
I am in litigation with a company I had a 3 year non-compete. They litigate many of their former dealers. It has been almost 4 years since I left, and I have one the preliminary injunction hearing in December. My attorney now wants $50,000 up front to continue the case, my small growing business is struggling because of the suit. I am worried about the small amount of assets I have left – I don’t think its possible for me to fight the case this summer – when its slatted for trial. If I fight, if possible, I risk all I have, but if I don’t – I am in the same boat.
I can’t get a straight answer from my attorney about if I loose, although she is great about fighting the case.
Any help?
CM”
Matt’s answer-
First of all, your lawyer stinks at her job!
If she can’t help you understand your case, the law governing your case, your options and the costs-benefits of your options, then she is doing a horrible job. A lawyer is first and foremost an educator. We TEACH our clients what the law is. We TEACH judges what the law is or should be. And we TEACH juries what the facts of a case are and how they mesh with the law.
Good lawyers even TEACH opposing counsel about the strengths and weakness of a case or what the controlling law is, as part of a lawyer’s advocacy for the client.
If you can’t get basic guidance from your lawyer, you have to question everything she does. TEACHING is job #1 for a lawyer. If she can’t TEACH, she can’t “lawyer.”
How is your lawyer going to explain your case to a judge or jury, if she can’t even explain it to you?
Fire your lawyer and find one who can communicate well enough to do the job!
As to your particular covenant not to compete, I would need to read it. I’ve enforced many covenants, and I’ve defeated many covenants here in Indiana. Each case is different, as the facts and the contracts differ from case to case. Also, I am unsure of where you live or what state’s law will control. In some states, restrictive covenants are harder to enforce. So, I would need more details. Sorry, but that’s an honest answer.
I think you might start your analysis with getting a second opinion from a new lawyer!
You can also read Are Covenants Not To Compete Really Enforceable? That’s a blog I posted here several weeks ago.
Best of luck!
Stay Out of Court At (Nearly) All Costs
Posted on | March 30, 2009 | No Comments

Stay out of court, because courts often make bad decisions that can have enormous impact on your business, your personal life and your finances. If you stay out of court, you increase your chances of controlling your own fate. If you let a judge decide, you have no control.
One of my law partners has a great expression about clients who get themselves entangled in lawsuits:
“When a client has to file a lawsuit or gets sued, he has already lost.”
What’s that mean?
It means lawsuits cost. They cost you or your business:
- Time spent in the courtroom, in depositions, reading documents, talking to your lawyer, in mediation, reading court documents, searching for evidence, etc.
- Money for attorneys’ fees, expert witness fees, photocopies, travel, etc.
- Opportunities to make money elsewhere doing other things, to grow your business, or to take personal time to be with family and friends.
- Your health. Lawsuits are stressful. The only thing more stressful than getting sued is having to file a lawsuit. Lawsuits are fun for lawyers. I love them, from a professional vantage point. I get to exhibit and sharpen my advocacy and strategy skills, but lawsuits are no fun for my clients.
- Goodwill or reputation. Getting sued can hurt the image people have of your business or you. The newspapers rarely report stories accurately. Allegations and even rumors are often reported as facts. People who really, truly know you and your ethos will be unaffected. Everyone else, including your customers, vendors and potential customers, will develop doubt in you to some degree.
A good lawyer-friend of mine just got a horrible ruling from a judge in a divorce case. The judge was wrong and should be appealed, but at what cost to the client? The judge robbed a father of all time with his children in a visitation ruling. The father in the case is not a bad guy at all, but the judge, for whatever reason, decided that the man should no longer see his own children.
Amazing isn’t it? How can one human being exercise that much power over another human being. This father is dying inside, because he no longer can see the children he loves so much. It’s very sad, and that judge should be ashamed of himself.
In a divorce case, there is not much you can do in advance to avoid a divorce lawsuit. Save your marriage, if you can. Or, don’t marry THAT woman in the first place. Ladies, don’t marry THAT man! That is the only lawsuit prevention available in a divorce context.
But what about your business affairs?
Do you take these preventative measures:
- Meet with your lawyer when you are unsure of your rights?
- Meet with your CPA, lawyer and insurance agent at least once every year?
- Have your lawyer draft or review all your contracts?
- Have your lawyer develop an asset protection plan?
- Use limited liability entities properly to create a “corporate shield?”
- Train your staff on a regular basis?
- Have processes and procedures developed into an operations manual?
- Properly use insurance to transfer liability risks away from you or your business?
- Etc.
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then it’s time to go see your lawyer.
Tags: Asset Protection > attorney > business plan > corporation > court > damages > dispute > Indiana > Indianapolis > Insurance > lawsuit > liability > limited liability > llc > partnership > Small Business
REAL ESTATE QUESTION- Tenant Screening
Posted on | March 17, 2009 | 2 Comments
Question from one of Matt’s readers-
“How should I screen tenants?”
Matt’s Answer-
That is a great question and more important today than ever. As the foreclosure wave pushes more and more people out of their production homes and into the rental market, landlording is seeing a rebirth. Once again, it is not so bad to hold rental properties. Generally, the number of vacancies is dropping. And, more and more investors are moving away from the more creative real estate investing techniques and back to buying and holding rental properties.
Landlording is back! (I never thought it went away, actually.)
For both the seasoned landlord and the newest of real estate investors, it is important to screen tenants and have a command of the tenant screening process. There are a number of factors to consider, such as:
· What forms do I use?
· Do I require an application fee?
· How do I screen?
· What is my screening criteria? What makes a good tenant?
· How do I avoid discrimination claims? What are my duties and rights?
· How do my rental application and lease agreement work together?
· Was does it really mean to “pre-screen” tenants?
· Should I use a tenant screening service?
These are great questions, and the answers are relatively simple. It does, however, take some time to learn about your rights, responsibilities and opportunities, as they relate to tenant screening. I cannot address all these topics here, but let me take the last question- “Should I use a tenant screening service?”
The answer is: Yes, you better. Using tenant screening services is the most cost- and time-effective way to improve your chances of a successful landlord-tenant relationship. Good tenant screening services are a bargain. I have written for more than a decade on the subject, and believe in them more today than ever.
Do “bad” tenants slip through, even with a tenant screening company helping you? Yes, it happens. But, for the most part, professional tenant screening greatly improves your odds of finding the best tenant in your pool of tenant applicants. I believe in tenant screening services so much that I agreed to teach a class on landlording, called “Landlording 101,” for the local office of the National Tenant Network, last year. WE WILL PROBABLY OFFER THE CLASS AGAIN THIS SPRING! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, EMAIL ME.
Also, once each month, I host the “Landlording Subgroup” of the CENTRAL INDIANA REAL ESTATE INVESTORS ASSOCIATION. The next meeting will be held in my law office building- 151 N. Delaware Street, downtown Indianapolis at 6:00 p.m. on March 23. If you’re a CIREIA member, register to attend the meeting at www.cireia.org.
At these classes, I answer the questions listed above. If you are a landlord and have not attended one of my classes, please do so soon. If you haven’t established a relationship with National Tenant Network or another such service, do so this week. That is one of the first and certainly most important steps in the tenant screening process.
Tags: Asset Protection > attorney > CIREIA > court > damages > dispute > Indiana > Indianapolis > landlord > lawsuit > Real Estate > real estate investor > tenant
WARNING- Asset Protection Is NOT Done Off-Shore
Posted on | March 16, 2009 | No Comments
My blog just got spammed by some company trying to get people to invest in a corporation based on some Caribbean island. The spam came across as an advertisement for “asset protection.” I deleted the comment and will not be posting it on this site! The spammer was trying to comment to my post Asset Protection- “It’s As Easy As 1 – 2 – 3!”
So, I need a Caribbean trust or corporation to protect my assets?
Hogwash!
Asset protection is the lawful use of entities, contracts, business practices and other legal structures that are recognized and permitted under existing law. Everything you need to protect your personal and business assets can be found right in your home state. You do not need to go off-shore to protect your assets. In fact, going off-shore raises another type of risk to your assets and can, therefore, be self-defeating.
Asset protection is NOT trying to hide assets in a Caribbean-based trust or corporation. Nor do you need a Delaware corporation or a Nevada corporation, unless you live or operate your business in those states. Nor do you lawfully protect assets by trying to hide them, by committing crimes or by engaging into fraudulent transfers.
The law provides ways to protect your assets! You’ve just got to understand what your risks are and what lawful means are available to address those risks. It’s really not that difficult. And there is no trickery involved. Trickery usually leads to other problems.
Do you know what a “legal witch doctor” is? It’s a term I coined years ago to describe people who talk about the law and who practice law without a license but with a particular financial motive impacting their advice. If a legal witch doctor tells you that off-shore trusts are the key to asset protection, you can bet that off-shore trusts are being sold to you.
Buyer beware! Avoid legal witch doctors. Go see your lawyer.
Tags: agreement > Asset Protection > attorney > business plan > corporation > court > damages > dispute > fraudulent transfer > Indiana > Indianapolis > Insurance > lawsuit > limited liability > llc > llc's > Small Business
Piercing the Corporate Veil/Shield
Posted on | February 17, 2009 | 1 Comment
The single greatest advantage to operating a business as a corporation is that the owners of the business protect their personal assets from the corporation’s creditors. Incorporation creates a fictional “shield” or “veil” between the corporation’s owners and its creditors. Generally, incorporation protects its owners from personal liability and limits an owner’s risks to the loss of his or her investment in the corporation.
Unfortunately, many business owners form a corporation but fail to take the necessary steps to maintain the integrity of the corporation. Even worse, owners will blur the distinction between their personal affairs and the corporation’s business. The consequences are that the corporate veil can be “pierced”, and an owner may be subjected to personal liability by the corporation’s creditors.
Maintaining the corporate veil is not difficult, but it does require some simple tasks completed and vigilance. Here is a partial list of tasks which should be completed in order to maintain the integrity of the corporate veil:
1. Never commingle personal and corporate finances. Never pay personal expenses with corporate funds.
2. Corporate officers should always execute documents in their corporate capacity. For example, sign documents as “John Doe, As President of ABC Corporation.”
3. Hold annual meetings of shareholders to elect directors.
4. Hold annual meetings of directors to select officers.
5. Create and maintain a corporate record book, which should include minutes of all corporate meetings.
6. Prepare and adopt good Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws.
7. File biennial reports with the Secretary of State.
8. Register all assumed business names with the Secretary of State and appropriate county recorders.
This list is certainly not exhaustive, but completing these tasks will greatly help preserve the protections afforded to business owners by incorporation.
Go see your lawyer for help help in reviewing your present corporate documents. Make any necessary changes to those documents. Prepare notices and minutes of meetings. Do all this and more ASAP.
Tags: Asset Protection > attorney > corporation > court > damages > dispute > Indiana > lawsuit > liability > limited liability > llc > partnership
LLC’s, Charging Orders & Judgment Liens
Posted on | February 17, 2009 | 2 Comments
Question from one of Matt’s readers-
“A residential rental property is owned by a single member LLC. The tenant files a frivolous lawsuit and wins. The amount of damage awarded to the tenant exceeds the amount covered by the liability insurance on the property. What are all the possible ramifications to the property, the single member LLC that owns the property in question or the natural person who is the single member of the LLC? Charging order, lose ownership of the property, lose ownership of other assets owned by the LLC, etc.?
Thanks Matt”
Matt’s Answer-
What a great question. There are several issues here. I’ll take them in chunks.
FRIVOLOUS LAWSUIT
I’m going to assume that your case was in a small claims court, even though you didn’t say that. Crazy things happen in Small Claims Courts. The level of “lawyering” and judging is often not as high as it is in superior and circuit courts. There are exceptions, of course. But, your case shows why we have appellate courts to fix what lower courts screwed up.
Appeal!
In Marion County, Indiana, appeals from the Small Claims Courts go to the Superior or Circuit Courts. In Marion County, you get a fresh start. . . a new trial. The Small Claims Court judgment is vacated. You start over and get a chance to get the case determination right. So, my first response is: Appeal! That’s an easy solution to all your problems.
INSURANCE
Secondly, ask your insurance agent why you’re not fully insured! Should you be suing your insurance agent for malpractice? Maybe the insurance agent’s Errors & Omissions coverage is your solution.
On a side note, I’d encourage you to learn how to communicate properly with insurance agents. There are specific things you should do in order to develop the right Insurance Plan for your business, and I can share those techniques with you in another article or during a consultation.
JUDGMENT LIENS
When a judgment is entered by a court of record in an Indiana county, a lien is automatically created against any real property owned in the same county. If the judgment-defendant has real property in other counties, those properties are not impacted. However, a judgment in “County A” can be “recorded” in “County B.” At that point, the judgment is a lien on real property owned by the judgment-defendant in both counties.
Importantly, judgment liens apply not only to the subject property but to ANY real property owned by the judgment-defendant.
PERSONAL LIABILITY
If I understand your facts, there is no judgment against the LLC owner, just the LLC. In that case, there should be no collection efforts against the LLC owner. A plaintiff cannot collect a judgment issued against an LLC from the assets of the LLC’s owner. So, the owner (you) should not be concerned about a charging order. Actually, charging orders are a good thing, in a sense (read on).
Some of you might be asking: “What’s a charging order?”
A charging order only applies to LLC’s, not corporations. A charging order is an order that requires the LLC to pay to the plaintiff any monies that would be distributed from the LLC to the owner. There must be a judgment against the owner, before a charging order could be issued. Charging orders are the only remedy a plaintiff would have to collect from the ownership interests a judgment-defendant would have in an LLC. So, in other words, a plaintiff cannot acquire an owner’s ownership interests in an LLC. By contrast, a plaintiff can acquire a judgment-defendant’s stock in a corporation.
Why do the courts distinguish between corporations and LLC’s in this area of the law?
The rationale is that LLC’s are partnerships and that a plaintiff should not be permitted to become someone’s partner. So, if A and B are partners in an LLC, and C gets a judgment against B, C should not be able to enforce the judgment to become A’s partner. A has the right to chose his partners. He picked B, not C, to form a partnership. C could get a charging order against the LLC and collect any monies that would be distributed from the LLC to B. If A and B owned a corporation together, then C could acquire B’s stock and become a co-owner with B.
Back to your situation. . . the law concerning charging orders is irrelevant to your situation for the reasons I described above. What you have at risk is your equity in the LLC. You cannot do much about the equity you have in the LLC at this point, now that the judgment was entered. Any transfers of equity you were to make now could be considered “fraudulent transfers.” And that is an entirely separate topic for another article.
THE LESSON(S) HERE-
Call your attorney. You lost a lawsuit, and probably did not have a good attorney with you in court! You saved the cost of having an attorney in court, but at what greater cost? Was it worth it?
Appeal bad decisions.
Learn how to communicate with your insurance agent to develop the right Insurance Plan.
Plan. Planning is an activity that occurs in advance. I’m not sure from your short question what your Asset Protection Plan includes. Clearly, planning is important, as your situation reveals.
Tags: Asset Protection > attorney > charging order > corporation > court > damages > fraudulent transfer > Indiana > Indianapolis > Insurance > lawsuit > liability > limited liability > llc > llc's > marion county > partnership > tenant