Miller Johnson real estate attorneys Cindy Ortega, Matt Van Dyk and Eric Starck focus on uncapping of Michigan property taxes in commercial transactions in this podcast episode.  Topics include property tax terminology, how is a property’s taxable value determined, when does a property’s taxable value get reset, or “uncapped,” to the state’s estimated value, timing of […]

We ended 2017 by making predictions about what 2018 will bring to the privacy and cybersecurity world.  We’ll start 2018 by looking at how we fared in our 2017 predictions.  Spoiler alert, we nailed it. Expansion of Breach Notification Requirements We’ll give ourselves half credit for this one. While some states took action, Michigan did not […]

January in Michigan will bring your 2018 property tax assessment notices. Deadlines to appeal begin to run as early as February. In this episode, Jeff Ammon, Bob O’Brien and JJ Henn alert you to the very short and sometimes confusing deadlines for addressing property tax issues in Michigan.  They will cover how to understand your […]

In this podcast, Miller Johnson Real Estate Attorneys Eric Starck, Jim Ens and Matt Van Dyk discuss the important role of the real estate broker in both leasing space and buying or selling a property.  Our attorneys regularly recommend the parties have a broker for a variety of reasons including both sides being better informed, […]

As 2017 comes to a close, the Miller Johnson Privacy & Cybersecurity team takes a moment to reflect on the past year to help predict cybersecurity trends in 2018. In 2017, our clients experienced an unprecedented number of cyber-incidents and data breaches. Our small to medium-sized business clients were impacted most. These attacks coincided with […]

Attorneys Rachel Hillegonds, Grant Schertzing and JJ Henn discuss the rules regarding recording a property deed.  Topics include the Michigan Recording Act, bonafide purchasers, valuable consideration, constructive notice, putting third parties on notice of property interest, requirements of recording documents, and much more.

With Uber joining Equifax, JP Morgan, Target and others as the latest victim of a high-profile data breach, all companies should be evaluating how they can protect themselves from data breaches and the fallout.  Over the past month, we have covered how to encrypt your laptop and covered how to send secure emails.  Even if […]

Mathew Van Dyk, Grant Schertzing, and Rachel Hillegonds discuss common title insurance misconceptions, title commitments, how to view title insurance generally, and as well as what title insurance does and does not do for a buyer or seller. Ways to listen to podcast for free iPhone/iPad: Tap link to subscribe to podcast with Apple Podcasts app Android: Tap […]

Regular email, without some form of added security such as encryption, is not secure.  By that we mean when you use Outlook or Gmail to send an email to another person, unless you have deliberately added a layer of security (e.g., encryption and/or password protection), that email is not secure. Email was not designed with […]

Last week we told you about the $2.5 million laptop.  What if we told you that fine could have been avoided with one, simple step?  That’s right there would have been no data breach and no $2.5 million fine if the stolen laptop had been encrypted. In this post, we’ll discuss encryption basics, including how […]