We are excited to announce that Finney Law Firm attorneys Isaac T. Heintz and W.Z. “Dylan” Sizemore will present “Five Pillars of Success” to the Greater Cincinnati Home Builders Association on Wednesday, April 20th from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
HBA members and non-members are invited, but non-members (“Future members”) must pay $25 to attend.
The seminar addresses the key steps that business owners should take in establishing and growing their businesses to maximize returns and minimize exposure to liabilities. The presenters are knowledgeable and experienced business and real estate attorneys.
The Cincinnati Home Builders Association is a private organization of home builders and their vendors that is entrepreneurial and well-led. They actively participate in civic matters of critical concern for the local economy and provide important educational opportunities for their members. Finney Law Firm is proud to be a member.
A flyer with the details of the event is linked here. The location of the presentation is The Tile Shop, 3095 Disney Street Cincinnati, OH 45209.
Register online to attend this program. Reservations are required.
All residential and commercial users of electric generation service from Duke Energy Corp. and/or Cinergy Corp. from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2008 are eligible for a rebate under a class action effectuated in the case Williams v. Duke Energy. For residential users, the rebate will range from $40 to $400. For commercial users the rebate is unlimited in size.
As described to me by one of the attorneys for the Plaintiffs, the settlement — nearly $81 million in all — means “real money,” especially for larger commercial users. Your business should not miss this opportunity, and it is even worthwhile for residential users to avail themselves of this windfall.
- However, in order to obtain a refund, consumers must complete and submit a form on-line or on paper by April 13, 2016.
The on-line form is quick and simple. It should take fewer than five minutes to complete. We strongly recommend that all of our eligible clients log onto https://dukeclassaction.com and complete the form. I just did it for my own residence, and it was super-quick and super-simple.
10 Things Finney Law Firm Can Do For You
Often times when people think of attorneys they think of lawsuits or criminal charges and as a result that is why they need an attorney. While attorneys are needed to help you deal with lawsuits and criminal matters that is not the end of the list of what an attorney can help you with. To help you get a better idea of how an attorney can help you I have compiled this list of 10 things that Finney Law Firm can do for you. While this list is by no means an all-inclusive list it is designed to show you areas where Finney Law Firm has the expertise to help you work through a matter and save you money or save you from legal headaches in the future.
1. Real Estate Matters
In many states in the U.S. (Ohio and Kentucky are no exceptions) attorneys are involved in many of the steps of the real estate buying and selling transaction. Often times attorneys are involved behind the scenes in reviewing contracts, legal documents, preparing title opinions and more. In certain states attorney have more hands on involvement in that any closing involving real estate is done by an attorney or under their direct supervision.
Finney Law Firm attorneys can assist individual buyers and sellers in the buying and selling process for both residential and commercial properties. As a real estate buyer you can ask an attorney to look over your offer to purchase a home to make sure it represents your best interests. Sellers may also want to hire an attorney to review any purchase offers and explain to them the requirements they will be bound by if they accept that offer. Some land purchases involve more complicated matters like mineral rights, multiple pieces of land being sold in one package, or liens by having an attorney represent 
you gives you get extra protection by having the legal considerations addressed by someone trained in those matters.
2. Business Planning
Are you planning on starting a new business, incorporating an existing business, or changing the corporate structure (i.e. going from an S Corporation to a C Corporation) of your current business? Many activities related to business planning should have an attorney involved in order to make sure everything is done properly. Changing your business status from a sole proprietor to a Limited Liability Company or a corporate form without doing the proper paperwork for taxes will leave you at risk with the federal and local tax authorities. While you may have unintentionally not filed some of the proper tax paperwork that will not stop any associated penalties. By working with a Finney Law Firm attorney you can be assured all your paperwork will be properly prepared and you will be fully informed as to what each document means to you in your business.
By working with an attorney to properly prepare your paperwork you have someone who is familiar with your business and will be ready, willing and able to help you should the need arise. While you can go hire an attorney at a moment’s notice to help out with legal issues, that attorney will not be as familiar with your business as one who has been working with you on an ongoing basis. For more information on the LLC form of a business see LLC see the article Why Do You Need An LLC.
3. Family Planning/Estate Planning
Marriage
Planning on getting married soon? Do you and your spouse have assets you want to keep separate in case of divorce? While the love and bliss of courtship lead you to think the relationship will last forever things and people do change. If you or your significant other own part of a family business, own your own business, have a large sum of assets from inheritance or from earnings then it is advisable to get a pre-nuptial agreement prior to getting married. A pre-nuptial agreement is a document that can protect assets for both of the people about to be married. Unless properly prepared by an 
attorney and taking into account all assets a pre-nuptial agreement may not be worth much in the event of divorce. Therefore pre-marital planning should involve an attorney and the couple about to be wed. In many cases it may be best for each person to have their own attorney look over the pre-nuptial agreement to represent each person’s best interests.
Family
Now if you are married and have kids there are other considerations to take into account. Those considerations mostly revolve around making sure your children and/or spouse are taken care of in the event of your passing. This is where sitting down with an estate planning attorney comes into play. An estate planning attorney will sit down with you and review your assets and your goals for your assets in case of death. This could involve setting up trusts for your spouse and/or children, guardianship arrangements for minor children, living wills, health care power of attorneys and more.
Depending on the amount of assets you have to give to your family and how you want to distribute those assets a trust may be a better option for you. A trust not only preserves your assets for your children it can also make sure you children still get their inheritance in the event your spouse later remarries. Inheritance can get quite complicated so it is best to talk with an estate planning attorney to make sure your assets are distributed the way you want them to be. For more information on wills and guardianship see my article How a Will and Trust Factor Into Your Estate Planning.
4. Legal Document/Contract Review
Have you been suddenly presented with a legal document with request for signature? Do you know what the document is meant to do and how you may be legally bound if you sign the document? If you don’t know what the language is saying or how it will impact if you sign it then by all means you should be speaking with an attorney to have them look over the document and explain to you what exactly is being asked of you. Common examples of legal documents you may be signing throughout your life include documents related to the purchase and sale of real estate, purchase or sale of a business, non-disclosure agreements for work or other purposes, waiver or release of liability paperwork, settlement documents and more.
Signing any legal document without having full understanding of what sort of obligations you may face is asking for trouble. While the language may not talk in dollars and cents terms you could end up owing plenty of money if you signed a legal document and then failed to do what was required of you under the terms of the document. An attorney will be able to review your legal document 
and give you an opinion on what it is asking for and what risks you face in signing the document. Don’t sign just because the person giving it to you says it is ok, get another opinion before it is too late.
5. Labor and Employment Law
Do you run a business where you are responsible for the hiring and firing of employees? Want to make sure any terminations or hiring are done correctly and there is minimal risk of you being sued for discrimination? Or maybe you are wanting to setup health plans or retirement plans for your employees and unsure of the way to go about setting up those plans?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions then you should be talking with a labor and employment law attorney who can prevent you from taking the wrong moves which end up costing you money and more. Having an effective attorney advocate at your side assures you that you can concentrate on working on your business while any legal issues are promptly dealt with for you.
6. Bankruptcy
Unsure if you can manage paying off your debts? Afraid of losing your house because you are behind on payments? Worried that your debts are impacting your health due to the constant stress? Or maybe health related expenses have hurt you financially. All of the above situations can be resolved through filing for bankruptcy. You will not know if bankruptcy is suitable for your situation until you sit down and discuss your situation with a bankruptcy attorney and learn about what filing for bankruptcy means.
In bankruptcy you are asking a bankruptcy court to set aside your debts under Chapter 7 (not all debts may be discharged) or to reorganize your debts into a more manageable payment plan under Chapter 13. Determining which Chapter will work best for you is a decision to be made in conjunction with a bankruptcy attorney. 
Businesses as well as individuals are eligible to apply for bankruptcy when they are unable to pay their debts.
7. Taxes, Taxes and more Taxes
Unaware of what taxes your need to pay for your business? Want to pay less to the Tax Man and let your family inherit more? Own a piece of property that you think you are paying too much taxes for? All of the above are matters that can be addressed by an experienced attorney at Finney Law Firm.
Business planning involves dealing with tax matters and understanding all the tax jurisdictions involved. Not only do you have to consider federal and state taxes but there are also the city, municipality, and possibly county taxes to take into account. Miss any payments to one of these tax collecting entities and your business will be at risk. By sitting down and discussing with an attorney what your business does and where it will be performing its business your attorney can better advise you as to what taxes you need to make sure are paid.
Property tax is another big issue for both residential and commercial land owners. Property tax collectors sometimes base their tax collection rates on the overall health of the real estate market in a region as opposed to your specific piece of land. Maybe you have change in situation that has lowered the value of your property but your property taxes still remain where they were before. An attorney will be able to look at your particular situation and then prepare the proper paperwork to request that your property valuation be looked at in order to get a possible downward adjustment in value thus reducing your property tax payment.
As mentioned in item 3 above a will can help you take care of your family in the event of your passing. Wills along with trusts can also shield your assets from estate taxes that can be charged to your estate. Also known as the “Death Tax”, this tax on your wealth can be minimized depending on the amount of wealth and how you deal with it now. As each individual has their own unique asset situation a consultation with an Estate Planning attorney will help you best decide how much of your assets get caught up in the “Death Tax”.
8. Litigation
When faced with litigation the last thing you want to do is ignore any requests for information nor do you want to provide answers without the guidance of an attorney in order to save money on legal bills. The answers and the way you answer pre-litigation questions (depositions and/or interrogatories) can make or break a case for you. Therefore it is in your best interest to answer these questions with an attorney present so they can stop you from answering questions you should not be answering. By having an attorney represent you in litigation from the beginning you are bringing along a valuable partner who not only will have knowledge of your case but also have the skills to defend you in a court of law. If an attorney has to be brought in later to a litigation matter it will usually be the case that they will have to spend more time in order to become fully informed of the situation which will cost you more than if you had hired an attorney at the start.
Whether you are being sued for something your business did, something an employee of yours did or you are suing someone who injured you the attorneys at Finney Law Firm have a great depth of 
background and litigation experience to assist you in your litigation matter. Finney Law Firm has successfully litigated cases related to caregiver abuse of children, business transactions, personal injury cases, failure to disclose in residential and commercial real estate matters, contract disputes and more. Finney Law Firm has won a number of cases that have went before the U.S. Supreme Court.
9. Personal Injury
If you have been injured by someone or someplace where the situation was preventable you may want to discuss your injuries with an attorney. Especially where you have suffered losses due to being unable to go to work, out of pocket medical bills, or other pain and suffering you may be able to be compensated for those losses. A lot of this depends on how the injury occurred and whether or not someone’s negligence leads to your injury. By talking with an attorney you get a better idea of where you stand if you do wish to seek recovery for your injuries.
10. Criminal Matters
Are you being charged with a crime? Whether that crime is driving while under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, theft or something else having an attorney represent you for the criminal trial is your right. In order to determine the severity of the charges and the amount of jail time or fines you can face you need to speak with an attorney as soon as you are able to. Facing a criminal charge is not 
something you should try and handle on your own as those who will be prosecuting you are professionally trained. By having a knowledgeable and experienced attorney like those found at Finney Law Firm on your side you can be assured you will be getting the best representation possible.
Do you have any questions about the services above?
Paul Sian is a licensed attorney in the States of Ohio and Michigan. If you feel you need the services of an attorney or have questions about any of the services named above feel free to contact me at paul@dev.finneylawfirm.com or via phone at 513-943-5668. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.
We hear a lot of misinformation from prospective sellers and Realtors on when a Residential Property Disclosure Form must be used in Ohio:
- “I’ve never lived in the house, and thus I am exempt from filling out the form.”
- “I’m just an investor. I don’t have to complete the form.”
Neither of these statements is true, so let’s bust these myths and in the process really dig into why a residential property disclosure form is “required” and when it is “required.”
What is the “requirement”?
As an opening proposition, Ohio law does not actually require the use of the Residential Property Disclosure statement. And by this I mean that no one is going to go to jail for failure to use the form, and the civil consequences are generally limited to termination of the contract before closing, if any.
The law in question is Ohio Revised Code Section 5302.30. It is indeed entitled “Property disclosure form required for all residential real estate transfers.” But when reading the statute it becomes apparent that the penalty for non compliance is: rescission of the contract, but only prior to the earlier of thirty days after the contract is signed or the date of closing (ORC § 5302.30 (K)(4)):
If a transferee of residential real property subject to this section does not receive a property disclosure form from the transferor after the transferee has submitted to the transferor or the transferor’s agent or subagent a transfer offer and has entered into a transfer agreement with respect to the property, the transferee may rescind the transfer agreement in a written, signed, and dated document that is delivered to the transferor or the transferor’s agent or subagent in accordance with division (K)(4) of this section without incurring any legal liability to the transferor because of the rescission, including, but not limited to, a civil action for specific performance of the transfer agreement.
Ohio Revised Code §5302.30 (K)(2) also provides for rescission if the seller amends the Residential Property Disclosure Form after the contract is signed.
It is always advisable to disclose
Before we get to the question of whether Ohio law requires disclosure, there is another question of whether disclosure is advisable. The answer is almost always “of course.”
The basis of property defects fraud claims is either (a) a material misrepresentation as to a known defect (i.e., lying about the basement leaking or the presence of termites) or (b) non-disclosure of a known material defect that is not readily open to observation by a buyer.
A full and proper written disclosure inoculates a seller from both of these claims and this is advisable even if the law does not require full disclosure.
What types of transactions are covered?
Section (B)(1) of the statute tells us what types of transactions are covered by the “requirement”:
- transfers by sale;
- transfers by land installment contract;
- transfers by lease with option to purchase;
- an exchange of property; or
- a lease for a term of ninety-nine years and renewable forever.
Who must provide the form and who is exempt?
So, then, on to the question of who must provide the disclosure and when must it be provided:
The statute provides that it covers all “transferors ” of properties containing one to four dwelling units. So, this would seem to include otherwise commercial properties that contain under four dwelling units, such as a bar or restaurant with apartments above.
And then the statute contains an extensive list of exemptions from its requirements detailed below, but the exemptions do include:
- New construction;
- Transfers from an estate; and
- Transfers among family members and co-owners or pursuant to a divorce;
The statute does not exempt investors or simply owners who did not live in the property.
Waiver by buyer
Finally, a buyer can waive his right of rescission for a Residential Property Disclosure Form (O.R.C §5302.30 ((K)(3)(c). And, since this is the only remedy for the failure to deliver the Residential Property Disclosure Form, it is essentially a waiver of rights of the buyer under the entire statute.
Conclusion
So, the myth is busted. Investors and other owners who did not live in the house (except those administering an estate of a seller) are not exempt from the requirements of the statute.
Appendix
A more complete list of exemptions is below:
(1) A transfer pursuant to court order;
(2) A transfer to a mortgagee by a mortgagor by deed in lieu of foreclosure or in satisfaction of the mortgage debt;
(3) A transfer by a mortgagee, or a beneficiary under a deed of trust, who has acquired the residential real property at a sale conducted pursuant to a power of sale under a mortgage or a deed of trust or who has acquired the residential real property by a deed in lieu of foreclosure;
(4) A transfer by a fiduciary in the course of the administration of a decedent’s estate, a guardianship, a conservatorship, or a trust;
(5) A transfer from one co-owner to one or more other co-owners;
(6) transfer to immediate family members and transfers as a part of a divorce;
(7) A transfer to or from the state, a political subdivision of the state, or another governmental entity;
((8) A transfer that involves newly constructed residential real property that previously has not been inhabited;
(9) A transfer to a transferee who has occupied the property as a personal residence for one or more years immediately prior to the transfer;
(10) A transfer from a transferor who both has not occupied the property as a personal residence within one year immediately prior to the transfer and has acquired the property through inheritance or devise.
Our firm is pleased to serve as Plaintiff’s counsel in the assault case against Cincinnati Boxer Adrien Broner.
From today’s Enquirer our own Chris Finney is quoted:
“Adrien seems to have a penchant for walking around town and slugging people,” said Carson’s attorney, Chris Finney. “We want it to stop.”
Read about it in today’s Enquirer here.
The above headline — a great headline — greeted us from today’s Washington Post, for an article describing a decision issued today from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on the case in which we are local counsel — NorCal Tea Party v. United States of America.
That case addresses the abuses at the IRS over the segregation and targeting of conservative groups for slowed consideration of their tax exemption applications, and harassment in the form of illegal and over-burdening questioning and extra reviews of their applications. It is the only case addressing the abuses at the IRS that is still proceeding and the only case to achieve class certification status.
In that case, the Plaintiffs are seeking the spreadsheets showing the list of the targeted groups, and certain details of the extra scrutiny they endured. Federal District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott had ordered that the IRS produce that list. The IRS first asked her to reconsider that decision and then appealed the decision to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Today’s opinion upheld that decision of Judge Dlott. The decision is here.
Nominally, the decision was a detailed analysis of the taxpayer confidentiality statute, 26 USC Section §6103. But the unanimous 6th Circuit panel decision authored by Judge Kethledge, did so much more than that.
- First, it provided a detailed recitation of the alleged abuses of the IRS in targeting and discriminating against tea party groups;
- It also laid out a scorching criticism of the IRS and its counsel for fighting every issue in the litigation, including discovery, beyond reason.
The opinion has garnered widespread media coverage as well:
- Legal Insurrection: 6th Circuit Dings IRS in Tea Party Targeting Case
- Cleveland Plain Dealer: Federal appeals court criticizes IRS for delays in Tea Party lawsuit
- AP: Court orders IRS to provide information in tea party lawsuit
- Washington Times: Court rebukes IRS for tea party targeting, orders release of secret list
- Locker Room: Tea Party Wins a Battle in Its Fight with the IRS
Our firm is proud to participate in this historic and important litigation.
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As a real estate attorney, I many times take for granted that experienced real estate professionals — Realtors, lenders, and investors — understand the fundamentals of real estate law. And many times I am proven wrong in that assumption.
Just a few weeks ago, I again learned this lesson from real-life experience.
In that scenario, the parties signed a document entitled “letter of intent” for a million-dollar-plus property. The document identified the property in question, the purchase price and the timing for the closing.
Later, the seller obtained another offer on the property and took the position that our “Letter of Intent” was not binding. We took the opposite position and vigorously acted to enforce the newly-formed contact.
How is that so?
Statute of Frauds
First, we have extensively explored on this site the requirements of every state in the union that contracts for the purchase and sale of real estate (i) must be in writing and (ii) must be signed by the “party to be charged” therewith (i.e., the party who is to be sued on the contract). Grafton v. Cummings, 99 U.S. 100, 106 (1878); Smith v. Williams, 396 S.W.3d 296, 298 (Ky. 2012); Sanders v. McNutt, 72 N.E.2d 72, 75 (Ohio 1947). You may read more about that here.
What writing constitutes a contract?
Virtually any document that evidences a meeting of the minds between parties on the material terms of a transaction and that complies with the statute of frauds will be a binding contract for the purchase and sale of real estate. McGeorge v. White, 174 S.W.2d 532, 533 (Ky. Ct. App. 1943); Beasley v. ANG, Inc., 10th Dist. Franklin No. 12AP-1050, 2013-Ohio-4882, ¶ 8 (Ohio Ct. App., Nov. 5, 2013).
The title of the document does not matter. The paper on which the contract is memorialized does not matter. Whether it is written in pen, pencil, or crayon does not matter.
It simply matters that the material terms are in the document, the document is in writing and the document bears the signature of the “party to be charged therewith.”
Memoranda of understanding and letters of intent
Certainly, though, a document entitled so innocuously as a “letter of intent” or a “memorandum of understating” would not in and of itself be a binding agreement, right? Wrong.
Sometimes the terms of a document — such as a letter of intent or memorandum of understanding — may say in the text that it is not binding upon the parties unless and until they sign a contract drafted by their attorneys and signed by the parties. In such instance, by its own terms, the document is not a binding contract. See, e.g., John Wood Group USA, Inc. v. ICO, Inc., 26 S.W.3d 12, 17 (Ct. App. Tx. 2000) (“the parties expressly stated that the letter agreement ‘is not binding,’ with the exception of certain enumerated paragraphs”); Christ v. Brontman, 175 Misc. 2d 474, 477 (S.Ct. N.Y. 1997) (“Generally, if the language in the contract so provides, a real estate sales agreement which is subject to the approval of attorneys is not binding and enforceable until approved by the attorneys.”).
But in the absence of such “saving” language, a writing is a binding agreement on the terms set forth in such writing.
Again, the title of a document, or its brevity, could lead a buyer or seller to believe it is intended to be non-binding, and simply preliminary. Buyers and sellers are lulled into erroneous understanding that the informal nature of the document, the shortened text, and/or the title mean that the document is not binding unless and until further documentation follows, carefully reviewed or drafted by counsel. This is simply false as a matter of law.
Lot Reservation Agreements
This same logic extends to “Lot Reservation Agreements” in the context of a buyer-builder relationship. A one-paragraph agreement that seems to be just a quick way to tie up a piece of property for a few weeks or months could in fact give rise to binding obligations assuming the agreements comply with other contract principles.
Principle extends to other agreements
Although the focus of this article is the purchase and sale of real estate, its contents could just as well apply to other legal transactions such as real estate leases, options, easements and license agreements, and to non-real estate transactions such as equipment leases, and the sale of a company or its assets.
The back of an envelope
We learn in law school that a buyer and seller can memorialize a contractual agreement on any type of paper, including the back of a used envelope.
About 20 years ago, to my surprise, I ended up being involved in a “back of the envelope” case. There, the buyer sat on one side of a table and the seller’s Realtor was on the other side of a table. The Realtor wrote out some basic bullet-point contract provisions, being the address of the subject property, the price and the closing date, on the back of a used legal-sized envelope. The buyer, on the other side of the table, signed the document upside down! — he didn’t even bother turning around the writing and reading it. A judge found that that crazy-looking instrument constituted a contract binding upon that buyer.
The lesson: It simply does not matter what kind of paper the contract is memorialized upon or even where and how the terms are written on that piece of paper.
Conclusion
As we frequently caution our clients, “it’s a dangerous world out there.” You must carefully consider the consequences of your actions and those acting on your behalf.
I recently was asked by a commercial real estate salesman desiring to refer to Ivy Pointe Title: “Who is your underwriter and what is the quality of their paper?”
Who is our underwriter?
We are proud to have been accepted as an agent for First American Title Insurance Co. We write exclusively with First American as our title underwriter.
Who is First American?
- First American is the title insurance industry’s largest single brand name;
- First American has been issuing title insurance for more than 120 years.
What are First American’s financial strength ratings?
- Moody’s Investors Services: A3
- AM Best: A Excellent
- Fitch Ratings: A
Our firm obtains great support from the underwriting staff of First American and have a high degree of confidence in the coverage they provide to our clients and customers.
- posted: Mar. 15, 2016
- Hemmer DeFrank Wessels PLLC
- Uncategorized
Federal, state and local governments offer numerous benefits to a disadvantaged business enterprise or a “DBE.” Government projects sometimes set aside a portion of the contract value with a view toward that work being performed by a DBE. A contract awarded to a prime contractor may require a portion of the work to be subcontracted to DBEs. The federal government created these benefits to “level the playing field” and minimize the effects of competitive advantage that may have arisen when unfair discrimination was more prevalent.
A small for-profit business can become certified as a DBE when one or more socially and economically disadvantaged people own at least a majority interest in the company and control management and business operations. Obtaining DBE certification is valuable because it increases your chances of getting selected by a prime contractor. The prime contractor has an incentive to hire your company because your participation will count toward the achievement of the prime’s contract goals. Moreover, getting one opportunity may assist the new DBE in expanding or diversifying to earn more or different work in the future. If you want to pursue DBE work in another state, you typically must be first certified in the state where you have your principal office.
The certification process is administered on behalf of the federal government by your state’s department of transportation. The process begins with a detailed application that asserts why you believe your company is eligible for DBE certification.
The applicant must own at least 51 percent of the company. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific and Subcontinent Asian Americans, and women are presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged. Other individuals can also qualify as socially and economically disadvantaged on a case-by-case basis. To be regarded as economically disadvantaged, an individual must have a personal net worth that does not exceed $1.32 million. The applicant’s ownership of a residence and equity in the company are excluded from the determination of whether the personal net worth ceiling has been broken.
To be seen as a small business, a firm must meet the size criteria of the Small Business Administration. The size of the applying organization will be evaluated on the basis of gross receipts or the number of employees, judged from an industry specific standard. Typically, the company must have average annual gross receipts less than $22 million. In addition, the company must not be affiliated with, or dependent on, another firm. The applicant company must have the ability to stand on its own without external support. Officials reviewing the application will scrutinize areas such as personnel, facilities, equipment, financial assistance, and bonding support to evaluate whether the business is truly independent.
The state transportation officials will examine the application and ensure all the requirements are met. The application will be reviewed to ensure the individuals on whom the DBE is based are qualified to run the business and not mere placeholders for others who run the operation. The majority DBE owner must possess the power to direct the management and set the policies of the company, as well as make day-to-day and long-term business decisions. If the state requires the owner to have a particular license or other credential to own a certain kind of business, the applicant must possess that license or credential to obtain DBE certification.
In addition to reviewing your application and supporting paperwork, the state Department of Transportation is required by regulations to visit your company and further evaluate the application. The DOT official will interview the principal officers of the company, review the resumes of key employees, visit job sites, and generally investigate the accuracy and completeness of the information provided in your application. The official may also ask to see evidence of stock ownership, equipment, bonding information, etc.
The time from application to certification will vary from business to business. Some states, including Ohio, are contracting out the heavy lifting in the certification process to expedite decisions. If an application is denied, the state’s decision can be appealed to the U.S. Department of Transportation. That process can be time-consuming and expensive so it’s preferable to make the initial application as compelling as possible.
Once you obtain your DBE certification, you must update the information you provided every year. You give the Department of Transportation an affidavit representing that there have been no changes in the company’s ability to meet the DBE criteria. In the fifth year update, you may be asked to provide additional information showing you still are under the personal net worth cap.
About Finney Law Firm, LLC
Founded in 2014, FLF has grown to 15 attorneys located in offices in Eastgate and downtown Cincinnati with five major practice areas: Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Employment Law, Commercial Litigation and Public Interest and Constitutional Litigation. FLF has the unique claim to three 9-0 victories at the United States Supreme Court for its public interest practice along with breakthrough class action work.
FLF also has an affiliated title insurance company, Ivy Pointe Title, LLC, that closes and insures nearly a thousand commercial and residential real estate transactions annually.
For more information about Finney Law Firm, visit finneylawfirm.com.
Media Contact: Mickey McClanahan; mickey@finneylawfirm.isoc.net; 513.797.2850.