Zander in riding a school bus and is injured by other students. His parents sue the Town of Stamford. The Town says "We've got governmental immunity and the exemption does not apply to this case." What's this "governmental immunity" stuff? and who wins on this issue? Are you a tenant with a pest infestation and a non-responsive landlord? Do what Sharona did. The new term we're going to learn from this case: "retroactive rent abatement." How to hold the owners/members of a Limited Liability Company personally liable for the bad acts of the (often insolvent) LLC through which they operate. Another homeowner fraud case: a warning to sellers and their listing agents.

Calls: Are "overdraft fees" charged by Banks a form of Loansharking? Spoiler Alert: nope

We finished the tale of John v. Joel: 2 friends who ended up suing each other over John's Harley-Davidson Fatboy motorcycle. The battle started out in Small Claims Court and then got moved to the Superior Court, where it continues. Lots of advice for listeners who either sue, or get sued in Small Claims Court – including how to get your attorney's fees paid by the defendant if you ultimately prevail in the superior court. Evicting a tenant for non-payment of rent: how to lose the case right from the beginning. a warning for landlords – and a weapon for tenants.
Everything else was listener calls.

a.. another call about dog owner responsibilities;
b. a call about the obligation of a homeowners' insurance carrier to defend the homeowners if their dog bites someone (and how the insurance companies try to weasel out of paying the claim);
c. speeding up the Probate Process (spoiler alert: write to the Judge and ask for a status conference..

A corporate landlord wants to evict a disabled veteran for non-payment of rent, even though he's current as of the date of the summary process complaint. What did the Court do with this case? You might be surprised...

2. Upset with property taxes on your real estate? We explained the process to appeal the assessment upon which the taxes are based.
Then we took a trip to a magnificent house in West Hartford that was the center piece of a recent case arguing over the proper assessment of the place. Spoiler alert: the more convincing your expert witness appraiser's testimony is , the better you'll do at court...

3. Cheryl slipped and fell on ice and snow while walking her dog in a dog park owned and operated by the City of Bridgeport. Is
Bridgeport liable for her injuries? And why (or why not)?

4. Monte got hurt while shopping at Home Depot. When are big-box self-serve stores liable to injured customers?

a. a quick overview of Connecticut's newly-expanded Paid SickLeave Law: what employees and employers (especially of smaller businesses) need to know.
b. Salvatore gets caught on video kicking his dog named Enzo, The Town of East Haven goes to court, seeking ownership of Enzo because Sal "inflicted cruelty" upon Enzo. Who ends up owning Enzo. You might be very surprised...

Calls:

1. a guy from New Hampshire calling to praise the Lawyer Referral Service.
2. an employer call regarding the newly expanded Paid Sick Leave Law from the employer's viewpoint.
3. a call from one of our regulars on that same topic, bemoaning the additional cost which, he claims, the employee will shoulder...

A corporate landlord wants to evict a disabled veteran for non-payment of rent, even though he's current as of the date of the summary process complaint. What did the Court do with this case? You might be surprised...

2. Upset with property taxes on your real estate? We explained the process to appeal the assessment upon which the taxes are based.
Then we took a trip to a magnificent house in West Hartford that was the center piece of a recent case arguing over the proper assessment of the place. Spoiler alert: the more convincing your expert witness appraiser's testimony is , the better you'll do at court...

3. Cheryl slipped and fell on ice and snow while walking her dog in a dog park owned and operated by the City of Bridgeport. Is
Bridgeport liable for her injuries? And why (or why not)?

4. Monte got hurt while shopping at Home Depot. When are big-box self-serve stores liable to injured customers?

Dog rescue service gone bad: why it's important to be careful where you get your rescue pet. "We broke up – which one of us gets to keep the dog?" The Judge borrowed a concept from child custody issues in family law to decide the issue!
Don't get sick if you're a celebrity! The sad tale of alexander morris, who happens to be the current lead singer for the Four Tops (yes, they're still around --more or less). Alexander got sick, went to a hospital, and when he said who he was, they put him in a strait jacket and ordered a psychological exam! They finally believed him when they gave him back his phone and he pulled up a video of him singing with the Tops at the Grammy Awards. HIs Federal Civil Rights law suit is going to cost the Hospital some money – and a lot of bad publicity. Sylvia got arrested and jailed after she criticized the Town Manager in Castle Hills, Texas. Can they do that? The lower courts dismissed her law suit. But the U.S. Supreme Court revived it and Sylvia will get her day in Court.

Note to Small Business Owners: what NOT to do if a governmental agency issues a fine to your business. You're injured when a mail truck rear-ends your car. You want to sue the US Postal Service? Here are a couple of traps for the unwary. How Sharon and Barbara got a much larger recovery than offered when the Town of Shelton took their property by Eminent Domain. Spoiler Alert: "Assemblage."

The rest of the show was a long phone call from a guy whose son died, followed by the daughter-in-law two months later – after which her family stole all the couple's property. A sad case and we happy help him out in anyway we could.

A probate piece: why beneficiaries should not expect advance partial distributions, and why the Estate Administrator should not give them out (and how to get a Court Order allowing them to do so)... Deconstructed a classic will contest which took place in the New London superior Court. And why the Judge allowed the decedent to give his entire estate to his caregiver, overlooking his 4 children in the process. An unusual outcome – and we explained why it was the correct decision.