SEPTEMBER 2017
LEGAL ANSWERS ALL THE ANSWERS TO YOUR LEGAL QUESTIONS
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ITMUSTHAVE BEEN FATE How I Met My Wife, Teresa
As the leaves change and the temperatures drop, I am reminded to count my blessings and appreciate all that life has given me. This month, I celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary, as well as my 55th birthday, and I can’t help but smile when I think about the funny ways that life works itself out.
Near the end of my rehabilitation, on St. Patrick’s Day, I went out for drinks with some friends, and I ran into Teresa at a tavern. It was the first time I saw Teresa outside Fullerton/Ashland — and also the first time we kissed. After my rehab was complete, I formally asked her out, and we dated all throughout law school. I lived in River North, and every day, I would walk to John Marshall Law School in the Loop, finish school, and complete my day visiting Teresa, who lived in River City in the South Loop. That was our routine for about two years, and then Teresa’s lease was up, so we had no choice but to get married (joking again!).
Before I became an attorney, I was a third-generation member of the Machinery Movers & Erectors, Ironworker Local 136 (Rigger). I hurt my back while working at the Ford plant on the south side of Chicago and needed surgery. After the procedure, the insurance company put me through work hardening — a type of physical therapy where you practice movements and tasks you would normally see on the job —which I completed at Fullerton/ Ashland Medical Center.
We married on September 27, 1997, two days before my 35th birthday. There was never a question in my mind that Teresa was the woman I was going to marry. We had instant chemistry, and it was easy to be myself around her.
We’ve celebrated many memorable anniversaries together. We celebrated my 50th birthday and our 15th wedding anniversary in Manhattan. Last year we went to Las Vegas. This year, we will celebrate my 55th birthday and our 20th wedding anniversary in Nashville, Tennessee. As I look back on my life, I can recognize how much good can come out of our darker days. If I had never injured my back, I would have never met Teresa, the love of my life. I am thankful for all that life has given me, and I look forward to celebrating many more years with my wife and family.
Honestly, a medical center was the last place I expected to meet my future wife. Teresa was an X-ray technician, and she was also the staff member tasked with leading morning calisthenics, sit-ups, and stretches for the group. I went to Fullerton/Ashland every day for about eight weeks. As time went on, Teresa and I would continue our exercises after the group was finished. At the beginning of the program, we were only doing 10 sit-ups a day, but by the end of my stay, Teresa and I were doing 800 to 1,000 sit-ups — every morning! I like to say that the week I met Teresa was the best week of my life. I met her on February 9, 1995. My niece, Jessica, was born on the 10th, and I received my acceptance letter to law school on the 11th. I joke with Teresa that she would have never married a Rigger, so it was fortunate that I got injured. She, of course, insists that she would have married me no matter what, and I truly believe it!
– Steven Leahy
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(312) 664-6649
The Best App for Office Communication GIVE ‘EM SOME SLACK
Even in Silicon Valley, where massive growth is commonplace, the success of the workplace chat app Slack is remarkable. Since launching in August 2013, Slack has grown to more than 3.5 million users and a valuation just shy
working on a specific assignment — for example, let’s say they’re organizing a company picnic. They can create a team on Slack. From there, they can create a number of channels focused on more specific aspects of this task, from securing a venue to deciding on a
of $4 billion, with no signs of slowing down. If you’re business isn’t using Slack, you are missing out on the most flexible, robust communication tool on the market.
menu. Additionally, you can direct message specific employees. Teams and channels can be created, modified, and deleted at any time. Perhaps the best thing about Slack is how much you can tailor it to your business. It can be accessed as a desktop app, within a web browser, or on mobile devices. You can use it for everything from crucial business discussions to casual sharing of links and videos. Once you adopt Slack, you’ll wonder how you ever operated without it.
For most businesses, email is a fact of life. When you arrive at the office, checking your inbox is probably one of your first tasks. Compared to Slack, though, email is messy and outdated. It takes time to format email, it feels formal, and the back-and-forth is a tangled mess of forwards and replies. While email may still be one of the best methods for communicating with clients or patients, it can be an encumbrance for inter-office communication. Slack, on the other hand, offers quick, easy-to- followmessaging that will keep you in the loop without all the headaches.
Slack functions as a unified messaging interface divided into two layers. The first layer consists
of teams, which may be comprised of businesses, departments, or projects. Let’s say you have a group of employees
Many IRS clients often find themselves in foreclosure. The foreclosure process is one of our specialties, and we understand the best way to approach and overcome this obstacle. The following are the basic steps in the foreclosure process: Complaint Filed A foreclosure starts when the mortgage company files a complaint with the court for missedmortgage payments. The complaint is the initial pleading which contains a set of allegations on which the claim for relief is based. A summons is also issued with the complaint, which serves as a notice to the defendant that a lawsuit has been filed and when and how the defendant should respond to the complaint. Service of Process In order to gain jurisdiction over a defendant, the summons and complaint must be served by personal or substitute service. In addition, the summons and complaint must be mailed to the defendant or printed in a local paper. Court Date After the summons and complaint are served, the homeowner generally has 30 days to file an answer and appearance. After the 30 days are up, the court may set a case management date, or the mortgage company may bring forward a motion for default and judgment.
Judgment If the homeowner fails to appear, or the court finds the mortgage company’s allegations true after a hearing, the court enters a judgment order in favor of the mortgage company. In Illinois, the homeowner has a least three months from the date of judgment to redeem the property by paying the full amount of the mortgage company’s claim. Sale After the redemption period expires, the mortgage company may place the property up for judicial sale or auction. After the sale, the mortgage company must go back to court in order to confirm the sale, which will come from a judge order.
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If you are facing a foreclosure, call the LawOffice of Steven A. Leahy at (312) 664-6649 for defense services. We will help youmaintain your property.
chicagotaxteam.com
Ensure You Qualify DISCHARGE OF DEBT IN BANKRUPTCY
When you owe the IRS money, there are a few steps you can take to get out of debt. The first thing you can do is pay the IRS what you owe; the second is to get an installment agreement; third is to make an offer and compromise; forth is to apply for a “currently not collectible” status; fifth is to file for bankruptcy; and sixth is to do nothing. When most people come to see me, they have usually skipped right to the sixth step. But you can’t just do nothing when you owe money to the IRS! Like anything, there are exceptions to what can be qualified for discharge under bankruptcy —meaning, some of your debt will not be forgiven, and it’s important that you know how much money you will owe after filing. One exception to discharge are the taxes that have been filed in the last three years. These are debts from which you will never be able to walk away.
In order to qualify for discharge under bankruptcy laws, debts have to have been due more than three years ago, you must have filed your tax return more than two years ago, and the tax must have been accessed more than 240 days ago. If all three of those statements are true and you haven’t lied on your forms, then qualifiable taxes will be dischargeable in bankruptcy. Section 523 A19 of the bankruptcy code states that the violation of any federal or state securities laws of the Securities Exchange Act are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Before you file, you must make sure you qualify. If you come to me, I will ensure that you meet all the requirements for bankruptcy and discharge. Call Opem Tax Resolution and the Office of Steve A. Leahy at 312-664-6649. We will take care of your bankruptcy needs.
Ame r i can Bus ine s s TRIVIA Don't forget to listen to the IRS Radio Hour every SUNDAY AT 5:00 P.M. ON AM 560 THE ANSWER
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1. Twitter was almost called? a. Snapchat b. Friendstalker c. Talker d. Hashtag 2. Chipotle is an official sponsor for what basketball team? a. LA Lakers b. Miami Heat c. Boston Celtics d. Chicago Bulls
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founded in what year?
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Phone: (312) 664-6649 chicagotaxteam.com 150 N Michigan Ave #1120, Chicago, Illinois 60601
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The Story of How I Met My Wife, Teresa
Give ‘Em Some Slack
The Threat of Foreclosure
Discharge of Debt in Bankruptcy
American Business Trivia
The Unstoppable Rise of the Bullet Journal
TheUnstoppableRise of the Bullet Jour nal The New Journaling System That’s Taken Social Media by Storm
In the modern age, where the internet is constantly flooded with productivity apps and trends promising to fix our schedules, unlock our potential, and improve our lives, it’s difficult not to wish for something simpler.
to-do list, single-line tidbits recounting important daily events, and little notes you take throughout the day. Everything is marked by a particular bullet: dots for tasks, circles for events, and dashes for notes. At the beginning of each month, bullet journalers examine last month’s list, eliminating completed or now-irrelevant tasks and migrating long-term or continuing tasks to the current month. Bullet journals may seem simple, and they are, but they’ve acquired an explosive following on social media. At the time of this writing, there are over 791,000 posts on Instagram tagged with the #bulletjournal hashtag; there are posts upon posts of users’ beautiful layouts, bearing intricate calligraphy and embellished with incredible designs. As the bullet journal’s creator, Ryder Carroll, told New Republic writer Josephine Wolff, “The most valuable part of the bullet journal [is] the inventiveness of its community.” But don’t be daunted by users who seem to spend hours on every page of their journals. Really, it’s a simple system that only takes a few minutes to learn. Check out bulletjournal.com to learn how to start your own modular notebook. But be warned: You may get obsessed.
We want an object we can hold in our hands that doesn’t come with a bunch of unwanted features. Enter the bullet journal: the humble, easy- to-use notebook system that’s taken the world by storm. Instead of maintaining a separate to-do list, calendar, and diary, the bullet journaling system rolls everything into a single economical notebook. Partitioned into minimalistic “modules”— the Index, the Future Log, the Monthly Log, and the Daily Log — bullet journals encourage you to write down everything on your
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