Topic: Consumer Issues

Topic: Consumer Issues

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Thank you for attending our virtual presentation! Please complete this quick survey so that we can get your feedback about the event: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=0TWofYd6lUCJz3d-0I9d-62lDuwS9mRGoANGLDct_lxUOEtBRUVXTU9JUktROTJIVk9TUFpLSVEwQi4u

0:00 – Intro
1:07 – Be realistic. Watch out for red flags when prices are too good to be true.
2:03 – Get an estimate. Ask them to write down what they will do and how much it will cost. It doesn’t need to be fancy.
3:15 – Are they licensed? Licenses mean they may be more likely to be insured. Check to make sure they are licensed.
4:11 – Don’t pay full amount up front
5:32 – Don’t pay in cash
6:10 – Don’t pay money without a contract. Even if they are an independent person that doesn’t have a fancy contract, they can write down what it is that they are doing, how much it will cost, and what their timeline is for completion.
7:05 – Licensing information
7:29 – KEEP receipts
8:20 – What to do if contractor fraud happens to you
9:48 – Legal Aid NC may be able to help. Call 866-219-5262

Topic: Consumer Issues

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RALEIGH, June 2, 2017 – Immigration attorney Kate Woomer-Deters is asking immigrants, immigration attorneys and other service providers to be on the lookout for notarios (notaries) who sell powers of attorney to immigrants worried about deportation.

“These notarios sell powers of attorney that are often one paragraph long and completely useless to anyone trying to plan for a family emergency,” said Woomer-Deters, an attorney with the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project at the North Carolina Justice Center.

Deportations can separate families, leaving minor children stranded in the U.S. without a legal guardian. Powers of attorney allow immigrants who fear deportation to empower someone to act in their name to manage their finances and provide some care for their children.

“But,” Woomer-Deters warns, “the documents have to be prepared correctly and clients need to be provided proper legal advice about what the documents can and cannot accomplish. Notaries are NOT authorized to draft legal documents of any kind. Further, law schools, non-profits and some private attorneys are providing powers of attorney for free or at low cost.”

For more information, read the Justice Center’s community advisory or download the Center’s Emergency Planning Guide for Immigrants, both of which are in English and Spanish.

If you are a volunteer attorney who would like to assist families prepare Powers of Attorney, contact the NC Pro Bono Center at staff@ncprobono.org.  Substantive training and opportunities to assist will be provided.

Topic: Consumer Issues

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If you have received exemption papers, it means a creditor has gotten a money judgment against you and wants to take some of your property. Exemption papers give you a chance to protect some or all of your property.