Colorado’s majestic landscapes are the reason most people (including myself) flock to and never leave the Rocky Mountain State. For all its beauty, Colorado also experiences frequent natural disasters. Some of these are part of the system’s natural cycles, and others are caused by humans. Since moving here in 2007, I have experienced firsthand in Boulder County two fires, the Flagstaff Fire in 2012 and the Fourmile Fire in 2010, as well as the 500-year flood that occurred last fall. Other Coloradans have suffered from other destructive fires, including the High Park Fire and Waldo Canyon Fire in 2012, and the Black Forest Fire in 2013. In the aftermath of these natural disasters, it is common to feel both the desire to help others and helpless at the same time.
Women and Law
In the nineteenth century, women were generally denied admission to law schools and state bars. Belle Babb Mansfield was the first woman admitted to a state bar (Iowa) in 1869 after the Iowa courts ruled in her favor. Charlotte E. Ray was the first African-American woman admitted to the D.C. Bar in 1872. She did not encounter opposition because she applied for admission as C. E. Ray so the admissions committee thought she was a man.
The Increasing Problem of Financial Exploitation of the Elderly by Family Members and Trusted Friends
According to the U.S. Census Bureau[i], in 2010 there were 5,276,231 more people in the U.S. over the age of 64 than there had been in 2000. The Baby Boomers are aging. The Silver Tsunami is real, and it is incumbent upon us to take care of, and protect, our elders. Despite this charge, financial exploitation of the elderly is the fastest-growing form of elder abuse in this country. A study done by MetLife Mature Market Institute in 2009 estimated that the annual financial loss by victims of elder financial abuse was at least $2.6 billion.[ii] Yet, because only one in every 44 cases of financial exploitation of the elderly is ever reported, current annual losses could actually be closer to $1 trillion.
TO DISCLOSE OR NOT TO DISCLOSE?- Potential Perils for Sellers
At the time I was in law school, Colorado was known as a “buyer beware” state when it came to residential real estate. In other words, the buyer had the burden of discovering any defects in the residential property he or she might be interested in purchasing. On the flip side, the seller was legally obligated to disclose to potential buyers any latent defects (i.e., defects not readily apparent) of which the seller was aware. The failure to disclose such defects could amount to fraud and result in liability for the seller.