One dock on Minnesota’s Lake Minnetonka stretched from 90 feet to 158 feet, reaching across the water in front of a private shoreline. Minnesota’s Court of Appeals still wouldn’t order it shortened. The shoreline owner was stuck with it. These are the lake access rules that cost Minnesota property owners their frontage. Note: This is…
A furnace that’s sat idle since April doesn’t always fire up on the first try. A cold house isn’t the only risk of a malfunctioning heater. These are the heating system problems Bay Staters find on the first cold night. Note: This is general information, not legal or safety advice. Alarm and heating-safety requirements are…
Setting the wrong item out on trash day can violate a Pennsylvania township’s waste code without you ever realizing it. You could even have to pay fines up to $1,000. These are the things Pennsylvanians can’t legally leave at the curb. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Disposal rules vary by municipality and…
New Hampshire leans on property taxes for 59.5 percent of its state and local tax revenue, the highest share of any state in the country, the Tax Foundation reports. Current Use is the trade-off. It lets landowners pay tax on farmland, forest, or open space at a fraction of a subdivision’s price, as long as…
One out of every two homes in Colorado carries radon levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) action level, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). The tricky part is that radon has no smell or color. These are the radon findings that stall a Colorado home sale. Note: This…
Washington doesn’t have a single law that bans dumpster diving outright. That’s the good news. It’s also where many dumpster divers stop reading and get into trouble. These are the things Washington dumpster divers should know before they start. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Washington’s trespass, theft, and waste laws are subject…
North Carolina’s fall fire season typically runs from October through early December, according to the N.C. Forest Service. A permit doesn’t erase that risk. But some people treat a valid burn permit like a blank check for whatever’s piled up in their yard. These are the reasons a North Carolina burn permit doesn’t cover what…
Texas Penal Code Section 30.05 lets a coat of purple paint on a fence post carry the same legal weight as a posted “No Trespassing” sign. But the specs are strict. These are the purple-paint rules that replace a no-trespassing sign in Texas. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Property and trespass laws…
If you miss the 45-day deadline on a Michigan property transfer affidavit, the fine starts right away. Under Michigan’s General Property Tax Act, the fine runs $5 a day, capped at $200 for a typical home. That’s the smallest part of the bill. Proposal A’s rules uncap your transferred home’s taxable value the very next…
Nearly 95% of New Yorkers get their water from a public system, according to the state’s Health Department. The rest rely on a well and septic. Would you know how to check either one before closing on a well-and-septic home in Upstate New York? These are the well and septic rules that catch Upstate New…
