Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Employee Credit Checks Banned Effective January 1, 2011

Employers will be prohibited from doing credit checks on prospective employees under a new Illinois law. The new law that was just signed by Governor Quinn will be effective January 1, 2011. There are a few exceptions for employers in the banking and insurance industry and those dealing with trade secrets.

Here is a link to a Chicago Tribune article on the new law.



Disclaimer This is a passive blog and the materials contained herein are provided for informational purposes only. Nothing contained in this blog should be interpreted as a solicitation of business and none of the information contained herein constitutes legal advice. The law is subject to change without notice, and the local laws of your residence may be different from the general information displayed on this blog. You should not rely on the information provided on this blog without first consulting an attorney. Contacting this website does not establish and attorney/client relationship between you and its publisher Christopher W. Matern. An attorney/client relationship can only be established with Christopher Matern by engaging in direct person-to-person contact with Christopher Matern. Christopher Matern does not intend to practice law in any jurisdiction in which he is not licensed.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Springfield Believes in the Fountain of Youth for New Senior Citizen Property Tax Exemption

Our elected officials in Springfield apparently believe in the Fountain of Youth when they passed the residential property tax law that requires senior citizens to re-apply every year for the senior citizen exemption.

Thats right when you turn 65 and apply for your senior citizen property tax exemption, you will need to re-apply for the next year. Using normal arithmetic, the year after you turn 65 you would then be 66.

Using "Springfield Arithmetic" you might turn 64 the year after your 65th birthday. Perhaps our elected officials hope that "Springfield Arithmetic" will make the $13 billion deficit magically decrease over time too.

Their explanation for this amazing possibility -- that you will get younger after you turn 65 is they want the prevent the possibility of people 64 and younger inappropriately applying for the exemption. Apparently, they forgot that when you apply for the exemption you have to provide proof that you are in fact 65.

Here is link to a Chicago Tribune article on this new law.

Governor Quinn has promised to "fix" this provision. Let's hope he keeps this promise. Otherwise our senior citizens will have to remember to let our government know every year that they are still senior citizens--or risk overpaying their property taxes.

Disclaimer: This is a passive blog and the materials contained herein are provided for informational purposes only. Nothing contained in this blog should be interpreted as a solicitation of business and none of the information contained herein constitutes legal advice. The law is subject to change without notice, and the local laws of your residence may be different from the general information displayed on this blog. You should not rely on the information provided on this blog without first consulting an attorney. Contacting this website does not establish and attorney/client relationship between you and its publisher Christopher W. Matern. An attorney/client relationship can only be established with Christopher Matern by engaging in direct person-to-person contact with Christopher Matern. Christopher Matern does not intend to practice law in any jurisdiction in which he is not licensed.