As an ADR Provider, Gregory Turley may be appointed by the Judges of the Court to serve as a mediator or arbitrator in pending civil cases.  Gregory Turley completed the 40 hour mediator training course in 2005 and has served as Chair of the Hidalgo County Settlement Week committee.  He is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas for outstanding continuing legal education achievement.

Gregory Turley is also a court-appointed Criminal Justice Act attorney for U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.  He represents indigent clients who are charged with Federal felony crimes.

Each has different risks and rewards associated with it:

Debt has a repayment  obligation that is likely personally guaranteed by the owner or by another creditworthy person.  The creditor has no management rights and its rate of return is limited to the agreed rate of interest.  The creditor will have some priority in the case of a liquidation.  The creditor can be an employee of the business who would draw a salary as an employee.

Equity has a risk of loss but an unlimited rate of return.  If the business grows 500%, so does the investment on a pro rata basis.  The equity holder, perhaps called:  partner, shareholder, owner, member will have voting rights in management.  In case of a liquidation, equity holder has the LAST priority.  The equity holder can also be an employee of the business.

The “Angel Investor” is a hybrid category.  This investor is prized not only for his capital investment, but also his willingness to serve in a management or advisory role, therefore adding business knowledge and credibility.  These angels may receive numerous business proposals (like a Hollywood actor receives scripts).   The angels will also typically command sizable concessions for their investment, based on the high demand they enjoy.

The start-up business may have different needs that will drive the type of help needed.  If the business has significant management experience in the field, an angel may not be as valuable.  If the business has well-capitalized investors, then debt may be easier to obtain, but may not be needed.  Like with everything, if you’ve got money, you can get credit.

The City of McAllen is actively marketing itself as a destination for investors, specifically from Mexico, to make their investment.  The McAllen Economic Development Corporation has received approval for an EB-5 Regional Center.

The Law Office of Gregory Turley is experienced with clients holding Investor Visas and the unique challenges of a foreign person doing business in the USA.

This is quite different from Driving While Intoxicated, where a person either does not have the normal use of his facilities or has a blood alcohol level greater that 0.08.  Call this DWI.  DWI is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by mandatory jail time.

So there is discretion with the arresting officer as to which charge to bring.  Of course, any detectable amount is much easier to show that a level high enough for intoxication.  For an adult, it is NOT a crime to simply drink and drive.  But it is a crime for a person under 21 to have any detectable amount of alcohol.

The program starts at 11:30 p.m.

Our speaker is Dr. Dan McGee on “The Stress of Life:  Pathway to Another Dimension”

Tickets available at the Law Office of Gregory Turley, a proud sponsor of this community event.

The Law Office of Gregory Turley is proud to be a sponsor of Claudia in her study abroad this year.

If you happen to get a speeding ticket, whether it is local or in a small Texas town, you should know that you have the “Right” to take a Driver’s Safety Course and get the ticket dismissed upon completion of the course.   This right, of course, does not come without a cost in the form of fee to the municipality.

Once that fee is paid, you will have to take the driver safety course within a specified time. You can take the course online.  I recommend www.Idrivesafely.com  but there are other providers.

After you complete the course, you will get a certificate, that you will send to the appropriate court clerk.  You will also have to order a copy of your driving history for $10 and send that to the court as well.  You can order the history here:

Remember you have the “right” to take the course and get the dismissal.  However, if you do not exercise this right, you will have to pay the fine, the case will be reported as a conviction, and your insurance rates will rise and you will have another ticket on your record which if you have too many, can affect your driver license.

Another thing to consider:  you cannot be arrested simply for speeding.  However you CAN be arrested for a host of other things.   So if you are stopped, please be polite and take your medicine.  The police have a hard job and never know what might be the next car.

Better still, there is something right in front of you that shows your speed.  Watch the speedometer and drive safely!  Grandmother would certainly approve.

Because homesteads have special creditor protections, the lien rules involved in a residential homestead have extra requirement that an ordinary commercial project does not.

To claim a valid lien claim on a Texas homestead,

1. The contract to make the improvements must be in writing and signed by BOTH Husband AND Wife.

2. The contract should be signed BEFORE work starts

3. The contract must be filed with the County Clerk

4.  The contract must have the following MANDATORY warning in 10 point bold type

“IMPORTANT NOTICE: You and your contractor are responsible for meeting the terms and conditions of this contract. If you sign this contract and you fail to meet the terms and conditions of this contract, you may lose your legal ownership rights in your home. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND DUTIES UNDER THE LAW.”

(Texas Property Code 41.007)

5. The contractor must give the owner this Disclosure Statement

(Texas Property Code 53.255)

This are just the preliminary steps, in addition to other notice and lien filing requirements.

Like many legal aspects, the shareholders meeting is designed as an anti-fraud measure.  Since a shareholder is historically a passive investor, he may not know the day to day activities of the officers and employees.  He can ask, but he may not get a quick answer.  So the annual shareholders meeting is that opportunity to express authority by voting on the Board of Directors, who appoint the officers who hire the employees.

When to have this meeting?  Check the corporate bylaws:  it usually says when it should occur.  What if you missed the time?  You can always utilize written consents of the shareholders to take action that would otherwise be done at a meeting