In the early 20th century, Holland Furnace Co. was the largest employer in Holland, Michigan and one of the most important businesses in the state. Its founders amassed significant wealth, including a massive estate known as Hazelbank.That residence is now on the...
The season for changing estate tax exemptions is upon us. Only four months ago, a so-called "permanent" exemption was created for estates of $5 million or less. However, because there was nothing in the national budget proposal that said Congress couldn't change the...
Just like the cleanup after a brutal storm, the state of Michigan is attempting to clean up after the recession. One of the hardest hit areas seems to be the housing market which has forced thousands of residents to relocate. As Congressman Dan Kildee explained...
Last week, one of our posts detailed the development of the new Arbor Hills shopping center. Located on Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor, the project seems to be catching more steam this month as the developers on the project announced that they have had 15 tenants sign...
How can people in Michigan plan for the unfortunate but real possibility that their heirs and beneficiaries will encounter debt problems or some other financially draining event such as divorce? This question too often goes unaddressed in estate planning, and the...
Back in 2006, the Ann Arbor City Council approved a plan for an ambitious 138,000-square-foot retail and residential project called The Shops at Arlington. The project was to replace vacant commercial buildings and a former car dealership in an attempt to redevelop a...
When Schostak Bros. first built the Cherrylander Center near Traverse City, the mall was supposed to bring in enough profit to pay off the $8.7 million loan used to build the commercial property. But when the economy downturned the family-owned development company was...
In Michigan, we've seen small businesses close for one reason or another and although sad, most people never think twice about the reasons for which they closed. Maybe it was because of financial troubles or maybe it was because of location, but most people usually...
Family members need support after the death of a loved one, and estate distribution in Michigan often poses a particularly complex set of problems for grieving families. In the worst scenarios, matters such as undue influence have to be addressed in probate...
Residents who live in the downtown areas of Michigan know that space is limited. And as readers of our blog have seen from previous posts, many developers have taken it upon themselves to reuse properties in areas with limited space and repurpose them to the needs of...
