Tax incremental financing, also known as “TIF” financing, is a tool that municipalities utilize by providing financial incentives to spur development. More specifically, the TIF process allows a municipality to pay for public improvements or other related costs associated with a particular development. In doing so, a developer offsets certain costs that would otherwise prohibit a development from occurring. The municipality then recovers those costs from the future tax revenue generated by a property’s increased tax assessment.
Two of
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What Is a Parenting Plan in a Wisconsin Divorce or Child Custody Case?

By: Attorney Max Stephenson and Paralegal Ali Jaeger
When parents choose to get a divorce, they will usually be looking to avoid disruptions to their children’s lives as much as possible. As parents address issues related to child custody, they will make many decisions addressing how they will cooperate to address parenting issues going forward and when children will live with each parent. To provide stability and ensure that the children’s interests are protected, Wisconsin law requires…
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To Report, or Not to Report, That is the Question
One of the more frequent questions that we receive at the PIA Legal Hotline is whether an agent should report a potential claim to his or her E & O carrier. Usually, the facts are such that the agent likely did nothing wrong. The agent is worried about his or her loss history and the potential effect on premiums.
Reality check – do not be penny-wise and pound-foolish. First, to determine whether an agent needs to report a potential claim, the…
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NLRB Raises Stakes on Make-whole Remedies
On December 13, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision expanding remedies available to employees who prevail in an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge. In addition to backpay and reinstatement, employers now may be liable for “make-whole” remedies, which include direct or foreseeable harm suffered as a consequence of their unlawful conduct. Monetary awards will be available to remedy virtually all forms of economic harm, even in the absence of egregious circumstances.
Facts
Thryv, Inc., operates…
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The National Trial Lawyers Announces Peter J. Carman as One of Its Top 25 Workers’ Compensation Trial Lawyers in Wisconsin
For Immediate Release
The National Trial Lawyers: Top 25 Workers’ Compensation Trial Lawyers Association is pleased to announce that Peter J. Carman of the Law Office of Peter J. Carman, S.C., in Appleton, Wisconsin has been selected for inclusion into its Top 25 Workers’ Compensation Trial Lawyers Association, an honor given to only a select group of lawyers for their achievements in the field. With his selection, Mr. Carman has proven that he exemplifies superior qualifications, leadership skills, and…
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The National Trial Lawyers Announces Peter J. Carman as One of Its Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers in Wisconsin
For Immediate Release
The National Trial Lawyers: Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association is pleased to announce that Peter J. Carman of the Law Office of Peter J. Carman, S.C., in Appleton, Wisconsin has been selected for inclusion into its Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association, an honor given to only a select group of lawyers for their achievements in the field. With his selection, Mr. Carman has proven he exemplifies superior qualifications, leadership skills, and trial…
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FAQ: May a person stipulate to extend a temporary protective placement?
The filing of an Emergency Protective Placement petition under §55.135(1) triggers a probable cause hearing within 72 hours. Once the court finds probable cause it may order a temporary protective placement for up to 30 days pending a hearing on a permanent protective placement. Wis. Stat. §55.135(5). Sometimes the client wants to exercise her right to an independent comprehensive evaluation under §55.10(4)(e) and §55.11(2), yet has trouble finding a doctor who can complete it within 30 days. May…
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Is there really that much daylight between a lawyer and client?

“After completing his time on the Supreme Court, Daniel Kelly provided legal counsel to several clients, amongst which were the RNC and RPW,” [Kelly’s spokesman Jim] Dick said (paywalled, sorry). “It is a maxim in the legal profession that the views of clients are not attributable to their attorneys.”This is Wisconsin, so that means there’s yet another election coming up, this time for Supreme Court Justice (among others). This Blog Is Not About Politics but I will remind everyone…
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Beyond Building Green: Resiliency Resources and Potential Requirements for Addressing Climate and Extreme Weather
Incorporating resiliency into the built environment is something architects and engineers are increasingly focusing on in the face of the threats posed by climate change. Both the insurance industry and evolving standards of care may also soon require engineers and architects to incorporate resiliency into their designs, even if individual professionals do not feel climate change issues need to be addressed in their building design.
Although incorporating resiliency in the face of climate change is a relatively new concept…
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Courts (and the legal field in its entirety) should choose civility

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By Attorney Gregg HermanMarch 21, 2023
There are frequent reminders for lawyers in Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs and articles on the importance of civility among adversaries. Civility, like all good lessons, should flow from the top down, as children learn from their parents. In law, that means civility starts with the judges and court commissioners.
Recently, the Wisconsin judicial oversight panel dismissed a complaint against Supreme Court Justice…
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CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

There has been a bit of upheaval over the past few years, and it doesn’t look like 2023 is going to suddenly calm itself down. That means we continue to have the choice on how we view the external world and act upon our assessment. I propose that there are two dichotomies of options presented that maybe aren’t so opposite as they first seem. The first is the question of Opportunity versus Threat. The second is reactive versus proactive…
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Residential Landlord Provision That Can Cause Big Trouble
A sometimes overlooked provision can cause big trouble for Wisconsin residential landlords. That provision centers around disputes with the tenant and specifically who will be responsible for paying the legal fees associated with the dispute. Under Wisconsin law, a landlord may not charge a tenant for actual attorney fees or costs incurred by the landlord in any legal action or dispute arising under the rental agreement. Any rental provision mandating that tenants pay actual legal fees renders the entire…
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Candidates for Wisconsin Supreme Court Debate at State Bar Center
Daniel Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz squared off at a forum hosted by the State Bar.March 21, 2023 – Two weeks before the April 4 election, the candidates for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court debated the issues facing the state’s highest court.Dan Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz are vying to replace Justice Patience Roggensack, who’s retiring after 20 years on the supreme court.The State Bar of Wisconsin hosted the debate at the State Bar Center in Madison,…
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Prohibition on Condemnation Power Applies to Sidewalk Projects
March 20, 2023 – Statutory provisions that bar municipalities from condemning land for pedestrian walkways apply to acquisitions for sidewalks, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals has ruled.In Sojenhomer LLC v. Village of Egg Harbor, 2021AP1589 (March 14, 2023), the Court of Appeals District III held that the inclusion of the terms “sidewalk” and “pedestrian way” in the relevant provisions was not surplusage.Narrow RoadSojenhomer LLC (Sojenhomer) owns a piece of land located between County Road G and State Highway…
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Landowner Has No Right to Certain Water Level Along Navigable Waterway
March 20, 2023 – Owners of property along navigable waterways in Wisconsin do not have a right to a certain water level along the property, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ruled.In Kreuziger v. County of Milwaukee, No. 22-2489 (Feb. 13, 2023), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that the state’s interest in navigable waterways, which it holds in trust for the public, is superior to a riparian landowner’s…
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Assembly Misapplied Balancing Test when Holding Back HR Records
March 20, 2023 – The State Assembly misapplied the public interest balancing test when declining to disclose records related to a sexual harassment complaint filed against one of its members, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals has ruled.In Wisconsin State Journal v. Blazel, 2021AP196 (March 9, 2023), a three-judge panel of the District IV Court of Appeals held (2-1) that the eventual release of the record did not render moot a legal action filed by newspapers to compel disclosure…
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