If you’ve heard that you can make huge finder fees on tax surpluses, you haven’t been led astray. Unlike state-held funds such as old bank accounts, stock dividends, and utility deposits, tax surpluses are often for huge amounts of money and aren’t advertised publicly on the state’s website. They’re the best-kept secret in the “found money” business. But are tax surplus finder fees legal?

If you’ve studied your state’s code, you probably ran across a section titled “Unclaimed Property Act” or something along those lines. In it, it outlines what happens to abandoned property, who holds it, how long they have to hold it, etc. It also outlines restrictions on those acting as money finders – helping claimants find their lost funds, and collecting a fee for their services.

Most states limit what money finders can charge at between 5-15%. This would appear to indicate that the 30-50% tax surplus finder fees are violating the law. Thankfully, not everything is as it seems.

The wording in the state code only applies to those funds held at the state level. If you read the code closely, it will describe what exactly constitutes “abandoned property”, and thus what those 5-15% limits apply to. Tax surplus finder fees ARE legal, because they fall outside of this definition (for a time).

What this means is that restrictions imposed on fees and finders do not (in most states) apply to finders working tax surpluses. Since there is a time when they are not considered “abandoned property,” during that time finder fee limits don’t apply and requirements for who can work the funds also don’t apply.

Anyone who is interested in becoming a money finder can get around these state restrictions by working tax surpluses. Because of the high foreclosure rate, there are a lot of funds to be claimed – and once you get good at tax surpluses, you can move on to the huge surpluses created by mortgage foreclosure and also estates and missing heirs. There’s no end in sight to the creation of these funds, and you can safely and legally collect 30-50% as a finder for these funds.

When a consumer calls for service on their appliance or HVAC system, they often assume that the technician who responds will be certified. But, is that always the case? Beyond the relatively minor confusion that we sometimes see in regard to HVAC and appliance technicians themselves, and the structure of certification programs, there is the consumer; the person who calls and requests service on their furnace,comfort cooling system, refrigerator, washing machine, etc… and assumes that the technician who shows up will be capable, competent, and, if necessary, certified.

Sounds reasonable enough.

However, in some cases, the “certification” that consumers assume is there… well, just isn’t. Consider these two scenarios:

A consumer sees a van for an appliance service company, and, in addition to the company name and contact information shown on the vehicle, the term “Certified Technicians” is listed. What is the customer’s impression of this listing, and what assumptions are, for the most part, automatic? Often, it is that when one of the technicians from this service company shows up to fix whatever specific make and model of appliance that needs repaired, he or she is certified (trained, informed, and tested) on that particular appliance or category of appliance. Well, in this scenario, that’s not what the “certified” listing means.

In this case, the appliance service company paid about $25 per technician to take an open-book, 50 multiple-choice question exam (Type 1 for technicians who service refrigeration systems containing less than 5 lbs. of refrigerant with a hermetically sealed refrigeration system is the formal definition of this EPA certification exam on refrigerant handling) and thereby listed on their van that the technicians they employ are “certified”. This certification is, as the EPA definition states, related to safe and legal practices regarding refrigerant handling and requirements for evacuating and charging refrigeration systems, and proper methods of leak testing a refrigeration system. It doesn’t speak to a technician’s competency related to any other aspect of servicing appliances…not servicing the electrical and air flow systems in a refrigerator; not for servicing gas or electric ranges, or washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashsers, etc… it’s related to refrigerant handling only.

For our second scenario, this one on the HVAC side of service, the situation is similar. The difference is that the exam is closed-book and can be only 50 questions if the technician is becoming certified in what is known as Type 2 equipment (high-pressure refrigeration systems with more than 5 lbs. of refrigerant) rather than Type 1 equipment. Or, it could be that the technician accomplished a 100 multiple-choice question exam that covers not only Type 1, but also Type 2 and Type 3 equipment (low pressure refrigeration systems), which means the technician is considered to be certified as a Universal Technician.

In either case, the “certified” term can be earned by taking an exam related only to the EPA rules and regulations relative to safe and legal refrigerant handling practices.

Now, if in either case, the listing on the side of the service vehicle stated “Factory Trained Technicians”, that would mean something more than what I’ve described above, and consumers need to be aware of the difference between the two descriptions that are supposed to be an indicator of technician competency.

Learn from yesterday… Live for today… Look forward to tomorrow.

Jim Johnson

There are many factors to consider whey buying songs online. There are thousands and thousands of websites on the Internet that you could visit and download music. Some of these sites are free and some of them you may have to pay a small fee. Usually the sites you have to pay for offer some kind of membership where you pay them once and get unlimited downloads.

The best thing about buying songs online is that when you sign up for a site where you have to pay for they actually care about you. This means that you will have better customer support and higher quality downloads than you would from a free site.

Downloading music from free sites sounds great and all since the files are free but there are some serious risks you take when doing this. Free sites often have several problems that will be examined here.

More often than not, if you are using a free site then they are probably violating copyright laws. Most of the time it is illegal to download those songs because they don’t have permission in the first place to be putting them out on the Internet.

Not only could you face legal charges but the files on these sites are many times corrupted. This means that you could find one of your favorite songs but it could have a virus attached to it. This could seriously damage your computer. It is probably much more costly to fix or replace a computer that has a nasty virus on it.

When looking for your favorite music, buying songs online is definitely the way to go. Save yourself the trouble and download from one of the top 3 safe and legal sites.

Everybody’s doing it: downloading music and sharing files. People who share music files on the Internet argue that downloading is legal; today they can be sued by the record industry. Can one be sued without a great intrusion into personal lives of an individual?

1. Enjoy music downloads from safe and legal sources. Get the facts and not the scare tactics, about online music services.

2. The prosecution has to able to prove, with adequate evidence, that the IP address used for music downloads can be
linked to the person accused of illegal content sharing. There is a growing concern for “privacy”. Legal experts worry about the “intrusiveness” of Internet monitoring in order to prove a court case.

3. These IP address–numbers–given to user by the ISPs are dynamic and change rapidly. The starting point is to establish
that there is enough bona fide evidence to prosecute.

4. It is difficult to a pin an IP address on any one person. The IP numbers that some ISPs assign to their users can change
from one “session” to the next. The music industry must be able to link file-sharers to specific IP addresses at the times those addresses were used for file sharing.

5. Since their are personal freedoms involved, the courts want to make sure that the individual is revealed to the public.

6. These copyright allegation lawsuits are a minefield, because they involve the personal information of the defendant.

7. In Canada, under its privacy laws, people are protected through court confidentiality orders. In the United States, the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) must get a order to reveal the downloader’s identity.

8. It is difficult to give a definitive decision on the interpretation copyright law itself.

9. The legal tactics of the U.S. recording industry, which have been suing individuals for sharing music on-line. The entire music industry has changed dramatically. Since file sharing began, there has been an increase in the popularity of DVDs and video games that have put recording sales revenue in a slump.

10. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) desires the industry be compensated for losses due to copying,
but what decision would make it a flat-out victory. Can the recording industry prove that its bottom line was really
affected by file-sharing. In the U.S. the RIAA can sue for statutory damages of $750 per song on a file-sharer’s hard
drive. But look dramatic price cuts by “big box” retailers. Once selling music files for charging 99 cents a song was the
norm, now look at Yahoo who now offers $60 a year for all you can eat program. How can the RIAA or CRIA claim such high
damages?

Downloading music has been around only a few years and is still evolving. A good road map is needed for what we have to do in the future in the area of copyright on the Internet. It doesn’t mean copyright law does not protect “content”. For sure, whatever rulings are arrived at, will have long-term effects for us all.

Method of recycling is a good example of natural cleaning. You can re-use the cans and bottles of soda as a container for your cleaning products, if ever you will make your own cleaning products at home. By this method you can save your family from hazardous chemical toxins which you can usually be found on conventional household cleaning products. With this you can clean your home practically and save more money. At the same time, you can also help save your environment from waste and air and water pollution.

To inform you, some company had already been doing this method for their natural cleaning products. This is safe, inexpensive and will definitely help your environment. Try to recycle your old containers, cans, bottles and other things that you can use in making your own products to help reduce waste for better and healthier living.

The benefits of producing your own products made from natural ingredients include: safer and cleaner home, reduced cleaning expenses and less health risk to human, environment and pets. That’s why it is really beneficial to use organic cleaning products in home cleaning.

But almost every household today is using chemical products despite the harmful chemical ingredients composing them. The promise of fast and effective results deludes many to keep on using them though in fact they can cause damage to your lungs, your spinal cord, can irritate your skin, can cause headaches, fatigues, burning eyes, cancer, runny nose, chemical sensitivity, liver damage, kidney damage a toxic pollution and water pollution. Conventional cleaning products are really dangerous and very expensive. So, if I were you I will stop on using chemical-based cleaning solutions and switch to cleaning products which are organically made. Be conscious with the health of your family and the cleanliness of your environment too.

Most people do not dispose their products in a safe and legal way. They didn’t know that it can cause a toxic pollution. Your unused cleaning products must be disposed safely and legally, down in the drain or in the trash or else re-use or recycle them. What else you can do aside from making your own cleaning products and recycling your unused things? Lessen your household cleaning products by less buying, less using and looking for safe and products as well.

Be smart when shopping for a cleaning product. Read the labels of each product to avoid the more toxic and to keep yourself from making unnecessary spending. Be cautious when handling and stocking your cleaning products. Keep them away from the area that your children can reach. Always dispose them in safe and legal way. It is very easy to clean and to save your family, your pets and your environment from hazardous commercial household cleaning products that contain a lot of toxic chemicals which are dangerous to your health and can caused pollution to the environment.

Carbon Monoxide (CO): you cannot see it, taste it or smell it and unfortunately many people do not recover from the unconscious phase. That is why it is known as the silent killer. Early symptoms of CO poisoning can be:

A headache is the most common symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning. Depending on the concentration of CO in the room, a headache can develop between one and eight hours of exposure.

Other symptoms can include:

• Nausea
• Breathlessness
• Dizziness
• Stomach Pain
• Collapse
• Unconsciousness

The longer you inhale CO gas, the worse your symptoms will be.

How to prevent CO Poisoning?

• Install at least one smoke and carbon monoxide alarm at every level of your home.
• Call a Gas Safe installer to inspect the heating system for any leaks.
• Never block up vents
• Never bring a charcoal grill into the house for heating or cooking.
• Have your chimneys swept and inspected annually by a trained technician.

If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning get outside immediately and call for help.

Where can I get a carbon monoxide alarm?

There are a variety of CO alarms on the market that meet the standard: they usually range from £15 – £20 and can be found at most DIY stores, supermarkets and online.

Landlord Responsibilities

The main duties of a landlord are to ensure gas fittings and flues are maintained in a safe condition. Gas appliances should be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, or by a Gas Safe installer. An annual service should be carried out on all appliances before any new tenant starts a new lease. When tenants vacate the premises, landlords need to make sure all appliances are safe before re-letting.

When the Gas Safe installer confirms the appliances have been checked and are safe a landlord must give their tenants a copy of the record within 28 days of the safety check or before they move in. They also must show the tenant how to turn off the gas supply in the event of a gas leak.

Gas Safe engineers are on an official list of gas engineers who are registered to work safely and legally on gas appliances; by law all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register. This has replaced the CORGI registration. All Gas Safe Installers must carry a Gas Safe Register ID card; always check the card and make sure the installer is qualified for the work you need done.