The keeping of chickens in urban residential settings is gaining popularity across the United States. Advocates of backyard chickens cite more nutritious and flavorful eggs, nitrogen-rich garden fertilizer, and natural pest control among the benefits of backyard chickens. Opponents worry about noise, odors, and the potential to spread diseases such as Salmonella and Avian Flu. The debate to legalize egg-laying chickens in residential areas is making its way to local governments throughout the country, with city councils trying to balance the health, safety and interests of both residents and chickens. In August, after debating the issue for nearly two years, the Sacramento City Council ap

Moving ranks high in the list of most stressful life events. In addition to settling into a new environment and learning your new neighborhood, the move itself can be a stressor. Turning all your worldly possessions over to a stranger, for that person to handle and transport, can definitely increase your anxiety level. This may be compounded by the rash of moving company scams seen in the news lately. Luckily, moving companies are highly regulated. California and Federal laws have been enacted to protect consumers from unscrupulous moving companies. Your rights under these laws are explained in informational booklets that movers are required to provide to customers. Both the California an

In the news, we’ve been hearing a lot about foreclosures. Not as much is said about repossessions, though. In this tough economy, car payments can be difficult to make. Under California law, a creditor can repossess your vehicle without prior notice, even if you are only one day late on your payment. The repossession process cannot begin until the buyer defaults on the sales contract. The default is most commonly one or more missed payments, but may also be a violation of some other contractual issue, such as not maintaining insurance on the vehicle. If the lender required a co-signer to grant the credit used to purchase the vehicle, the lender must provide the co-signer written notice of