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How to represent yourself in traffic court and win
October 17, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver “I got a ticket on Highway 99 north of Fresno for speeding and plan on taking it to court. Can you give me some pointers? Yes, I was technically speeding, but had I been going any slower, I would have been a danger to other drivers....
How to save on auto insurance after a DUI
June 20, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver For anyone who was just arrested for a DUI, today’s story could save them — or mom and dad if they are on a family member’s policy — thousands of dollars of auto insurance premiums. An arrest for DUI is completely avoidable, making a...
How to spot a drama addict at work
May 12, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, I manage an insurance brokerage in the Pacific Northwest. We have 15 employees, and “Frank” was a recent hire. While excellent at his job, he is creating a never-ending sense of things being wrong and upsetting everyone...
How to succeed in hospitality
May 4, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver “As an Administrative Law Judge, I hear appeals from restaurant servers let go for misconduct, being rude to customers, co-workers and the employer. Millennials, feeling entitled and believing they are smarter and better than others,...
How to view employee embezzlement
October 20, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver Are there steps that employers can take which will help reduce the chances of becoming the victim of embezzlement by employees? The answer, which comes to us from the far off Canadian city of Halifax, is a qualified yes, and as...
How to write a complaint letter
April 30, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver “As a Small Claims Court judge in California’s Central Valley I am amazed at the number of disputes which might have been resolved out of court, if a clearly written complaint letter addressing the problem were sent. “Before filing a...
How Two Rattlesnake Bites and Scholarships Led This Doctor to His Calling
November 14, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver Serendipity played a role, too, in Albert ‘Bert’ McBride’s rise from poisonous-snake expert to urologist. At 85, he’s still in practice. There are many things we can be proud of as Americans. One is using our wealth to foster...
How working parents fail at home, on the job
May 14, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver Today’s story will be of special interest to parents – or couples looking forward to starting a family – where both want to continue working. Anyone who is in that situation now, or in the past, knows just how much of a juggling act it...
Huge risks to mom and pop landlord in California
August 17, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver “We are high school teachers and will retire next year. Our accountant warned, “As California’s pension obligations are badly underfunded, consider an additional revenue source, such as becoming landlords and buying a small, single...
Husband stealing cash from employer. What should be done?
June 10, 2022 • By Dennis Beaver “I stumbled across evidence that my husband, ‘Chris’ is again stealing from his employer. “He works at a golf course and pockets cash from golfers. He doesn’t record their tee times so there isn’t a record of them playing or names on a...
I Found Out What It Takes for a Family Business to Thrive
May 5, 2025 • By Dennis Beaver Some of the largest, oldest, most successful companies in our country were founded by families. The Snickers and Milky Way bars we pick up at the convenience store are produced by the Mars family — the second-wealthiest in America. Other...
I just got a barking dog citation, but it’s not my dog!
June 22, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver “An animal control officer just handed me a barking dog citation and made it clear that if we do not resolve the situation, we will be hit with large fines and neighbors could file a lawsuit to have our three dogs taken away. “Mr....
I know the world is flat – my client told me so
October 01, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver What do you think is the most common mistake that virtually all lawyers have made at one time or another which proved to be embarrassing to the attorney and costly to the client? Here's a hint: It had nothing...
I think my lawyer has a substance abuse problem
June 18, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, our small trucking company is involved in litigation because of an accident. “The lawyer assigned to represent us by our insurance company was great – at first – but recently, we can’t reach him, he fails to return phone...
I want my contribution back!
September 23, 2006 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Let's say you've been a regular contributor to a charitable organization, possibly a church or some recognized non-profit as you believe in their objectives. Then, suddenly, that organization does something...
I want to buy your house!
June 21, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver If you have owned a house or commercial property for several years, chances are that someone has recently either phoned or sent what appears to be an offer to buy it. In March of 2023, an article in The Star News of Medford, Wisconsin,...
If and when you hire the wrong law firm …
January 17, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver “You have a reader on the phone who has a deposition scheduled for next week and cannot reach his lawyer. Apparently, they have never met in person.” With that announcement from my paralegal, I immediately took the call, and spoke...
If Cars With Touchscreens Are Unsafe at Any Speed, Why Do We Have Them?
May 31, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver With homage to Ralph Nader, author of Unsafe at Any Speed, a landmark in consumer advocacy and journalism, today’s story looks at just how little the major auto manufacturers care about safety by forcing us to take our eyes off the road...
If I want a normal family life, should I marry a lawyer?
July 16, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver "Your articles on what law school can do to married couples were sent to me by my parents who live in the Central San Joaquin Valley. I am at university in Boston dating a third-year Harvard law student, and we...
If It Looks Like Elder Financial Abuse, It May Be Just That
September 13, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver As my town is located 100 miles north of Los Angeles, it is an ideal stopover for people driving to destinations north or south on Highway 99 or Interstate 5 and has afforded me the chance to meet readers, who are always welcome...
If you pick the wrong tax preparer
August 20, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Jeff (names have been changed) was retired from the Navy, residing in Lemoore near the naval air station, close to many of the friends he served with. Married and the father of a young child at home, he wasn't...
If you still want to buy a timeshare … do’s and dont’s
October 21, 2022 • By Dennis Beaver Last week I made it clear that, in my legal opinion, the way that the timeshare industry deals with owners who want out of their contracts reminds me of racketeering. Pity the poor timeshare owner who was a victim of lie after lie...
If You’re Considering Law School, This History Lesson Is for You
AI could be the modern equivalent of the automobile's impact on blacksmiths as it rapidly transforms the legal profession, potentially leading to an employment crisis for law school graduates. What can they do? April 27, 2026 • By Dennis Beaver Just about every day...
If you’ve hired a contractor, your job has just begun
November 30, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver Last week, we told you about a Selma reader, Helen, and her husband’s idea of hiring a contractor in their church congregation for a kitchen remodel, aware of the fact that he is in serious financial trouble. “His bid was...
Ignoring Your Company’s Dress Code Can Get You Fired
December 31, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver We’ve all heard of job offers being withdrawn or people being fired after employers discover an applicant or employee has lied or exaggerated their qualifications, education, work history, required skills or references. But what...
In a divorce, who gets Fido?
December 14, 2009 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last week I told you about one of the most bizarre divorce cases I have ever handled, where the fight wasn't about homes, cars, furniture, insurance policies — none of that. Rather, it was over who would...
In an overpayment scam, your bank could be a thief’s best friend
April 28, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver If Southern California-based family nurse practitioner Joe Torres had read Fool me Once, by Kelly Richmond Pope, he and I would never have spoken. He also would not have lost thousands of dollars in an “overpayment” scam that began...
Insecurities, secrets and lost opportunities
January 12, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver Shortly after her mother’s death, daughter learns that 25 years earlier mom hid from her a priceless, potentially life-altering educational opportunity. Can anything be done now – could a claim be made against mom’s estate — or...
Insurance agent caught exaggerating annuity safety
July 26, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Listen to Satellite Radio, watch TV, or surf the net looking for investment articles, and it is impossible to miss, “When the market goes up, our clients go up with it, and when it goes down, they are protected from loss.” Hanford...
Insurance Bad Faith After Natural Disasters: What to Know
February 4, 2025 • By Dennis Beaver The recent wildfires in Southern California and natural disasters elsewhere in the country have left thousands of people grappling with enormous loss — and the complex insurance claims process that follows. Insurance companies owe a...
Internet service providers short-changing customers with poor WiFi
July 19, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Are you happy with your internet service provider? Or, like a shocking percentage of subscribers, do you feel taken advantage of, not receiving what you’re paying for, good Wi-Fi? The American Customer Satisfaction Index has, again...
Investigators with a hidden agenda
December 24, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver For your first day on the job as a deputy district attorney in many small D.A. offices, “training” consists of being handed a file less than an hour before trial. You trust that the D.A. who reviewed the...
Invitation to burglary
November 9, 2006 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver We live in an older, very pretty part of town, with lots of mature trees -- trees that need trimming fairly often. Both local and out of town tree service companies know this, and on what seems to be a weekly...
Is a time-share in your best interest?
June 17, 2006 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver I received an offer from Marriott Hotels for a three night, 4 day package at one of their time-share properties, and all I have to do is to pay less than $200 and attend a 90-minute sales presentation. In...
Is America on the decline?
March 30, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver We can all feel it. Something’s not right with our country. But when did things start going wrong, and more importantly, where are we headed? Spend some time with “The Decline of America” by Dr. David Schein, and like me, you’ll...
Is DEI still relevant?
May 23, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver Something close to an obituary for DEI — diversity, equity, inclusion — appeared on the cover of the Wall Street Journal’s April 21 business section titled, “Diversity Goals Are Disappearing - Dozens of firms [are] deleting the word...
Is it wise to ignore a red light camera ticket?
July 27, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver One of the great “joys” that motorists across the United States face is an encounter with RoboCop, also known as the red light camera. Who hasn’t just driven through an intersection, or turned right on a red, only to see a bright flash...
Is law school still the easy road to financial success?
May 07, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver "I live in California's Central Valley and my parents have difficult, manual labor jobs which has taken a real health toll on them. At high school, I had friends whose parents were lawyers, and frankly their...
Is Money Messing Up Your Family’s Life?
January 6, 2025 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, everyone has heard the saying ‘(the love of) money is the root of all evil.’ In our small business and at home, that statement is so true, as money is messing up our lives,” wrote “Bart” in his email. “My wife and I, as...
Is Someone Sabotaging Your Company? Is It You?
November 7, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver Something’s wrong. You know it. Everyone around you knows. It is as if someone is trying to sabotage your business. But who? How? Why? How can you find out? How can you fix it? Anne Morriss could be the very person to ask. The...
Is the California State Bar helping lawyers rip off doctors?
October 13, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver For anyone having a low image of the legal profession, today’s story provides justification for taking that view several notches lower. We do not make that statement lightly. An awareness of what many believe...
Is there a breathalyzer in your future?
November 25, 2006 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Recently I was at a fraternity party, where before anyone was allowed to drive home, they had to blow into a small breathalyzer. Those who registered over a certain limit were told to hand their car...
Is there a cellular duopoly in our future?
July 02, 2011(Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver "Many of us in Hanford's Rotary are longtime readers and would appreciate your explaining why there is so much of a fuss over the AT&T and T-Mobile merger. Is there something going on in the cellular world...
Is there such a thing as a Windproof umbrella?
September 26, 2008 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver "Mr. Beaver, I have two questions about umbrellas that could seem a little bit silly," began an interesting e-mail from Adam, a reader who lives in Fortuna, California. His inquiry is the perfect fact...
Is there such a thing as credit card relief?
February 7, 2009 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver If you listen to Sirius, XM Satellite, or just regular AM radio, you've probably heard ads aimed at listeners who are in financial trouble. Some suggest voodoo ways to get out of debt, pay off your house,...
Is this a ponzi-bitcoin mining scam?
August 9, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver What would you think upon answering a phone call and hearing, “How would you like to make 21% on your money, guaranteed?” “Hmmm, sounds interesting, so what’s the catch? Is this a Ponzi scheme?” you would probably wonder. Or, you...
Is this place right for mom and dad?
March 19, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver In 2010 an extraordinary class action lawsuit went to trial in Eureka, California. It was against Skilled Health Care Group, one of the nation’s largest providers of nursing care to the elderly. Their facilities were places you would...
Is your cell phone bill going up?
July 09, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last week, we began our look into the $39 billion proposed purchase by AT&T of T-Mobile Cellular. If approved by the Federal Communications Commission, it will impact everyone who uses a cell phone in the...
Is your home adequately insured by the right company?
May 17, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver November 8th, 2018 began as a beautiful, sunny day for the residents of Paradise, California, a small town in rural, Northern California. Within hours, most of the city was gone, with over 18,000 structures destroyed in the deadliest...
Is your lawyer overcharging you?
September 10, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver Are you being overcharged by your lawyer? How can you know? And if you really are, is it possible that you — yes, you, the client — are partially to blame? We asked San Francisco-based lawyer John O’Connor — who is a nationally...
Is your lawyer overcharging? — Part I
February 09, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver While in their last semester at college, twins Glen and Brad — only 21 at the time — saw a newspaper ad offering a part-time job in “disaster restoration and remediation.” It would change their lives. “We remember the ad as if...
Is your neighbor’s security camera pointed at your window?
January 26, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver Security cameras were a popular 2023 Christmas present, and in the days after Santa’s visit, families and business owners were busy at work setting them up — which led to several phone calls from their concerned neighbors, everyone...
Is your tax preparer legal, and does it matter?
August 27, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Only about 40 percent of Americans do their taxes themselves. The rest of us hire a professional tax preparer, perhaps a CPA, or use a tax preparation service company such as H & R Block or Liberty Tax...
It may be unfair but still not wrongful termination
April 09, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Have you or someone you know been fired for no valid reason, perhaps simply because of office politics? Did this strike you as wrongful termination, and did you speak with a number of lawyers, all of whom said,...
It’s your day in court – Part 2
February 28, 2009 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last week we looked at the ways in which personal appearance — clothing, tattoos, piercings — have the potential to influence the outcome of your case. Today, we'll look at behavior, how exhibiting the right...
It’s 10 p.m. Where is your pension?
August 10, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver For your readers who are covered by a pension and looking forward to a comfortable retirement, I have a warning, New York attorney Eddie Stone tells You and the Law. “Employers across this country have made promises to their...
It’s 2 a.m. — Where are your smoke alarms?
March 31, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Recently we told you about the new California law which now requires that homeowners have a carbon monoxide alarm (detector) in addition to a smoke alarm. Interestingly, those articles generated a number of...
It’s dangerous to trust an online background search
June 8, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver Last week we told you about the surprise awaiting church members when their newly hired pastor gave his first sermon. “It wasn’t just that it lasted over two hours and the guy could not stop talking, or that he screamed at any church...
It’s summer — where has your wine been?
June 19, 2010 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver "Your article about noisy restaurants really got my attention. That has been one of my pet peeves as well as ordering an expensive bottle of wine in a restaurant or buying one at a wine shop only to discover...
J.G. Wentworth cash now? Not so fast
March 19, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last week we began our analysis of structured settlements, which is a way in which large personal injury verdicts or out-of-court settlements are often set up. A portion - sometimes all of the money - buys an...
Just got a traffic ticket? Tips from a traffic defense attorney
May 18, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver While lots of attorneys in California are looking for work, San Joaquin College of Law graduate Paul Denni considers himself fortunate in his choice of legal specialties. Throughout Southern California, Denni handles traffic defense...
Keep fingers crossed when your kid says ‘I want to be an influencer’
April 13, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver “My 16 year-old-daughter announced that she and a friend are in the process of becoming internet influencers. They have been in discussions with a small, local company that manufactures specialty dog and cat food – that we have been...
Keep these guidelines in mind when hiring an attorney
December 17, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver Friends of this column, Brian Kabateck of Kabateck LLP, and his partner Shant Karnikian have earned a nationwide reputation as among the most successful plaintiff's lawyers handling cases on behalf of consumers against insurance...
Keep your sanity over property damage claims
March 26, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver “It could be a storm or a car comes crashing through your home — families who prepare for the unexpected have better outcomes with the insurance claims process, and emotionally are in much better shape as well.” Those comments are...
Keeping Patients Waiting Hours Is Unacceptable, Fight Back
August 30, 2008 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver If you've recently had an appointment with an attorney, you were probably seen at or very near your scheduled time. The same can probably not be said for your last doctor's visit, with good reason much of the...
Kings County Superior Court has a problem
June 2, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver Picture yourself going to court. It could be for a traffic ticket, a civil lawsuit over money, divorce, or you are in criminal court facing years in prison. You are worried and have many questions about the judge hearing your case or...
Know this about an ‘examination under oath’ when making an insurance claim
February 24, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver For anyone who claims injuries from an accident or owns or rents insured real property, should it suffer damage or a theft loss, there is always a chance that you will be required to attend an Examination under Oath (EUO) by a...
Know this before signing a ‘letter of intent’
March 22, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver Arizona readers, 80-year-old Sandy and Jim, sent this email with an offer they almost accepted: "We own 100 acres of land ideal for a solar farm and just received a letter of intent (LOI) from a San Francisco company wanting to lease...
Knowing the weather inside the children’s home
March 11, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver Should a non-custodial parent be allowed to remotely monitor the environment – temperature and humidity – inside the children’s home? Would a judge order the installation of an internet-connected thermostat, enabling, under certain...
L.A. college attacks free speech
February 23, 2018 • By Dennis Beaver What do you think is the most important right guaranteed by U.S. Constitution, a right so important that without it, life in our country would be far different from what we know? “Freedom of Speech, of course!” you’re...
Law enforcement’s prescription for peace — at home
July 28, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Ask Lt. Patrick Crowe, training officer of the Hanford Police Department, to describe one of the most powerful tools available to his officers in a crisis situation. His answer might surprise you. “It’s...
Law Firm Rips Off Patent Illustrator
October 25, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver “While trying to find some guidance for my problem with a law firm that is dragging their feet in paying me for patent illustrations, I came across your 2008 article–When Lawyers Don’t Pay their Bills. It is about an attorney who...
Law school — a road to debt and maybe a job
March 9, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver “I am considering swapping the classroom for the courtroom as our pay rate tops out at $80,000 here in Hanford. However, I’ve read articles recently about law graduates having enormous student loan debt and not finding decent paying...
Law school not the road to riches it once was
March 16, 2013 • By Dennis Beaver Some widely held beliefs persist long after evidence that they are flawed has come to light. Today, for anyone considering law as a profession, this statement has special relevance. “Up until the last decade, a license to practice...
Law students, lawyers and depression
June 28, 2008 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver While lawyers have the potential of earning significant incomes, in one respect law is a high risk profession. Attorneys suffer from depression and substance abuse more often than any other occupation in the...
Laws involving drones
June 4, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver “I am a real estate broker and am considering buying a camera drone for business and entertainment purposes, then posting videos on YouTube,” Peter wrote. “This gives buyers a realistic view of properties: farms, orchards, commercial...
Lawyers lose millions in fake cashier’s check scams
July 10, 2020 • By Dennis Beaver If you are a lawyer who handles real estate transactions, collection matters, contractual disputes, or divorce cases, today’s story could save you a huge amount of money, and an enormous amount of grief. Recently a very interesting...
Lawyers need to eat too
April 16, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver “Dennis, I am a superior court judge in a city where your column is very popular. In fact, for many years at one outlying courthouse, the judge taped each week’s story to the front door for the public to read. “Today, so many TV...
Lawyers who lie do not end well
August 13, 2011 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Adjunct law professor and attorney Rose Safarian has a highly effective way of getting the attention of her students at San Joaquin College of Law in Fresno. "In my professional responsibility course, I tell...
Learn a Language in Three Weeks? Really?
May 3, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver You have no doubt heard commercials for Babbel, Rosetta Stone or other computer assisted language learning programs which make claims along the lines of “You can learn a new language in three weeks.” In fact, both Rosetta Stone and...
Learn a new language, play guitar in 10 days (and other fairy tales)
March 24, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver We have all seen ads for Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur or similar “teach yourself a foreign language” courses which claim you can accomplish this feat “in just a few days without boring memorization, studying...
Leases of vacant land for solar farms pose great risks to owners
July 9, 2021 • By Dennis Beaver Today’s story will be of special interest to anyone who owns acreage —typically agricultural — in areas of the country which receive plentiful sunlight or wind, ideal for the construction of a solar or wind farm. Unless you are...
Lend to friends and risk getting sued
May 26, 2017 • By Dennis Beaver If you ask most lawyers if it’s a good idea to loan a friend money to buy a car, you’ll probably hear a line from Shakespeare: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” The second part of that famous quote is less often heard: “For loan oft...
Living on a cruise ship in retirement
July 19, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver If you enjoy taking cruises, and are at or approaching retirement age, chances are you’ve seriously considered the possibility of living on a cruise ship instead of moving to a retirement community. And that is exactly what New York...
Lonely? Looking for love online? Here’s what it cost Ted
May 17, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Recently divorced after a 20-year marriage, Ted was lonely. At a friend’s suggestion, he registered on the dating website, Plenty of Fish.com. It was Dec. 7, a day which would become his very own Pearl Harbor. Within minutes, he...
Long range ultra-sonic bark and pest control devices work
July 03, 2010 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Some time ago, in response to a reader's question, we looked at an interesting, high-tech device which stops dogs from what is referred to as nuisance barking, that non-stop yapping which ruins peace and quiet,...
Looking for a Financial Book That Won’t Put Your Young Adult to Sleep? This One Makes ‘Cents’
"Wealth Your Way" by Cosmo DeStefano offers a highly accessible guide for young adults and their parents on building wealth through simple, consistent habits. February 16, 2026 • By Dennis Beaver "Mr. Beaver, I am terrified that our four grandsons, all in their late...
Looking for a Job? Here’s How Not to Get Hired
November 28, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver “Mr. Beaver, I do the hiring for a paint and coatings company based in the South and frankly wonder if I am going insane, or if today’s job applicants think that a job interview is the same thing as Saturday night with the gang —...
Looking for a Job? What They Didn’t Tell you in College
November 1, 2019 • By Dennis Beaver Today’s story is dedicated to college students looking for a job, and we begin with a question: If you feel that your education has prepared you adequately for the realities of the working world--getting a job, doing well and...
Looking for a lawyer is like buying a used car
September 02, 2006 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver What do you think of using the internet to find a lawyer? Can you trust the sites that promise to link you up with a good lawyer? Or, do you recommend avoiding online sources? The reason I ask is that a...
Looking for an internet radio? Don’t get ripped off
August 14, 2020 • By Dennis Beaver Today’s story will be of special interest to anyone who is tired of so many news broadcasts that are politically biased and want a different–and possibly more objective–view of the news from sources outside of the United States. But...
Looking for shutters or window coverings?
January 07, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Before buying, study the warranty carefully. What does it cover? How long does it last? Is it written in easy to understand language? What is excluded? Comparison shop, not just shutters or blinds, but...
Looking for winter windshield washer fluid? Good luck!
February 04, 2012 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver “Why can’t I find winter windshield washer solution? It often gets below freezing during the winter months here in the Central Valley. Our vehicles are parked outside, and around November or December we...
Looking into Leasing Solar Panels? Think Twice
February 20, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver “I am the CEO of an accounting firm that is looking into leasing a solar system for our 8,000-square-foot office building. Some of your articles on solar have been very negative as to leasing options. We have met with solar...
Loud noise is dangerous for employees
January 31, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver “I am writing behalf of myself and co-workers at a restaurant and night-club in a California Central Valley town where your column is widely read. “We are constantly exposed to insanely loud music, the idea of our new manager,...
Luck of the enabled
January 19, 2013 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Last week we told you about 21 year-old Sam, in jail on Jan. 2 after a New Year’s party turned horribly violent. A friend — mixing anti-psychotic meds with alcohol — attacked him with a knife. Trying to get...
Major auto makers planning to rip off customers
January 5, 2024 • By Dennis Beaver “In 2022, executives at BMW came upon a brilliant, if perverted, idea to extract more money from customers,” observes Michigan attorney Steve Lehto, who has practiced in the fields of Lemon Law and Consumer Protection for over 30...
Making fraudulent insurance claims can land you in jail
December 22, 2023 • By Dennis Beaver “Bernie,” an adjuster for a major auto insurance company phoned, and described an insurance claim “that would be a great story for your column." I had to control myself from laughing as she explained what happened. Apparently...
Making them keep their word
October 18, 2008 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver "I practice medicine near a small farming town in northern California. People think of me as something of an old-fashioned doctor. With patients who have no health insurance and not much money, I don't charge...
Manners or a lawsuit?
April 7, 2006 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver Costco has become a great weekend hangout for the entire family. Where else can you spend hours walking indoors where it's nice and warm in winter, or cool in summer, and get to munch on all kinds of free food...