Under Wisconsin law, a person’s “homestead” is the dwelling and so much of the land surrounding it necessary for use as a home, not exceeding 40 acres. An individual resident is generally entitled to exempt his or her homestead from execution of a judgment, from the lien of a judgment, and from liability for his or her personal debts up to the amount designated by the Wisconsin Statutes.

Formerly, this amount equaled $40,000.00 per resident. On December 1, 2009, however, the Wisconsin Legislature increased the exemption to which each resident is entitled to $75,000.00. Additionally, the Legislature lifted its limitation of a $40,000.00 homestead exemption per household (the “Marriage Penalty”), now allowing spouses to pool their exemptions and collectively claim a $150,000.00 exemption. Unchanged are certain exceptions unaffected by the homestead exemption such as mortgages, laborers’, mechanics’, and purchase money liens and taxes recorded against the homestead property.

Many people fail to see the benefit of consulting with an attorney before making a residential condominium purchase. The real estate attorneys in our firm have been called upon to suggest revisions to declarations and plats for residential condominium projects which were established incorrectly under Chapter 703 of the Wisconsin Statutes. This failure to meet the strict requirements of the law raises serious questions concerning whether a project is, indeed, a condominium under the legal definition.

The expenses that can be incurred by unit owners to correct an ineffective declaration or plat under the Condominium Act can be significant. The problems we have seen in the past could be identified in an initial document review. Armed with that information, a prospective buyer might decide not to purchase a unit in a condominium with such problems.

As many Baby Boomers downsize from their homes to condominiums, they should consider having an experienced real estate lawyer review the condominium documents to make sure there are no problems of this sort hidden in the disclosure materials they receive before they buy.

Two recent decisions have surprised both employers and legal analysts evaluating what measures employers must take under the law.

In one case, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals concluded, in Ekstrand v. School District of Somerset, that a teacher suffering from “seasonal affected disorder” has a “disability” under the American with Disabilities Act and that a school district had to accommodate that disability by moving the teacher to a room with natural light. The appellate court reversed the lower court’s dismissal of the teacher’s failure-to-accommodate claim, concluding that, after the teacher had informed the district that natural light was the “key” to improvement in her seasonal affective disorder, the school district was obligated to provide her with a room allowing natural light unless it would impose an undue hardship on the district to do so.

Elsewhere, the Indiana Court of Appeals recently determined, in PS2, LLC v. Childers, that an obese worker who suffered a back injury on the job was entitled to workers’ compensation not only for the cost of the back surgery to remedy the injury, but also for the $20,000 to $25,000 cost of lap-band surgery to reduce the employee’s weight in order to promote the success of the back surgery. Despite the fact that the employee was obese (340 pounds) before the accident, the court upheld the state workers’ compensation boards’ decision to require the weight-loss surgery because the obesity was a “pre-existing medical/health condition” that “combine[d] with the accident at work to create a single injury” for which the employee was “entitled to treatment.”

These cases are just two recent examples of continuing developments providing that, what may seem to be reasonable limits of how far employers must go to cover costs or provide reasonable accommodations to their employees related to their jobs, may not actually encompass the expansive obligations of employers under the law.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been signed into law, and with certain modifications to be added through the House Reconciliation Act, health care reform is certain to have a substantial impact on American businesses in the years to come. Among other things, the reform includes over $400 billion in revenue raisers and new taxes on employers and individuals as well as a laundry list of new reporting requirements. More forms and red tape are in the cards for all of us. Here is a list of a few such changes:

• Starting in 2014, individuals not otherwise eligible for health insurance under a government program shall be required either to maintain minimum essential coverage or to pay an annual penalty;
• Grants for premium assistance tax credits and other benefits to guarantee that certain low income individuals do not have to spend more than a specific percentage of their income on medical insurance premiums;
• Businesses that employ 50 or more workers will have to either provide “minimum essential coverage” to the workers or pay an annual penalty of up to $2,000 per uninsured employee (the first 30 workers are not included in the penalty calculation);
• Businesses may also face the imposition of penalties for waiting periods in excess of 90 days for employee insurance coverage;
• Businesses of less than 25 employees and average annual wages of less than $40,000 may be eligible for a sliding-scale small employer tax credit of between 35-50 percent to help offset the cost of employer-provided coverage;
• Restrictions on cafeteria plans are relaxed to encourage small employers to offer tax-free benefits to employees, including those related to health insurance coverage;
• Starting in 2013, higher-income taxpayers will face an increase in their Medicare payroll tax of 0.9 percent upon earned income in excess of $200,000 for single individuals and $250,000 for families, and 3.8 percent upon unearned income from interest, dividends, rents and certain passive activities in excess of $200,000 for single individuals and $250,000 for joint filers;
• Also starting in 2013, new spending restrictions, contribution limits and nonqualified distribution penalties are imposed upon Qualified Health Savings Accounts (HSAs); the threshold for the medical expense deduction is increased from 7.5 percent to 10 percent of adjusted gross income for individuals under 65 years of age; and the deduction for employers who maintain prescription drug coverage is eliminated for employees who are eligible for Medicare Part D; and
• Starting in 2018, group insurers face a 40% surtax on high-end employer-sponsored health plans in which annual premium payments exceed an inflation adjusted $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage.

The implementation of these taxes and reporting requirements are to be made between now and 2018, depending on the particular item. Each business should begin considering the reform’s impact on its own operations to soften the impending blow. Planning opportunities are sure to arise as the reform moves from Washington to Main Street.

Wisconsin law already required courts in family law matters to assign responsibility for providing health insurance for minor children. Recent changes to the Wisconsin Administrative Code clarify this obligation. These changes are contained in section DCF 150.05 of the Code.

In addition to ordering child support for a child, courts are required to specifically assign responsibility for and direct the manner of payment for the child’s health expenses under section 767.513, Wis. Stats. Courts are also required to order responsibility for the payment of medical expenses that are not covered by insurance after considering each parent’s ability to pay these medical expenses. The requirement under section 767.513 existed prior to the changes to the Code and, as a practical matter, courts already assign responsibility for the payment of uninsured expenses.

Courts may order either or both parents to enroll a child in a private health insurance plan that is accessible to the child and available at a reasonable cost. BadgerCare Plus is not considered a private health insurance plan. Courts may order the non-insuring parent to contribute to the cost to enroll the children in a private health insurance plan in an amount that does not exceed 5% of the non-insuring parent’s monthly income available for child support. However, if a person other than a parent has enrolled a child in an accessible private health insurance plan that covers hospitalization and other medical costs without large out-of-pocket deductibles or copayments, courts may determine whether to order a parent to enroll the child in a private health insurance plan. Further, courts may not order a parent whose income is below 150% of the federal poverty level to enroll a child in a private health insurance plan or contribute to the cost of a private health insurance plan unless there is no cost to the parent.

A private health insurance plan is accessible to the child if the plan’s service providers are located within a reasonable distance from the child’s home, which generally means service providers located within 30 minutes or 30 miles of the child’s residence, with a greater distance allowed in some rural areas. A private health insurance plan is available at a reasonable cost if the cost to enroll the child or children does not exceed 5% of the insuring parent’s monthly income available for child support and would cover hospitalization and other medical costs without large out-of-pocket deductibles or copayments. The cost to enroll the child or children in a private health insurance plan is the cost to add the child or children to existing coverage or the difference between the cost of self-only coverage and the cost to that parent after adding the child or children.

The responsibility for a contribution to the cost of private health insurance may be in the form of an upward or downward adjustment to a payer’s child support obligation. The court would order an upward adjustment to a payer’s child support order if the child support recipient is the insuring parent and the payer is contributing to the cost. The court would order a downward adjustment to the payer’s child support obligation if the payer is the insuring parent, the child support recipient is contributing to the cost, and the child support recipient’s contribution is less than the payer’s child support amount.

If there is no private health insurance plan available that is accessible to the child and available at a reasonable cost, courts may order enrollment in a private health insurance plan as a child support deviation, responsibility for a contribution to the cost of the other parent’s premium for the BadgerCare Plus unless the parent’s income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, which may also be an upward or downward adjustment to a payer’s child support obligation, and enrollment in a private health insurance plan if a plan that is accessible to the child and available at a reasonable cost becomes available to the parent in the future.

Should you have any questions about family law matters, contact Gregory Mager.

Since late 2009, OCHD attorneys have been working with Marquette University Law School and the Milwaukee Volunteer Lawyers Project to provide free legal assistance to Milwaukee County’s unrepresented litigants through court-based self help desks and legal resources.

OCHD is proud to assist the Milwaukee Justice Center work to help make the communities in which we work better places to live.

Grant Killoran, a partner in OCHD’s Litigation Practice Group, recently participated as a speaker in the Macalester College “Front Row” lecture series, a two-day event focusing on law and entrepreneurship and business, held in St. Paul, Minnesota on February 25 and 26, 2010.

Attorney Killoran was one of twelve lawyer alumni of Macalester College invited to participate in the event. There, he met with Macalester College administration, faculty, alumni and students to discuss the role of a liberal arts education in the legal training and preparation of lawyers.

Other speakers at the forum included the general counsel of a large multi-national company, a sitting United States District Judge, a sitting United States Attorney and other distinguished corporate and private practice attorneys.

In an effort to “promote the deployment of broadband and other wireless services by reducing delays in the construction and improvement of wireless networks,” the Federal Communications Commission recently issued a ruling that affects the way in which state and local governments review applications to construct wireless communication facilities, such as cell phone towers and other similar structures.

Significantly, under the new ruling, a state or local government may not deny an application for a wireless communication facility solely because one or more cell phone carriers already serve a given geographic market. Moreover, state and local governments now have a specified time period to process an application, depending on the type of structure proposed. Failure by the government to comply with these strict time periods constitutes a “failure to act” and entitles the wireless applicant to commence a lawsuit, which will be heard and decided on an expedited basis. However, this lawsuit must be filed within 30 days of the government’s failure to act.

Prior to the ruling, state and local governments had to process an application “within a reasonable period of time.” Not surprisingly, this inexact period of time led to numerous lengthy delays in the application process, frustrating many wireless service providers throughout the country.

With the new ruling in place, it is important for wireless service providers and state and local governments to understand their rights and obligations in the wireless application process.

O’Neil Cannon is pleased to announce that Attorney Chad Richter has recently been elected as a shareholder of the firm. He will continue his practice working on corporate and business law matters, including the structuring, acquisition and sale of businesses under operating and purchase agreements, as well as providing assistance on various business contracts and certifications. Attorney Richter will continue serving clients operating under franchise, dealership and agency arrangements.

O’Neil Cannon, founded in Milwaukee in 1973, is a full-service legal practice that primarily focuses on providing business law and civil litigation services to closely-held businesses and their owners. The firm represents corporations, institutions and partnerships at all stages of the business life cycle, helping them start, grow and transition from one generation to the next. OCHD also assists business owners with their personal legal needs including tax and estate planning, family law and litigation – including personal injury litigation.

Attorney Tim Caprez will moderate the upcoming Milwaukee Bar Association Health Law Section seminar “Hot Topics for Hospital In-House Counsel: What’s Keeping Us Up at Night.” The presentation will feature a distinguished panel of in-house counsel from some of the leading healthcare networks and institutions in Southeastern Wisconsin, including:

• Lorna Granger, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, ProHealth Care
• Carrie Killoran, Vice President and Chief Compliance/Integrity Officer, Aurora Health Care
• Linda McPike, Associate General Counsel, Froedert and Community Health Inc.
• Jonathan Wertz, Director of Risk Management, Medical College of Wisconsin

Attorney Caprez, Co-Chair of the MBA Health Law Section, will facilitate a discussion among the panelists involving a wide-range of legal issues currently being faced by hospitals. The discussion will include practical approaches to pressing needs that hospitals and their in-house counsel face on a daily basis, and the manner in which the ever-changing laws, and regulations governing the nation’s healthcare system affect the legal parameters of hospitals’ overall patient care.

The seminar will take place on March 9, 2010, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Milwaukee Bar Association headquarters at 424 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI. Registration is required. For registration information, please contact the Milwaukee Bar Association, at 414-274-6760.