Q: We signed a lease to rent a single-family home in Minneapolis. The rental contract includes a section about us doing some maintenance work. However, it includes nothing about getting a discount on our rent for performing this service. Our landlord lives in California, but there is a property manager who has been left in charge. He sent us a curt message stating that we are required to pull weeds in the alley during the spring, summer and fall, and that we neglected to do so last summer so he was required to do the weeding. The weeding of the alley was never addressed until now.

We were a little put off because we work in the yard, and no one complained about the status of the alley before. All I want is confirmation from a credible source that we are correct. Can the owner or property manager make us do work that was never agreed upon without giving us compensation for it?

A: Under Minnesota law, the owner or property manager may require tenants to perform specific repairs or maintenance around the property, but only if there is an agreement in writing and the agreement is supported by adequate consideration.

There is an organization called HOMELine that provides legal services to tenants throughout Minnesota. HOMELine has published a book, How to Be the Smartest Renter on Your Block, that answers your question. It states, A landlord can require a tenant to take care of maintenance (snow-shoveling and lawn-mowing are the most common chores), but the landlord must pay the tenant to do this work. (p. 48) This payment must be adequate or fair, and the agreement to perform the maintenance must be in writing. You can obtain this book from HOMELines website at https://homelinemn.org.

You have a written agreement to perform some maintenance because it is in the lease that you signed. However, if there is no mention of payment, reduced rent or some other type of consideration for the work performed, the agreement to perform the work is not binding. If the landlord fails to write down the amount of the discount or consideration for performing maintenance, then the tenant can stop performing the work or sue the landlord for past-due wages after the tenant moves out.

Whos minding the sink?

Q: I have a tenant who overflowed a bathroom sink a few months ago. He plugged the sink, then turned on the faucet to get water for his cat and walked away to take a telephone call. The sink does not have an overflow drain, which might have prevented the overflow. The water caused $1,500 damage to the apartment below, which he has agreed to pay.

Recently there was another overflow situation caused by the same tenant but involving much less water. The tenant is now demanding that I replace his sink with one that has an overflow drain. I have not had this problem with other tenants, and I feel it is his responsibility to stay near the sink when he is running water. I also believe he should remove the plug from the sink when getting water for his cat.

The tenant is hard of hearing, so Im guessing his hearing problem contributed to the first overflow problem, because he may not have been able to hear the water splashing onto the floor. I dont appreciate demands being made when the existing fixture is in good condition. This is just one of several situations with this tenant. How should I respond to his request?

A: Under Minnesota law, the landlord or owner promises to keep the premises and all common areas in reasonable repair during the term of the lease, except when the disrepair has been caused by the willful, malicious or irresponsible conduct of the tenant or a person under the direction or control of the tenant. Its great that your tenant was able to cover the cost of the water-overflow damages, since it was his fault.

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Must tenant do chores without compensation?

One tough aspect that seniors face as part of aging in place is housecleaning, home maintenance and repair.

Why should you care? Aging in place is a strategy that many seniors employ, but they may not consider the tasks of home maintenance when they do.

The gist Seniors are capable of managing some tasks, but they must outsource others, while still others go undone.

The rest of the story A study titled, "Challenges to Aging in Place: Understanding Home Maintenance Difficulties" reported that 53.5 percent of maintenance tasks of seniors got done by outsourcing, 9.7 percent got done using tools and technologies (think Roomba), 7 percent left the task undone, 4.3 percent got done just through the senior's perseverance with the task and 4.3 percent got done with assistance from others.

Outfitting the home for aging in place

Aside from making accommodations in the home for aging in place and paying for those changes, another aspect of aging in place is house cleaning, upkeep and home maintenance. All of these become more difficult as we age.

I write this as I get mentally ready to shovel my neighbor's driveway. She's a widow in her 80s. Why mentally ready? It is cold out. Balmy to some northerners, but not to me. Anyway, it got me thinking about the problems that seniors may have when aging in place. There's not one right approach, just an approach that's right for you.

My twice-widowed father, also in his 80s, is putting his house on the market because he doesn't want to deal with the responsibilities of maintaining a big house when he's the only one in the home. In contrast, I know a woman who is 101 and still living on her own in her family home and wouldn't have it any other way.

I came across an article in the spring 2011 issue of Journal of Housing for the Elderly titled, "Challenges to Aging in Place: Understanding Home Maintenance Difficulties" by Fausset, Kelly, Rogers and Fisk. The article was interesting in how the writers categorized the issues and solutions in home maintenance for seniors. They categorized tasks, ranked them by difficulty in performing the task and considered the different solutions to complete the task.

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Keeping up around the house

Victoria Park Lawn Mowing - Lawn Care Services
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Ground covers are a popular alternative to lawn grasses. They require far less maintenance (mowing, watering, fertilizing) than grass and are an important part of sustainable landscaping.

Ground covers can reduce maintenance, beautify problem areas and add a new dimension to your landscape. And March is an excellent time to plant them.

For a list of great ground covers for sun, shade and partial light conditions, click here.

Planting now will provide ground covers with a chance to become established before hot weather arrives.

The term ground cover is applied to low-growing plants, other than turf grass, used to cover areas of the landscape. Perennial, evergreen plants having a sprawling or spreading habit are most often used.

The plants are generally short, from a few inches to 18 inches tall, but taller-growing plants also are used appropriately in certain situations on a larger scale.

In addition to the beauty they provide, ground covers also have practical uses. Since most people are reluctant to walk through ground cover areas, they provide barriers to foot traffic and can guide movement through a site.

Some ground covers are effective in erosion control. Because they don't have to be mowed, they also reduce landscape maintenance and are useful in areas where mowing would be difficult, such as on steep slopes, under low-branched trees and shrubs, where the roots of large trees protrude and in confined areas.

Ground covers also are a good solution to areas under trees that have become too shady for grass to grow (mulching is another option).

When selecting a ground cover, first consider the growing conditions; is it sunny or shady? This will determine which plants you should choose.

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Less mowing, less watering, less fertilizing: Ground covers are a beautiful alternative to lawn grass

From my watch list, lets have a short view of Alliance Resource Partners LP (ARLP), that looks undervalued based on the Peter Lynch Price Value.

Deere & Co (DE)

Description:The company has a market cap of $30,643 M. It is a provider of advanced products and services for agriculture and forestry and a major provider of advanced products and services for construction, lawn and turf care, landscaping and irrigation. The company and its subsidiaries have operations which are categorized into three major business segments: agriculture and turf; construction and forestry; and credit. The agriculture and turf segment, created by combining the former agricultural equipment and commercial and consumer equipment segments, manufactures and distributes a full line of farm and turf equipment and related service parts including large, medium and utility tractors; loaders; combines, cotton and sugarcane harvesters and related front-end equipment and sugarcane loaders; tillage, seeding and application equipment, including sprayers, nutrient management and soil preparation machinery; hay and forage equipment, including self-propelled forage harvesters and attachments, balers and mowers; turf and utility equipment, including riding lawn equipment and walk-behind mowers, golf course equipment, utility vehicles and commercial mowing equipment, along with a broad line of associated implements; integrated agricultural management systems technology; precision agricultural irrigation equipment and supplies; landscape and nursery products; and other outdoor power products.

Ratios: DEhas a ROC of about 11.33%, a ROA of 4.78% and a ROE of 29.22%. All these ratios are better than 90% of other companies of the Global Farm & Construction Equipment Industry.

Compared to history of Deere & Co, ROC reached a maximum level of 30.93, ROA reached a maximum level of 6.20 and ROE reached a maximum level of 44.93.

Current level

Best level of history

Industry Median

ROE

29.22%

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DE is below Peter Lynch Earning Line

AUBURN | Auburn's city council stands against a proposed series of cuts to public transportation service routes in the city and Cayuga County.

Councilors formalized their opposition Thursday to budget reductions to the Centro bus service, which operates in Cayuga County and three other counties in central New York.

Part of a proposal to close that deficit is to reduce weeknight service hours in Auburn, cut Sunday service connecting Auburn to Syracuse, eliminate all Lake Avenue and Owasco Road service and eliminate weekly and 30-day unlimited ride passes for Auburn customers.

The city of Auburn intends to draft a letter to Centro formalizing its opposition against the proposed cuts. Mayor Michael Quill said he will reinstate that position at an upcoming public hearing on Monday at Auburn City Hall.

"It's for folks who work different hours in Syracuse," Quill said. "It's a way for them to commute back and forth."

Quill found unanimous support from his fellow councilors. Councilor Debby McCormick said many people rely on the service on a daily basis as public transportation, she said, is a fundamental part of city life.

"It's ridiculous that they're cutting public transportation," she said.

Councilor Peter Ruzicka said he believes the state government will most likely provide additional funding for this service given the amount of public reaction the situation has garnered.

Indeed, state legislators in Albany recently agreed to bolster Centro's budget by $25 million to close the gap, though action is pending approval from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to Syracuse.com.

"It is desperately needed not just here in the city, but throughout central New York," Ruzicka said.

Continued here:
As public hearing looms, Auburn councilors oppose Centro service cuts to Cayuga County

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Newswise After a seemingly never-ending winter, temperatures have finally warmed and spring is in the air literally. In fact, people with spring allergies are most likely already experiencing sneezing, watery eyes and fatigue because of tree pollen.

Our area of the country typically experiences high tree pollen levels from March through May, says Marjorie Slankard, M.D., Director of Allergy and Immunology at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. This years colder weather may have delayed the process a bit, but now that the warmer weather has hit pollen levels are expected to shoot up.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), more than 40 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, and this is expected to be one of the worst seasons we have seen for tree pollen.

But there are ways to help control your allergy symptoms and reduce your suffering. Here are some tips from the Dr. Slankard and the ACAAI to help keep seasonal allergy symptoms under control: Know your triggers. Make sure you know what is causing your symptoms it may turn out that pollen is not the culprit. Speak to your primary care doctor, who may recommend you see an allergist who can identify the source of your symptoms. Treat before you sneeze. Dont wait for allergy symptoms to hit before you take your medication. Allergists recommend you begin taking your over-the-counter or prescription allergy medication one week before symptoms typically hit, or as soon as the pollen counts are measureable. Monitor pollen and mold counts many media sources report this information during allergy seasons. Keep indoor air clean. Use air conditioning and keep windows and doors shut at home, and in your car during allergy season. Stay inside as much as you can from 6 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. when pollen counts are highest. Take a shower, wash hair and change clothing after being outdoors working or playing. If you can, delegate outdoor chores like mowing the lawn. If you cant delegate the chores, consider wearing a mask to cut down on your exposure to outdoor allergens. An allergist can help you find the type of mask that works best. When home and over-the-counter remedies aren't enough, see your doctor. For many people, avoiding allergens and taking over-the-counter medications is enough to ease symptoms. But if your seasonal allergies are still bothersome, don't give up. A number of other treatments are available. For some people, allergy shots, called allergy immunotherapy, can be a good option. The treatment involves regular injections containing tiny amounts of the substances that cause your allergies. Over time, these injections reduce the immune system reaction that causes symptoms.

About The Valley Hospital The Valley Hospital, a 451-bed, acute care, not-for-profit hospital located in Ridgewood, NJ, is part of Valley Health System, which also includes Valley Home Care and Valley Medical Group. Valley is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. These include 10 consecutive recognitions for service excellence by J.D. Power and Associates for inpatient care, six consecutive awards for patient safety and quality care from the Leapfrog Group, and Gold Seals of Approval from the Joint Commission in 12 clinical areas, including six for cancer care, more than any other hospital in the nation. Valley has also been recognized by Healthgrades as one of Americas 100 Best Hospitals for joint replacement and orthopedic surgery. Valley has also been honored three times with Magnet designation the nursing professions highest honor. Key services include cardiology, oncology, womens and childrens services, emergency care, orthopedics, and neurosciences. For more information please visit http://www.ValleyHealth.com

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Beating Seasonal Allergies

Need your driveway plowed? Dont we all after the recent snow. Luckily, now theres an app for that.

Cuttly is a multiplatform smartphone app created by Fort Wayne native and resident Clinton Beck. Cuttly, available for both Android and Apple products, provides people with snow plowing or lawn mowing services with the simple click of a button, thanks to a network of existing partner businesses that alerts the nearest service provider using GPS tracking software.

Beck, who built the company with his brothers and close group of friends, began researching the business model after his first experience using Uber on a business trip a few years ago. Uber, an app-based GPS transportation network and taxi company, allows people to hail a taxi close by within minutes.

Beck loved the idea and the experience. Then he wondered, how could he develop something that would be useful to busy people in the suburbs or a town like Fort Wayne?

Serendipitously, Becks lawn was becoming a wreck while he was away on business, and he had trouble finding someone to help mow it quickly and without a summerlong contract. Thats when the idea hit him. He would develop an app to quickly, affordably and efficiently partner customers with service professionals in the area.

After downloading the app, users can request service by signing in and creating a profile, then submitting the type of service and the address. Then, through a secure website, customers will pay for the service directly using a credit or debit card.

Once the order is placed, the app will be notified that Cuttly Pro, the local service provider, has accepted the order. It will also send notifications when the worker has arrived at the location, when the work has started and when the work is finished.

The app offers photo and review features. When the job is completed, the service provider will send the customer a photo of the finished product. Then the user is able to write a review, good or bad, of the service and the business.

Beck said this allows for Cuttly to keep an eye on the service professionals and make sure they do quality work by holding them accountable to the customer.

When its done, you can verify the jobs been done and everything looks good. You can also rate your provider at the end, Beck said. So we not only make sure our professionals are good, but we also allow our customers an opportunity to rate them as well. We just want to make sure we continue to have the best providers out there.

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Cuttly mobile app gives customers on-demand snow plow, lawn mowing service

Montreal, Canada (PRWEB) March 07, 2015

The evolution of womens roles is defined by duality: Gatherer and goddess, fragile and strong, easily tempted and temptress, second-class citizen and world leader. Women have come a long way since the first Womens Day in the United States in 1909, and as data collected by Queendom.com from their Gender Roles Test for Women reveals, even if some traditional gender role beliefs remain, modern women are no longer afraid to take a leading role at work, at home, and in the world.

Collecting data from 1,620 women of different ages, researchers asked thought-provoking and potentially controversial questions that their female sample boldly answered.

When asked whether women are equally suited for traditionally male jobs, most agreed - with a few exceptions:

When it comes to modern gender roles:

When it comes to old gender stereotypes:

In the last year, there has been a significant feminism backlash. An anti-feminist movement has taken hold of social media, with young women posting reasons why they do not believe in or need modern feminism, explains Dr. Jerabek, president of PsychTests, the company that runs Queendom.com. Understandably, the response from other women, and men, has been mixed.

I think what we can take away from this new movement and our study is that there are different degrees of feminism. Some women do not want marriage and children; some women like being swept off their feet and being taken care of by a man. There is nothing wrong with either of these scenarios. Feminism is not about hating men or feeling superior to them. For most women, it is about feeling comfortable in your own skin, whether you are the CEO of a major company or a happy stay-at-home mom. It is about treating women with respect and striving for equality and fairness, not pitting genders against each other. International Womens Day is about celebrating womens accomplishments and taking pride in who we are. We should not lose sight of the fact that we have come a very long way. Our suffragette ancestors would be proud.

What are your gender role views? Go to: http://www.queendom.com/tests/take_test.php?idRegTest=2434

Professional users can request a free demo of the assessments from ARCH Profiles extensive battery: http://hrtests.archprofile.com/testdrive_gen_1

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Women Still Looking For a Prince Charming But Ready To Share the Throne: Queendom.com's Study Reveals How Womens ...

An auto accident is a terrible, and often terrifying, experience. If youve just been hurt in a car crash, there are dozens of thoughts running through your mind. To make matters even worse, in some cases the at-fault driver leaves the scene. What do you do now?

In Michigan, you may still have access to certain benefits that can help with your situation.

No-Fault Benefits

Michigans No-Fault Act provides generous benefits to nearly everyone who is injured in an auto accident. With a few exceptions (like driving a vehicle you own without the insurance required by law), if youve suffered an accidental bodily injury arising out of the use, operation, or maintenance of a motor vehicle as a motor vehicle, you are entitled to economic benefits. These benefits, sometimes called personal injury protection (PIP) or first-party benefits, fall into four main categories:

Allowable Expenses

The No-Fault Act provides for allowable expenses reasonably necessary for an injured persons care, recovery, and treatment for injuries sustained in the crash. Generally this will consist of medical bills, but it also includes attendant care and home/vehicle modifications if necessary. This is an unlimited, lifetime benefit.

Wage Loss

If you miss out on work and experience actual work loss as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision, the no-fault insurer will provide up to 85% of your lost wages for up to three years. Even if you werent actively employed, you may qualify for wage replacement as a temporarily unemployed individual.

Household/Replacement Services

PIP benefits include reimbursement for help for ordinary and necessary services that the injured person would have performed had he or she not been injured. These service might include help around the house with tasks like cooking, cleaning, snow removal, mowing the lawn, and other similar activities. The insurance carrier will pay up to $20 per day for up to three years for these services.

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Injured by a Hit-and-Run Driver? In Michigan, You Still Have Benefits