Free PLI Webcast - Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey: Disaster Assistance

The Practicing Law Institute will offer a free, one-hour briefing called the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey: Disaster Assistance. Expert faculty from FEMA and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services will address: 

  • An overview of federal disaster assistance
  • Eligibility criteria for the Individual and Household’s Program
  • Broad overview of the National Flood Insurance Program
  • Sale of flood insurance
  • Mapping flood hazards
  • Floodplain management
  • Flood mitigation assistance
  • Understanding the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) and claim
  • Terms and conditions in the SFIP
  • Proof of Loss and timelines for filing claims –building and contents
  • When experts are needed
  • Appeal and judicial review regarding a denial of a flood insurance claim
  • How to appeal a claim
  • Filing suit 
  • Most common reasons for FEMA denials
  • Practice tips to help survivors overcome FEMA denials

The program will be webcast on Thursday, September 7 at 3:00 pm Central time. Registration is free and includes a downloadable course handbook, which will be available prior to the program for your review. This program is approved for one-hour of general CLE credit in Texas. For details and to register, please visit the PLI website.

Latest & Greatest – Texas Homeowners Association Law: The Essential Guide for Texas Homeowners Associations and Homeowners

By Gregory S. Cagle

Published by Tow Harbors Press

KFT 1314 .H66 C34 2017

Sometimes it seems that the laws affecting Texas homeowners and the associations that govern them are as fluid as the Guadalupe River after a rainstorm. Have no fear, though. Author Gregory S. Cagle has waded into these murky waters and written a concise guide to assist in the understanding of these laws. Now in its third edition, Texas Homeowners Association Law is a reference manual that sets out the rights, duties, and responsibilities borne by both the homeowners associations and the homeowners themselves. He begins his guide with a discussion of master-planned communities and their evolution and the concept of the condominium development. He then delves into the heart of the matter by examining the formation and administration of Texas homeowners associations. He addresses such topics as:

  • The filling of vacancies on the Board of Directors, the duty of care required of such Board, and the procedures governing its meetings;
  • The meetings of the members of the homeowners association;
  • The duties and operation of homeowners associations;
  • The levying and collecting of assessments;
  • The amendment of governing documents; and
  • The enforcement of any restrictive covenants and the laws that limit such enforcement.

To assist members of these associations further, the author has provided sample forms, notices, and letters that can be used during the regular course of business. In the appendix readers can find sample forms for meeting minutes and notices, absentee ballots, management and resale certificates, and much more. There is also a handy glossary defining commonly-used terms and phrases.

Although Texas Homeowners Association Law is written with homeowners associations in mind, this book can also be an essential guide for homeowners. It explains what homeowners associations in Texas can and cannot do and describes the rights and duties of the homeowners.

Fighting Hate Crimes and Bias in Texas - a free CLE event

Register for this free CLE opportunity today at www.harriscountylawlibrary.org/tendollars

The fight against violence and bigotry is of perennial concern in American Jurisprudence. Ten Dollars to Hate by Patricia Bernstein brings the story of one such fight from the 1920s into our modern consciousness. The book tells the story of Texas prosecutor Dan Moody, whose efforts against the Ku Klux Klan led to the nation's first successful prosecution of the well-connected group for their violent assaults and criminal acts. Moody's lead was followed around the country, loosening the supremacist group's grip on American politics.

Ms. Bernstein will present her research alongside a panel of attorneys who fight hate and bias everyday at a free CLE event on September 8. The event is cosponsored by the Offices of Vince Ryan, Harris County Attorney, and Kim Ogg, Harris County District Attorney, and is accredited for both CLE (3.0 hours in Texas; 0.5 hour ethics) and TCOLE credit. Register today at www.harriscountylawlibrary.org/tendollars.