Yearly Archives: 2019
Summertime in Texas: The Law of the Mosquitoes
Ah, summer. And you know what that means: mosquitoes. Okay, so summer doesn’t officially start until the summer solstice on June 21, but the mosquitoes don’t know that, nor do they care. Many otherwise pleasant outdoor evenings have been ruined by these tiny pests. They’re so troublesome, in fact, that they’ve raised the ire… Read More »
Texas Real Estate Investors Should Consider A “Series LLC” For Asset and Liability Protection
The simplicity and flexibility of the limited liability company (“LLC”) has made it the business entity of choice for Texas real estate investors, but many experienced real estate pros still are not aware of the benefits of the “series LLC,” a relatively new and more advanced and efficient entity for real property investments. The… Read More »
Video Activism: If You Ignore Them, They Will Leave
What is “video activism” and how do we respond when confronted with a “video activist”? That is a question that a lot of government employees are starting to ask. This question is becoming more frequent due to the sharp increase in video activists showing up at government buildings across the greater Houston region. These… Read More »
First Amendment Right to Protest
In 2017, our Texas state senators and representatives voted for, and passed, a law that seriously impacts the rights of anyone entering a contract with a government entity in Texas (all levels of government) to the right to protest or right to free speech. Initially, it appeared this was a limitation on those of… Read More »
Who Decides the Width of a Residential Street and What If It’s Insufficient?
Quick question: how wide is the street you live on? I would hazard to guess that most people don’t know the exact width of their street, but they could probably tell you if it’s wide enough for two cars to pass each other without either having to yield when a car is parked on… Read More »
Texas Texting While Driving Ban Raises Questions for Enforcement
On September 1, 2017, the Texas legislature passed a law banning the practice of “texting while driving” across the state. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, approximately twenty percent of car crashes in Texas is caused by “distracted driving,” which resulted in some 450 deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries in 2016… Read More »
Dog Ordinances: Texas Cities Putting a Paw Down Against Vicious Pets
Many, if not all, Texas cities have at least some regulations when it comes to dogs and other pets. The extent of pet-related ordinances varies from city to city. As discussed in previous Randle Law Office blogs, some cities have ordinances in place to control dogs who won’t stop barking. Others have ordinances in… Read More »
Putting Your Affairs in Order
One of the hardest things for a person to think about is their own death. We spend our lives thinking we are the leading actor in an exciting movie that will never end. Then, one day, reality comes home to roost and we find ourselves with a few short weeks or months left to… Read More »
City Hall, Contracts (Or Lack Thereof) and Sovereign Immunity: No Back Pay for Being On Call
A recent Texas Supreme Court case determined municipal employees are not entitled to wages for being “on call.” The city employees in Denton, Texas, had no contract that enabled such pay and there was no provision for it in the employee policies, but the city manager altered the employee policies and included pay for… Read More »
Texas Gun Laws Contain Some Curious Loopholes (No Pun Intended)
The law in Texas governing firearms is an intricate web of who, what, when, where, why, and how. For example, different laws apply to a person who is licensed to carry a handgun and a person who is not, to handguns and long guns, to times when certain events are occurring and when they… Read More »