Road expansion contributions abolished

Now also Reppenstedt has abolished the unpopular street extension contributions, an often sensitively high financial participation of the residents in the costs for repair of roads and ways. The other Gellerser municipalities had already done this years ago, in the much larger Reppenstedt the discussion about funding lasted longer. The reason was the weighing of several models, because the council had been in agreement for a good ten years that no more contribution notices should be sent out (which did not happen during this time). Alone, none of the models is really unconditionally good.

Model "property tax"

In principle, the "property tax" model was already on the tables of the constituent municipalities in 2012. However, due to a legal dispute, the issue has been postponed indefinitely for the time being. According to this model, road expansion contributions are completely waived. Instead, the property tax is raised to such an extent that the additional revenue can be used to finance the repairs. The burden is therefore distributed among all residents. Besides, the administration saves a lot of work, because the settlement of contributions is complex and is often decided only in court. The disadvantage is that taxes cannot be levied for a specific purpose and the additional revenue must first be used to balance the budget and could therefore not be fully available for road maintenance. In the prosperous Reppenstedt a rather theoretical problem. In addition, a good part of the property taxes goes to the joint municipality and the district, which therefore earn a little bit from each increase.

Severance pay and termination agreement – two terms that belong closely together. As a rule, the severance payment is the biggest benefit that employees get from a termination agreement. We clarify the most important questions on this topic.

How to get the maximum severance pay in a termination agreement

Even if the benefits of working from home have long been scientifically proven, many employers in Germany remain skeptical. The image of working from home is simply difficult to reconcile with our German presence culture.

Maybe that's why Germany is a bit behind in international comparison. Only 26% of employees can also work remotely. In the U.S., it's about 40%.

Qualified employees are indispensable for the success of law firms – even in times of digitalization. Hermann Brem shows the importance of training and continuing education.

For small and medium-sized law firms in particular, training skilled employees (paralegals or legal specialists) ensures their competitiveness. Particularly in times of increasing digitalization and dynamization, including of legal advice, it is all the more important to have clever minds in the lawyer's office. However, training requires the personal commitment of all involved and must be seen as an investment. In the end, education pays!

One feels well advised and in good hands, one has confidence in the lawyer and is given new impetus for the future and encouragement.

Mr. Riethmuller represented me. I was very well advised and he gave everything to achieve the planned goal. I can only recommend the law firm!

Katja Langenbucher: The EU is still struggling to find an up-to-date regulation. Discrimination prohibitions alone are not enough

AI-based credit default risks should be treated with caution

Artificial intelligence (AI) allows prediction of future events that until now "only God knew about," as Mikio Okumura, president of Japanese insurance group Sompo, was recently quoted as saying. The company had collected data on the lifestyle habits of nursing home residents and tested it for its correlation with the onset of dementia symptoms. In this way, one not only achieves progress in medical prevention, but also improves the risk-adjusted calculation of insurance premiums.

In the world of consumer credit conquered by fintechs, such predictions have long been used. Less surprisingly, data on account activity, shopping and payment behavior online can tell you about a potential borrower's cash flow history. However, age, gender or place of residence can also provide relevant information for assessing the risk of credit default. The same applies to the educational or migratory background, religious community or a party affiliation. Platforms that deal with the assessment of credit default risks do not stop there. Relevant correlations may also be provided, for example, by friends on social media, musical tastes or leisure behavior. The same goes for the brand of cell phone you use, the number of typos in text messages, or the time it takes to fill out an online form.

A computer went head-to-head with 112 lawyers in London in 2018 – and won. Word processing, numerical analysis, chess: In the battle of machine against man, technology is constantly conquering new fields of work and regularly shows man his limits.

Legal tech rocks: is the machine the better lawyer?

Hit and run ? - 'I didn't notice anything'

In the event of an accusation of a hit-and-run / hit-and-run driver, there are many defense strategies available. Of all defense strategies, however, this one might be the most popular: “I didn”t notice anything.”. But is it also the best?

Spiritual hike in the footsteps of the Incas in Peru? Has the neighbor already done. Capoeira trip to Brazil? Posted your cousin in an Insta story. Luxury glamping in the Himalayas? Have grandma and grandpa treated themselves to in 2019. We all know it long ago: if you want to travel unusually, you do not have to go far. Vacations in Lower Saxony offer adventures in all elements and travel constellations – for singles, couples, families and friends. Here are the best tips, routes and vacation homes.

Vacation in Lower Saxony : Where wolves howl and waves crash

Ritual for me to pay a quick debt

If you must know how to do a ritual To pay me a debt, you must be aware of these words: "Neither borrower nor lender." These famous words came from Polonius, Shakespeare's chief advisor to King Claudius in Hamlet. When Polonio gives fatherly advice to his son Laertes, Shakespeare gives us a timeless piece of advice: don't lend your friends money.

Why not lend money to friends and family? Polonio responds to this in his next line: "With loan he loses himself and his friend". Polonio knew that a loan to a friend or relative often leads to the loss of the money and the relationship.