Author: Christy Bieber

An Atlanta property owner says he found part of his home demolished and alleges city workers were responsible, causing extensive damage just as he was planning additional work before he put the property on the market.

WSB-TV 2 Atlanta reported that Ronaldo Norman and his brother, who co-own a real estate investment company, had spent about $200,000 building a home in Southwest Atlanta. But when Norman arrived at the site in May, he says he found a large hole in the side of the house and bulldozers on the property.

"I saw demo bulldozers and a big hole in the side of the property," Norman said to Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln. According to Norman, the damage was caused by city workers — but so far, Atlanta officials haven’t publicly commented on the incident.

Here’s what Norman says happened, and what legal options property owners may have in similar situations.

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Property owner searches for answers on destruction

Norman says he arrived at the site to find demolition equipment and a gaping hole in one of the walls.

"Just think about it, come pulling up to your property, and you see a big hole in the wall, and no one can give me an explanation as to why," Norman complained. Norman alleges city workers took action because they thought his permit had expired.

"May 22, the day after they expired, they came out here and put a hole in my property," Norman told reporters. He maintains the property was still in compliance, claiming he had filed for and received a six-month permit extension before the incident.

Whether a home is under renovation or fully built, city governments must follow a legal process before demolishing a structure. Generally, a property owner would receive notice along with time to rectify any issues.

Norman says he never received any such notice. City official’s only response, he claims, has been to advise him to seek legal counsel.

"This right here is a major setback because now we may have foundation issues," Norman said.

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What protections do homeowners have — and what can you do if this happens to you?

While rare, incidents like this show how important it is for property owners to protect their investments and to act quickly if something goes wrong.

With no answers from Atlanta officials, the Normans may have to pursue legal action to recoup their losses. Here’s what that process could look like — and what other homeowners should know if they ever find themselves in a similar situation.

Consult a lawyer Because of a legal concept called sovereign immunity, suing a city can be complicated, but Georgia law does allow homeowners to file claims for damages, as long as they follow the right process.

File a notice of claim This is a formal document notifying the city that you intend to pursue compensation. The time for doing so varies by State and Municipality and can be relatively short; your local lawyer should know this. Missing this deadline could prevent your case from moving forward.

Collect all documentation This includes:

• Building permits and extension filings
• Photos or videos showing the damage
• Invoices and receipts for materials and labor
• Emails or letters from city agencies
• Any inspection reports or code violation notices (or proof that none were issued)

Request records from the city Filing an Open Records Request may reveal internal miscommunications or mistaken permit data that triggered the demolition.

Get a damage assessment A structural engineer or contractor can help assess whether foundational damage occurred and provide estimates to use in a claim.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

St. Louis’ Blake and Sarah Anyan’s story begins as a fairy tale. The high-school sweethearts were expecting their first baby.

The couple chose Mercy Hospital — dubbed ‘The Baby Palace on Ballas’ — for prenatal care, labor and delivery. They chose the hospital not only because it is known for its obstetrics care, but because Sarah was employed there as a cardiac nurse and Blake worked there as a respiratory therapist.

Sarah’s pregnancy was a typical one, with her active baby kicking her often on her nursing shifts. When she went into labor, she headed to the hospital to welcome her baby boy Remi. That’s where everything went wrong.

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What happened next would change the couple’s lives forever and lead to a record-setting $48.1 million verdict against the hospital for its failures.

Baby suffered severe harm in labor, delivery

Sarah was given an epidural at 10:42 p.m. At 3:50 a.m., she began pushing. Pushing for more than three hours is dangerous. She pushed for 12 hours.

The couple, who trusted their health team, weren’t offered a C-section or told of the risks of prolonged pushing.

“Speaking as a nurse, I was really, really disappointed that they didn’t share that with me," Sarah told News Alert 4 in St. Louis.

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Another thing the health team didn’t reveal? That their baby boy Remi was in distress during the prolonged labor.

To their shock, when Remi was delivered, he was floppy, didn’t cry, had poor tone and began having seizures.

“We were pretty much blindsided,” Sarah said.

Sadly, their son suffered severe and permanent harm. Now 5 years old, Remi has full cognition but can’t walk or communicate. He has cerebral palsy.

“It’s just a major travesty,” Blake said. “It hurts us as parents, but it also hurts us as care providers. That’s so far away from what we’ve been taught to do, and what I teach my students to do. It’s just heartbreaking.”

The Anyans filed a malpractice lawsuit against Mercy Hospital, its nurses and their obstetrician Dr. Daniel McNeive for medical negligence.

Medical malpractice laws hold providers accountable if the care they provide falls below a professional standard. Birth injuries are a top reason for malpractice claims.

Expert witnesses said expecting a mother in labor to push for 12 hours was inexcusable, adding that the hospital failed to respond properly after Remi was born. One possible intervention — therapeutic hypothermia — could have reduced his injuries by up to 30%.

The couple won their malpractice suit. The jury awarded them $48.1 million in the verdict, of which $20 million was for punitive damages.

"So grateful that they took what happened seriously and didn’t give up faith in Remi, and that they would try and help him move forward," Blake said.

Mercy is appealing the ruling. In a statement, they wrote:

"We stand by the care provided by our team … No evidence was ever introduced suggesting dangerous patterns or practices of behavior by Mercy or Dr. McNeive, nor did the jury make this finding. The case remains pending with the court, and Mercy will continue to seek appropriate resolution for the benefit of the Anyan family.”

What can malpractice victims do?

The Anyans aren’t the only ones harmed by a medical error. A Johns Hopkins study found that medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Top reasons for malpractice suits include:

• failure to diagnose/delayed diagnosis
• radiology errors, such as misreading X-rays
• failure to obtain informed consent
• surgical errors, such as operating on the wrong body part or leaving instruments inside patients
• anesthesia errors
• medication errors

Victims of malpractice must demonstrate they were damaged by medical negligence and deserve compensation for losses. If successful, they are owed payment for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and emotional distress.

However, many states cap non-economic damages (for pain and distress) at $500,000 or less.

If you or someone you love has experienced medical negligence, it’s important to take legal action quickly. There are time limits for pursuing a claim — usually within one to four years of discovering your injuries — so don’t wait.

If legal costs concern you, you can work with a personal injury lawyer on a contingency-fee basis. Such lawyers offer free case evaluations and don’t charge legal fees upfront. They subtract legal fees from any compensation they recover on your behalf.

To support your case, gather and maintain all the documentation you can — medical records, names of your care team, and records of any followup care you have received as a result of your injuries.

The Anyans took action not only to advocate for themselves, but to inspire others — as Sarah tells her son Remi.

“You’ve got two choices in life. You can be angry and bitter and hang on to that anger your whole life. Or you can choose to inspire people," Sarah said. "And I tell him that all the time — he’s going to inspire people."

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

With a new school year just around the corner, thousands of workers in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) recently received some troubling news. The district announced nearly 1,500 workers would be laid off, including 432 teachers, as well as 300 paraprofessionals or school-related personnel; 700 assistants for special education classrooms and 33 people working in security.

CPS downplayed the layoffs, despite the shocking numbers, with a statement obtained by Fox 32 Chicago reading, in part, "As part of our annual workforce planning and budgeting process, CPS evaluates staffing and resource allocations to ensure we are meeting the evolving needs of students and schools."

However, it would appear not everyone is convinced of this.

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"I feel like there’s a disconnect between the students, the parents, the staff, and the teachers, as well as the community," Lena Mitchell, a local parent of two, told Fox 32.

Unfortunately, the reality is that budget issues — rather than just the natural realignment of the workforce — may be the cause. And this is a trend happening nationwide.

Teacher layoffs in Chicago cause turmoil

The teacher layoffs are causing some controversy in Chicago because, as mentioned, there is some disagreement over why the cuts are happening.

The district claims that the cuts are normal and that the layoffs that occurred are close to the same number that occurred last year, when 1,410 workers were laid off — 80% of whom ended up finding new jobs within the district before the next school year.

CPS also claims that the cuts have nothing to do with the fact that it is facing around a $700 million budget deficit that could grow to $1.3 billion over the next five years without new revenue or reduced expenses.

However, the teacher’s union made clear they think the cuts are driven by a funding issue.

The Chicago Teachers Union said in a statement, "Pedro Martinez [the former CEO of CPS] misled the public about the funds available for students and educators this coming year. Now we’re seeing proposed cuts to special education, to bilingual education, layoffs, and more. CPS needs to partner with CTU to win more revenue from the state."

The union also compared the cuts to moves made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the federal level, and warned about "the need to prevent backsliding likely to occur because of Governor [JB] Pritzker not passing a budget that meets the state’s funding obligations or not addressing the Trump cuts to education."

Community meetings were held earlier in July to give the public a chance to weigh in. However, the reality is a budget shortfall is going to have to be dealt with, somehow.

"We’re going to have to make some really hard decisions," CPS interim CEO and current Superintendent Macquline King told reporters.

"There will have to be a menu of solutions that we’ll have to employ to balance the budget, however, whatever that menu of solutions will be, will have to be one that protects the cuts from the classroom."

Unfortunately, Chicago’s teachers and school staff are not the only ones coping with an uncertain future. Changes are happening on the federal level, and with President Donald Trump withholding $6.8 billion in education funding, many professionals in the field of education have already been fired nationwide. And more layoffs could follow.

With the Trump administration aiming to reduce the number of workers at the Department of Education by nearly 50%, grant programs focused on recruiting, training and retaining qualified teachers are also being cut.

With the Learning Policy Institute reporting a shortage of more than 110,000 teachers in 2023 to 2024 that could grow to a shortage of 200,000 as early as 2026, the federal cuts could be devastating. They could leave schools unprepared to provide students the education they need, particularly in hard-hit areas, like rural locations, and fields like special education that require advanced training.

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How can educators prepare for layoffs?

Some teachers may be aware of coming layoffs, or at least suspect them as a result of budget issues in their district. For others, both in education and in any other field, layoffs can come as a complete surprise.

The reality is, almost anyone could lose their job at any time, so whether you know a layoff is coming or not, you should take steps to be financially prepared in case one happens.

Keep fixed costs to a reasonable percentage of income. Avoid spending more than around 50% of what you make. That way, you can live on less for a while if you have to.

Maintain a fully funded emergency fund. You should have a minimum of three to six months of living expenses, preferably in a high-yield savings account, to cover your costs as you look for another job.

Keep your debt to a minimum. This also helps you save more money, since you aren’t paying interest, and it ensures you don’t have big payments to make after a layoff

Maintain a strong professional network. Try to keep in regular contact with peers, join professional groups in your area and maintain a presence on networking sites. That way, you’ll have lots of people to reach out to if you’re laid off and need help finding a job.

Advance your skills. If you are always improving at what you do, you may be less likely to be laid off — and more likely to be able to quickly find a job if the worst happens. Consider doing things like taking courses, gaining new certifications or working with a mentor to become better at what you do.

Following these tips can help you be better prepared if or when a layoff happens. If you know when it is coming, you can also:

• Start looking into health insurance options for when you are unemployed. Healthcare.gov is a great resource to find plans, which you may get subsidized.

• Research unemployment benefits and other benefits that may be available to you. Benefits.gov is a good option to find these resources.

• Explore whether you may be eligible for severance. If you have a union contract, you may have guaranteed pay coming. Otherwise, you could talk with an employment lawyer for help in negotiating an agreement.

• Cut your spending further, eliminating all but the essentials.

It’s also a good time to start networking more aggressively, on sites like LinkedIn, and regularly checking recruiting sites.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Clotilde "Wendy" Sawadogo and her husband Patrice once owned a pair of buildings in Brooklyn, but the New York City couple says they were deceived 13 years ago after seeking the help of an expert to sell the properties.

"It was a trick," Sawadogo told News 12 Brooklyn in a story published June 6. "Tricking him (her husband) to sign over the deed."

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On June 5, Sanford Solny, a disbarred attorney, was convicted of stealing the deeds of 11 properties from 15 victims over a 10-year period. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the victims were primarily minority homeowners in financial distress.

"He stole our lives," Sawadogo said.

Solny now faces up to seven years in prison. Here’s how the scheme worked, and how homeowners can protect themselves.

Disbarred lawyer’s fraud scheme

The DA’s office says Solny targeted homeowners in foreclosure and presented himself as a financial expert. He told victims he could negotiate with lenders to sell their homes for less than what was owed on the mortgage — what’s known as a short sale — to help avoid foreclosure. Making false statements, he tricked them into signing over their deeds to companies he owned.

Sawadogo says she and her husband were rushed through the paperwork before the eviction process suddenly started, per News 12.

The DA says the fraud took place between 2012 and 2022. Solny’s law licence was suspended in 2012 and he was disbarred in 2023. He’s scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 17.

News 12 reports the DA’s office confirmed a judge would be signing an order to nullify the fraudulent deeds. Sawadogo is hopeful she and her husband will get their properties back.

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The local broadcaster reached out to Solny’s attorney, who replied with a statement:

"While we believe that the evidence supported an acquittal on all charges, we were grateful for the acquittals on the majority of the charges," his lawyer said. "There are myriad appellate issues which will be vigorously pursued in future proceedings."

How you can avoid deed theft

Solny’s crime was a type of deed theft or home title fraud. This occurs when someone takes title to a home by arranging for the deed to be transferred to them — typically without the actual property owner knowing or understanding what’s happening.

Deed theft or title fraud can occur the way it did with the Sawadogos, where the couple is tricked into signing over the deed. It can also occur when a criminal pretends to be the owner of a vacant property and signs the deed over to themselves. From there, the deed holder can sell the home or get a mortgage or HELOC on it that’s never paid back.

Homeowners need to protect themselves from this type of fraud and can do so by:

• Checking regularly on the title with the state’s land records office and, where available, signing up for alerts when a legal change to the title of a property occurs
• Checking credit reports regularly to watch for new, unexpected mortgages or home equity loans
• Making sure bills come regularly and investigating if they’re missing

Homeowners also need to be careful who they trust for help, which means only working with a licensed real estate agent or licensed attorney when they need assistance, and checking with their state’s disciplinary board to ensure that the professional they hire is in good standing.

For the Sawadogos, it’s already too late to undo what happened and get back the lost years in their home — but other property owners should be vigilant and make sure they, too, don’t get tricked by a bad actor who pretends to want to help.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Many people in Michigan’s Midland area remain underwater financially after a catastrophic dam failure in 2020 forced the evacuation of 11,000 residents and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.

"So many of us are still not just back to where we were, but not even a level of financial stability, of not having a home that is permanent and is sustainable," resident Darla Ball told ABC 12.

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She is among nearly 800 area residents to send a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, demanding the governor keep a promise she made at the time of the disaster.

Whitmer’s exact words: “Little by little, we are going to help the Midland-area residents and businesses get back on their feet."

Residents believe that “back on their feet” means financial compensation from the state, and residents are tired of waiting for it.

"We feel we have been ignored and left behind," Ball said.

Here’s why 2,000 of them have launched a lawsuit.

Residents argue that the state had a role in disaster

On May 19, 2020, a dam on the Tittabawassee River failed.

Owned by Boyce Hydro Power, the original dam was showing its age before it collapsed, according to a report by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Sadly, its failure led to a second dam to collapse — resulting in catastrophic flooding.

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Local business owners Denny and Kathy Sian had to take out a mortgage to rebuild their destroyed hardware store.

"Other people, their retirements were destroyed, mine included,” Denny Sian said. “My retirement was having a store that was paid off.”

Many residents successfully sued the private company Boyce Hydro Power, which was forced to liquidate its assets to pay for damages.

But as Mid Michigan Now reports, residents believe the state is also financially responsible.

A group of 2,000 of them have joined forces to sue Michigan for damages. Attorney Ven Johnson, who is representing the plaintiffs, argues that the state actually increased the risk of dam failure “by demanding that water levels be raised.”

But state officials deny responsibility, arguing that the original lawsuit against Boyce Hydro Power demonstrated that county officials were not to blame.

"The failure of the Edenville Dam was tragic,” As Michigan Attorney General told 12News in a statement, “and the Attorney General sympathizes with the thousands affected by the dam failure who undeniably suffered tremendous losses.

“The State, however, was not responsible for the dam failure."

The Attorney General also noted that the plaintiffs initially lost their suit against the county. But the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled the plaintiffs’ case can continue and return to the trial court.

Johnson is motivated. He said for the state to deny responsibility is “just crazy,” and that officials clearly want to keep “delaying, delaying, delaying and destroying people’s dreams.”

The trial is expected to begin in January if there are no further delays.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Retirement is supposed to be a happy time. We speak of the "golden years" for a reason.

For many, however, the last phase of life can be the most painful and unhappy.

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Almost a third of retirees suffer from depression. That number is too high.

The good news is, though, you don’t have to be broke and miserable in your later years. If you simply stop doing five common things after age 55, you can increase the chances that you have a happier, richer retirement that you actually enjoy.

1. Neglecting Your Health

Giving up unhealthy habits can make all the difference in your longevity and continued ability to do the things you enjoy. That’s why it’s crucial to stop compromising your health as you age.

Exercising reduces your risk of all sorts of diseases and increases the chance of a long, healthy life. In fact, older adults who did any weight lifting, but no moderate to vigorous aerobic activity, were 9% to 22% less likely to die over a decade, according to a 2022 study cited in an AARP article. "Those who met aerobic guidelines and lifted weights once or twice a week had a 41 percent to 47 percent lower risk," it added.

It’s also worth giving up other unhealthy habits, from smoking to eating poorly to getting too little sleep. Changing these behaviors can not only enable you to enjoy retirement for longer but it also makes it more likely you’ll be healthy enough to do the things you love once you leave work.

2. Supporting Adult Children

Adult children can be a huge source of joy for retirees, but they can also be a major financial drain. As many as 47% of parents with grown, non-disabled children provide their kids with some kind of financial support, with parents providing an average of $1,384 monthly, according to research from Savings.com.

These contributions to kids are more than double what the average working parent contributes to their own retirement savings monthly, which is why it’s not surprising that 58% of parents said they’ve sacrificed their own financial security for the sake of their adult kids.

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While it’s understandable to want to help your kids, it’s also important to remember that they have time to build their financial futures but you don’t. Set a limit on how much you help based on what you can truly afford and look for ways to offer non-financial assistance.

Doing so is the only smart choice for both you and your kids because if you end up broke, it won’t be good for them either when you show up to live in their guest room.

3. Taking Time for Granted

It’s an inevitable fact that the older you get, the less time you have left. That’s why it’s so essential to stop wasting time in your later years.

Once you reach your mid-50s, you don’t have endless years left to save. Get serious, making the sacrifices needed to build a big nest egg. Whether that means putting in extra hours, asking for a salary bump, or making budget cuts, step up your savings efforts now more than ever.

Devoting your efforts to bulking up your savings in your 50s will hopefully pay off and, as you move into your 60s, you’ll get to a point where trading time for more money no longer makes sense. At this point, if you have enough to live comfortably, staying on the job longer to earn more often stops being worth it if you give up some of what may be your last healthy years.

The early use of your time saving should allow you to put your time to good use enjoying life later — so make the most of each of these different life phases.

4. Not Spending in Line With Your Values and Goals

For seniors living on a fixed income, wisely spending money is more important than ever. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a plan for what to do with your dollars, you could end up spending on the wrong stuff.

If your dream is traveling, for example, but you’re staying in your costly family home and spending your travel money on property taxes and home maintenance, you’d likely be far better off downsizing and freeing up cash to take your dream trips.

Take the time to look at exactly where your money is going, and make sure that you’re using it the way you’d prefer. Cut the things you don’t care about and allocate as much of your money as possible to making your retirement dreams a reality.

5. Worrying Too Much

Finally, far too many seniors end up wasting their retirement worrying about the things they can’t change. From bad news on TV to a potential future market crash to undesirable political outcomes, there’s a lot that seniors spend their days fretting about — very little of which is in their control.

Rather than wasting time stressing, seniors should take the steps they need to set themselves up for success, like choosing the right asset allocation for their investments and making sure they have a life where they live below their means at a safe withdrawal rate.

Seniors who are smart about their finances and who maintain an objective distance between themselves and upsetting issues are likely to be a whole lot happier — which is what they deserve in retirement after a lifetime of working to get there.

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• How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you’ll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement

Money doesn’t have to be complicated — sign up for the free Moneywise newsletter for actionable finance tips and news you can use. Join now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Work-from-home jobs can provide valuable income for people who are unable to work a traditional job.

For Mildred Bedar, a Houston resident, her work-at-home position helped her pay the bills, until the company disappeared without sending her a paycheck.

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Bedar said she was hired to inspect shipments from Amazon, repackage them, and send the products to their final destination. She was supposed to be paid $2,900 for her work, with a bonus of $20 for every package that she handled.

What she was ultimately paid, however, was nothing, putting her at serious risk of losing her home. Here’s how she became a victim of a work-from-home scam.

How the work-from-home scam worked

Bedar said she worked for the company that hired her for months, only to have the business vanish before her scheduled payday, leaving her in a bind.

"I’ll be homeless if I don’t get that money," Bedar told Fox 26 Houston. "I’m a 68-year-old woman with her service dog out on the street or her car is not something I would think about."

It’s unlikely that Amazon shipping will come, however, because the Postal Service and the Better Business Bureau believe that Bedar had inadvertently been duped into a "reshipping scam." These scams involve products acquired illegally and are then laundered through multiple shipping steps to hide their origin.

A spokesperson from the Better Business Bureau, Leah Napoliello, explained the scam and the unfortunate fallout for Bedar.

"If she has not been paid and suddenly the business has gone dark — there’s no evidence they’re still operating — and there’s no way to contact them to request payment, then that is very suspicious," Napoliello said.

There’s little Bedar can do to recover the promised paycheck, as the company was not a legitimate one in the first place.

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How to avoid work-from-home scams

While Bedar is unlikely to get her money, others can learn from her experience and avoid work-from-home scams.

Some red flags to watch out for that could suggest a job is not legitimate include:

• A company that expects a lot of work upfront before you get paid
• Pay that seems too good to be true for the expected work
• Companies that ask you to pay upfront to be considered for the job
• A business without a strong online presence, like a LinkedIn page or company website
• Getting hired without an in-person interview process in which you speak to someone via phone or Zoom
• Complaints about the company in online forums or online review sites

If you spot any of these signs, you should move onto opportunities with a more reputable employer who is more likely to pay you.

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Money doesn’t have to be complicated — sign up for the free Moneywise newsletter for actionable finance tips and news you can use. Join now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Building inspections must be conducted by licensed professionals.

Unfortunately, in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, hundreds of inspections may have been performed by someone without proper credentials.

Enrique Fernandez Jr., a South Florida man, has been accused of using his late father’s credentials to submit as many as 724 inspection reports, project affidavits and other building reports.

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Fernandez denies the allegations that were investigated by WPLG Local10, an area TV station.

He’s now facing $3.6 million in civil fines, but no criminal charges have yet been laid.

An assumed identity?

Local10 News first conducted the investigation into Fernandez Jr. in 2024, after it was discovered that several large building projects had undergone plumbing, electrical and mechanical inspections signed with the name “Enrique Fernandez” and listing license number 21218.

The actual holder of that license was Fernandez Jr.’s deceased father, who passed away in 2018. News10 provided evidence that Fernandez Jr. renewed his dead dad’s license and changed all of the details in the system so the credentials were delivered to him.

He then found work with private engineering firms conducting building inspections for the government, signing off on numerous reports, including for a nine-story building.

Firms he worked for included JEM Inspections and Engineering, NV5, Winmar Construction, and E&K Engineering, although NV5 told News10 that his employment was brief.

The Florida Board of Professional Engineers took notice of the fraud, and has now filed a 724-count administrative complaint, one for each fake report he allegedly filed. With the board seeking fines of $5,000 per violation, that could add up to a whopping $3.6 million penalty.

Law enforcement officials are also investigating; however, the state investigator said a detective told her, “He forged a dead man’s signature and used a dead person’s seal. So it makes it more complicated criminally, because there’s no victim.”

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How to protect yourself from unscrupulous inspectors

"He’s done a job he wasn’t qualified for," a board inspector told News10 during the initial investigation.

Fernandez continues to say he’s not to blame, stating, “They have the wrong Enrique Fernandez.”

Those who are hiring these investigators will need to do their due diligence, including researching the license of the person they hire and making sure all the details match, including full names and the date the license became active.

Those who suspect something is off should report any concerns to the Board of Professional Engineers to investigate.

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Money doesn’t have to be complicated — sign up for the free Moneywise newsletter for actionable finance tips and news you can use. Join now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

When Cody Bunch was in high school, he created a scrapbook of his dreams and his goals. Moving to Miami Beach was on that list.

"There’s Miami, there’s Miami Beach," Bunch told CBS News, pointing to pictures in his scrapbook. "I live right behind that now."

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Bunch achieved his dream of living in South Florida in 2021. But just a few short years later, he’s packing up and heading to Atlanta instead. It seems surprising to leave a place he had dreamed of for most of his life, but Bunch has his reasons — and he’s not alone in leaving the Sunshine State.

Here’s why more residents are packing their bags and saying goodbye to South Florida for good.

High prices and limited career opportunities

Although Florida’s population growth surged in recent years, new data shows a shift. In 2023, about 511,00 people left the Sunshine State, while just 637,000 moved in — nearly half the number that arrived the year before. The American Prospect called it "the largest drop in net migration in a decade."

Young people like Bunch are leading the exodus, departing not just from Miami-Dade but from surrounding counties such as Broward and Palm Beach, as well as from other major metro areas like Tampa.

About 25% of those leaving Florida are between the ages of 20 and 29. Those moving in are older, wealthier and affected by the sluggish job market and soaring housing costs, driving Bunch and others away.

"Younger residents, particularly those aged 20-29, are leaving in significant numbers," said the latest migration report from the Florida Chamber of Commerce. "Factors cited include the high cost of housing and perceived limited in-state job opportunities for early-career professionals."

Both of those factors pushed Bunch to give up his dream of life in Miami.

"The salaries don’t add up to the cost of living here," Bunch said. "Overall, the cost of everything is so much more expensive than it was four years ago."

He’s not wrong. While Florida’s unemployment rate in March 2025 was 3.1% — lower than the national average of 4.2% — the quality of job opportunities is another story. The median annual salary in Florida was $52,400 in 2024, compared with the national median of $59,400, according to ADP Pay Insights. Meanwhile, the cost of living in Miami is 19% higher than the national average, according to Payscale.

High housing costs are another major issue. Redfin data shows Miami home prices surged from a median of $390,000 in January 2021 to $632,500 in January 2025. Miami is now ranked the second least affordable metro area for renters. Bunch said he’s moving into a beautiful Atlanta apartment — complete with a coworking space, pool, and city view for $1,500 less than what he’s paying for a Miami studio apartment.

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What to look for when relocating

Bunch is heading for Georgia, a popular destination for ex-Floridians. But before relocating, it’s important to research your destination carefully. Anyone who is considering a move to a new city should look into:

• Housing costs, including the median rent and home prices
• The overall cost of living
• The local job market
• Typical salaries for the area
• The unemployment rate
• The demographics — is the area growing and attracting younger residents, or is it aging?
• Quality-of-life amenities like restaurants, museums, parks and entertainment

Plenty of online resources can help, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics for wages and unemployment data, and Redfin for housing market trends. You can also use job boards to explore employment options and rental sites to gauge how far your money will go.

Finally, consider visiting sites like Reddit and City-Data to connect with current residents and get an unfiltered view of daily life in your potential new hometown.

By doing your homework, you may find a city where dreams become reality — and unlike Bunch, you might just decide to stay and put down roots.

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Money doesn’t have to be complicated — sign up for the free Moneywise newsletter for actionable finance tips and news you can use. Join now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

When you are separated or getting divorced, the last thing you probably want is to continue living with your estranged wife.

If you owned your home before marriage and don’t believe it qualifies as marital property, you might be tempted to kick her out so the home can be yours alone again.

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However, simply changing the locks or trying to evict your spouse is not a good idea. Doing so could have legal consequences, so you should take the time to understand the law — and ideally consult a lawyer — before taking any action you might regret.

Here’s what you need to know about how the law treats your home during separation or divorce so you can make informed decisions.

How does the law treat your home during a separation or divorce?

The first step in this difficult situation is to determine whether your home isn’t marital property.

Assets brought into the marriage — such as a home — are generally considered separate property by default, meaning they are not divided in a divorce. This holds true whether your state follows community property rules (which divide assets equally) or equitable distribution rules (which divide property fairly, though not necessarily 50/50).

However, complications arise if the asset is co-mingled. If your spouse contributed to mortgage payments, helped with renovations, or invested "sweat equity" in the home, it may have been converted into marital property. In such cases, she could have a legal claim to it.

To protect your exclusive interest in the home, you’ll need to demonstrate that you kept it separate. An experienced attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to support your case.

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Can you remove your spouse if your house is separate property?

Even if your home is clearly separate property, you cannot simply lock your spouse out.

Since you were living there together, the house remains your wife’s legal residence until a court formally determines ownership and issues an order requiring her to leave.

Additionally, if your spouse has not worked in years, the court may require you to provide financial support — potentially including her attorney’s fees, temporary or permanent alimony and other assistance. This is especially true if she contributed to your career or left her career to care for your children.

In this situation, negotiating with your spouse is often the best approach, as litigation can become expensive. However, if she’s unreasonable, court intervention may be necessary.

You don’t necessarily need to file for divorce to seek legal resolution on living arrangements — you can request a legal separation agreement if you are uncertain about ending your marriage.

Regardless of your next steps, you must follow the proper legal process. Attempting to remove your spouse without legal authority could lead to police involvement and damage your standing in court, potentially jeopardizing your ability to get a fair divorce settlement that fully protects your interests.

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Money doesn’t have to be complicated — sign up for the free Moneywise newsletter for actionable finance tips and news you can use. Join now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.