Cleveland Police Shortage and Recruitment Efforts

By Izzy Aparicio

The City of Cleveland struggles to gain and retain police officers.

In a meeting of the Cleveland City Council’s Public Safety Committee, Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones said, “It seems like we’re going from bad to worse.”

In the past, the city budgeted for 1,640 officers, but this year the budget allows for 1,350 officers, many with pay increases.

Currently, a new class of cadets is going through the process of becoming officers. However, three have already dropped out. It is unclear how many more will.

After the city extended the age range for applicants, they did see slightly more recruits, but this is not enough.

In response to this problem, in 2023, the City of Cleveland said that they would begin a recruiting campaign. So far it has not borne fruit. According to information gathered by News 5 from a city spokesperson, the City of Cleveland, in partnership with the marketing firm Little Jacket, was supposed to create a campaign. However, it is unclear what stage they are at in this process.

This drop in police officers has put a strain on city officials as they worry about what may happen, but it does not look like anything will change soon.

Vote to Fight Voter Suppression Efforts

An Editorial by Sheila Ferguson

Many African Americans are proud that their ancestors forged the Civil Rights movement. They stood up and risked life and limb to afford themselves and their descendants the right to vote. Historically, it has always been a fight against voter suppression and racial and economic discrimination. In these years of grievance politics, all Americans must be vigilant about local and national efforts to rob citizens of their fundamental rights and access to the ballot box.

Over four hundred anti-voter bills have recently been introduced in forty-eight states. These bills have sought to create unnecessary roadblocks for people to register to vote. Democracy is all about participation and allowing the voices of the American people as eligible voters to be heard. Vote to impact your community and the nation positively. Vote because many social issues are affected by elections, including (but not limited to) gay marriage, reproductive rights, health care, sports participation, gender-affirming care, environmental issues, public education, etc. Social issues affect everyone in one way or another.

According to scholar and griot [i.e., historian or storyteller] Dr. Russell Booker of America’s Black Holocaust Museum (in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), America has a long history of threats and intimidation against Blacks and poor White southern voters from the Jim Crow era until now. Booker notes that the historical voter suppression tactics included:

Literacy tests proving the ability to read
Property test indicating that only property owners could vote
A grandfather clause which stated that people who could not read or did not own property could vote if their grandfathers voted before 1867
All white primary elections strategy where Republicans ran first against Republicans and Democrats against Democrats, ending with the Republican winner running against the Democratic winner—Note: Blacks were not allowed to vote Democrat
Locally purging the names of Black voters from the official lists of voters
Not allowing former prisoners to vote
Demands for government IDs like driver’s licenses, special photo IDs, birth certificates, and
Denying the homeless the ability to vote.

Today’s modern voter suppression tactics being implemented across the nation are much the same, and include:

Felony Disenfranchisement blocks those with incarceration histories
Redistricting and Gerrymandering
Voter Purges, and
Voter ID Laws.

Today the fundamental aim of voter suppression across the U.S. is to ensure that chosen GOP candidates win reelection, no matter what the voters say. Looking at recent Ohio history dating back to 2018, there have been a series of efforts to make voter suppression into law. In a 5-4 ruling in 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court gave Ohio a victory in a fight over the state’s method for removing people from the voter rolls. Nationally, this is a practice that civil rights groups say discourages and negatively impacts minority turnout.

In 2021, like other anti-voting bills introduced across the U.S. by the GOP, Ohio’s House Bill 294 severely restricted access to ballot drop boxes and absentee voting. The Ohio House Bill sought to limit the number of drop boxes to just one location per county, and that location can have up to three drop boxes. It would also allow drop boxes to be used only in the ten days leading up to Election Day, a considerable decrease from last year when Ohio voters had 30 days to return their ballot via drop box. Those boxes would also only be allowed outside the county Board of Elections offices, hindering voters who do not live near the offices and do not have easy access to transportation. Such voters would have to find other ways to return their ballots.

In addition to the drop box changes, the bill imposed new restrictions on voter registrations and absentee voting, including limiting what kind of mail-in ballots can be “cured”—the process of fixing small mistakes voters made on their ballots so that the votes can count. HB 294 would also move the absentee ballot request deadline up seven days and eliminate in-person absentee voting on the Monday before Election Day. Additionally, the bill would cut early voting hours, require two forms of voter ID, and limit the existing ability of the Ohio secretary of state to prepay postage on election mail. Like similar bills across the country, HB 294 aimed to disproportionately affect Black and Brown voters, students, low-income residents, disabled people, active-duty military, and seniors.

In 2023, an Ohio House Bill (HB 458) was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on Jan. 6. HB 458 was designed to enact a strict photo ID requirement and limit mail-in and in-person early voting. It is the first significant voter suppression law enacted after the 2022 midterms.

In these challenging times, the range of voter suppression efforts demands that responsible citizens vote. Voting is a response to the present-day efforts to take away rights concerning reproductive health, sports participation rights for transgender kids, and access to the factual elements of American history. Stand up and be counted, and do not al

Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

By Greg Moore

The passage of Ohio Issue 2 on the November 7th ballot goes well beyond the provisions that would legalize adult-use cannabis or marijuana. The Act to Control and Regulate Adult Use Cannabis measure would enact a statutory change to the Ohio Revised Code regarding the adult use of cannabis, but would also establish a new state agency and regulations to “authorize and regulate the cultivation, processing, sale, purchase, possession, home grow, and use of adult-use cannabis by adults at least twenty-one years of age.”

The passage of Issue 2 would create a new Chapter 3780 of the Ohio Revised Code that would permit adults 21 years of age or older to possess 2.5 ounces of cannabis or fifteen grams of concentrates or extracts. The proposed law would also legalize and regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products to adults over twenty-one and legalize cannabis home growing for adults ages 21 and up with a limit of six plants per person and 12 plants per household.

The campaign effort to Vote Yes on Issue 2 is being led by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMA). According to the CRMA’s spokesperson, Tom Haren, the passage of Issue 2 would “fix a broken system while ensuring local control and keeping marijuana out of the hands of children.” The CRMA coalition successfully led a statewide petition drive that garnered 127,772 signatures from Ohio voters, enough to be certified by the Ohio Ballot Board to qualify for the November ballot.

According to the CRMA, other stated benefits of the new law would:

Reduce illegal marijuana sales.
Provide for safer and regulated cannabis products.
Limit transportation of out-of-state cannabis in the state; and
Provide funding and social equity opportunities in the state to support communities that have been impacted by the effects of the illegal marijuana drug trade.

To facilitate the regulation of the new law, Issue 2 would establish a new state agency called the Division of Cannabis Control within the already existing Ohio Department of Commerce. According to the statutory provisions, the new agency would “have the authority to license, regulate, investigate, and penalize adult-use cannabis operators, testing laboratories, and individuals required to be licensed.” The new law would be an expansion of the existing laws that regulate the current medical marijuana industry in the state of Ohio.

An Ohio State University Drug Enforcement and Policy Center study estimated statewide revenues from the regulated sale of cannabis range from $276 to $403 million per year after five years of a fully operational cannabis market has been operational in Ohio. Revenues would be drawn from a 10% excise tax on sales and a 5.75% sales tax on all cannabis-regulated adult-use sales. The OSU Policy Center’s tax revenue estimates are based on actual revenues from twenty-one other states where regulated cannabis sales have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in new state revenue after five years or more of operations.

Opponents of Issue 2 have challenged those revenue estimates. In an Oct. 5 Spectrum News 1 televised debate between supporters and opponents of Issue #2, State Senator Mark Romanchuk, a Republican from Ontario challenged the coalition’s estimates of projected revenues. The 10% tax rate, he asserted “is a very, very low rate, especially when you consider Illinois and Washington State have a 30% rate.” The senator also noted that the current Ohio tax rate for casinos was 33%. “So, 10% is a bit of a rip-off frankly,” he stated.

Senator Romanchuk was joined in his opposition by Corinne LaMarca, representing the Protect Ohio Workers and Families organization. She recounted the death of her daughter Jennifer, a recent graduate of Notre Dame College who was killed in a car accident in 2011 by a driver who was driving while under the influence of marijuana. “I wish I could tell you what happened to my daughter was a rare event, but it is not. So many people are dying today from impaired driving from marijuana and if we keep legalizing, that number will just grow exponentially” LaMarca said.

Supporters of Vote Yes on Issue 2, Attorney Tom Haren, and State Representative Casey Weinstein, (D) from Hudson, Ohio spelled out the benefits of the new revenues from the proposed law. Weinstein argued that Issue 2 would invest millions of dollars annually into social programs that will benefit municipalities and communities that have been the most impacted by the existing marijuana laws. Specifically, they both pointed to the breakdown of how anticipated revenues would be disbursed:

36% of all tax revenues generated would create a Social Equity and Jobs Fund for the purpose of supporting social equity initiatives, jobs, and economic development programs across Ohio.
36% would be earmarked for a Host Communities Cannabis Fund for municipalities across the state where adult-use cannabis dispensaries are located.
25% would be set aside for a Substance Abuse and Addiction Fund for the research and treatment of substance abuse for individuals with cannabis and other addictions across the state of Ohio.
3% would fund the proposed Division of Cannabis Control and Tax Commissioner Fund to support the regulatory and administrative cost of overseeing the adult-use cannabis industry statewide.

On September 27, 2023, the FM3 Research Firm released the results of a poll conducted in mid-August that showed 59% of likely Ohio Voters supportive of Issue 2, with 36% opposed. If passed by a majority of voters on Election Day, the new law would take effect 30 days after passage.

Unlike Issue 1, Issue 2 is a statutory amendment to the Ohio Revised Code, rather than an amendment to the Ohio Constitution. As a statutory amendment, the Republican-led Ohio General Assembly could repeal, replace, or modify the law with additional requirements or mandates. Republican leaders in the General Assembly have not yet said what actions they would take if the Issue is to be approved by voters on Election Day, Nov. 7th.

Housing Protections for Domestic Violence Survivors

By Tonya Sams
If you are a survivor of domestic violence (DV), dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and you live in public housing, have a housing voucher, or if your housing is otherwise supported by the federal government, then the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protects your rights as a tenant.
VAWA prohibits a landlord in these public and subsidized housing programs from:
1. Refusing to rent to an applicant solely because the applicant is, or has been, a victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking;
2. Evicting a tenant who is the victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking because of threats or violent acts committed against the victim—even if the acts took place on the property, and even if they were committed by a household member or a guest; and
3. Holding a tenant who is a victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking to a higher standard than other tenants in any way (noise, damage to the rental unit, etc.).
In addition to VAWA, tenants also have protection under the Fair Housing Act’s anti-discrimination policies. Four in five victims of domestic violence are women, and women cannot be discriminated against due to their gender in housing situations. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) LGBT rule requires equal access to HUD-assisted/insured housing regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
Further, anti-discrimination protection also applies to private landlords who have FHA-insured mortgages or participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. You have rights as a survivor of abuse and can take steps to protect yourself from housing discrimination.

Questions you might be asking yourself:

I don’t feel comfortable disclosing my history as a survivor to a landlord – how can I describe my living situation?
Many survivors are not comfortable talking about their situation but under VAWA landlords must keep that information confidential. Public and subsidized housing providers must keep the information confidential unless (a) a survivor gives consent in writing to release the information, (b) the information is required for an eviction proceeding or hearing regarding termination of housing assistance, or (c) the law otherwise requires.

I had to call the police on my abuser – am I going to be evicted?
If your landlord tries to end your lease or evict you because you utilized emergency services, contact an advocate. Under VAWA, landlords, homeowners, tenants, residents, occupants, guests of, or applicants for, any housing, subsidized and private, have the right to seek law enforcement or emergency assistance on their behalf or on behalf of another person in need of assistance. You may not be penalized based on a request for assistance, based on criminal activity of which you are a victim, or where you are otherwise not at fault under a law, ordinance, regulation, or policy adopted by or enforced by a governmental entity that receives certain HUD funding.

What if I need to move before the end of my lease because of DV?
VAWA also created emergency housing transfer options in all federal housing programs. Survivors should be able to transfer to a different unit to have safer housing. Some public housing authorities and subsidized housing providers provide a preference to domestic violence survivors on their waiting lists. Survivors may be able to secure subsidized housing more quickly than if they were on the regular waiting list.

If you are facing domestic violence, you can get help by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

Do you have questions regarding domestic violence and housing? Legal Aid may be able to help! Call Legal Aid at 888-817-3777 during normal business hours or apply online 24/7 at lasclev.org/apply.

Choosing to Accept or Decline Medical Care

By Sheila Ferguson

Approximately half (45% or 133 million) of all Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, and the number is growing. Chronic diseases—including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, respiratory diseases, arthritis, obesity, and oral diseases—can lead to hospitalization, long-term disability, reduced quality of life, and death. Chronic conditions are the nation’s leading cause of death and disability. According to the U.S. Department of Health, a chronic condition “is a physical or mental health condition that lasts more than one year and causes functional restrictions or requires ongoing monitoring or treatment.” Chronic diseases are among the most prevalent and costly health conditions in the United States.

Suffering from a chronic illness forces you to learn more about the healthcare experience and your options. During an illness, you, a loved one, a caregiver, a guardian, or a power of attorney will have to make critical medical decisions. The decision-making process about healthcare should never be one-sided. Rather, it is a partnership between the patient and the healthcare provider. Thus, there must be mutual trust, respect, and honest communication between you, the patient, your representative, and the physician. The best health outcomes occur when there is open and honest communication regarding medications, procedures, treatments, and surgery.

Photo: Cottonbro Studio

It is the healthcare provider’s job to facilitate the patient’s understanding of the risks and benefits of all recommendations and medications. Patients should be aware that they can decline or refuse medications, treatments, surgeries, procedures, and even hospital admissions and stays.

In the patient-doctor partnership, you must respect and trust your doctor; and you, in turn, feel understood and respected. This means feeling comfortable enough to ask questions about the risks and benefits of all recommended treatment procedures. Either way, consumers of healthcare must understand their rights and responsibilities concerning medical care. Overall, patients need to be aware of their right to informed consent, right to informed refusal, and the impact of declining care against medical advice (AMA). They are defined as the following:

The Medical Consent & Refusal Continuum
Consent	Refusal
Informed consent is where, after every- thing has been explained, understood, and agreed upon, the patient permits to proceed with the recommended care. This is equal to the patient’s agreement with their physician.	Informed refusal is where, after everything has been explained and understood, the patient decides against the recommended medical advice. This is the lesser-known counterpart to the doctrine of informed consent. It arises when patients elect not to undergo a procedure or accept medical advice provided by their physician. Going against medical advice also falls within this category.

Overall, we should be aware that, in making an important health decision, our thoughts may be influenced by:

Financial concerns
Feelings of Depression
Fear
Misinformation
Personal values and beliefs
Desire not to be a burden to loved ones
Exhaustion from a long, painful illness and invasive medical procedures; and
The acceptance of death

In cases where you choose informed refusal, do not walk away mad. Spend time with your doctor to gain clarification of the issues at hand. Some of the most helpful hints include:

State your reasons for refusal and listen to the doctor’s recommendations to see if you can come to a shared decision.
Stand firm in your concerns and work towards clarification of the issues.
Consider the options that your physician provides.
Ask about the possible consequences of the procedure’s risks and benefits.
Agree to seek a second and third opinion
Be patient with yourself and take the time to talk with family and friends before making a final decision.

Also, take responsibility when you invoke your right to refuse treatment. Ask to complete the proper medical form that reflects your choice. These forms can be obtained from your doctor, hospital, and nursing home administrators. Once completed, they will be added to your medical record. These forms include:

1) Against Medical Advice Form. An Against Medical Advice (AMA) form is a legal document that patients can sign to authorize doctors to release them against medical advice. For example, patients who leave against medical advice are a risk to themselves and can be a potential medical-legal risk. Signing the form certifies that the patient is refusing medical treatment against the advice of their attending physician and that they understand the medical risks and benefits.

2) Document Informed Consent in the procedure note. Below is an example:

Date

Procedure Note

Mr./Ms. ______ was explained the major risks and benefits associated with ______ pro-
cedure, and I answered his/her questions. I obtained informed consent directly from the
patient in his/her language/through a professional interpreter/a nurse/staff/family member as an interpreter. The patient signed a consent form. The patient was then prepped in the
usual manner. A “time-out” check was performed. Signature

Informed Consent Template

3. A sample Informed Refusal Letter is as follows:

[Insert date here]

Dear [patient name], A review of your medical record reveals that you have not chosen to follow the recommended plan of care that I have provided for you. It is advisable for you to [insert the plan of care]. If you choose not to follow the recommended plan of care, you could experience health risks including, but not limited to [insert risk of not following the plan of care]

You and I are team members in managing your health. Therefore, you must follow my recommended plan of care. If you have any questions about what you should do, please call our office at [insert office phone number]

Sincerely, ____________

You can read more about this topic in such articles as:

An Empirical Study of Chronic Diseases in the United States: A Visual Analytics Approach to Public Health – PMC (nih.gov).

Informed Consent and Refusal | Hospital Handbook (ucsf.edu)

Relieving Bottlenecks in Patient Flow

Can You Leave the Hospital Against Medical Advice? (verywellhealth.com)

Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment During Pregnancy | ACOG

When Patients Refuse Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity: How Should Clinicians Respond? | Law and Medicine | JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA Network

Informed Refusal—What You Need to Know | Duke Health Referring Physicians

Ohio Law Increases Record Sealing/Expungements Eligibility

By Tonya Sams

In April, changes to the record sealing and expungement law went into effect in Ohio. This allows even more people to be eligible for this service than before.

The first change was clarifying the true definitions of ‘record sealing’ and ‘expungement’. Past criminal activity is not revealed when the court seals a record. Depending upon the nature of the job for which one is applying, most employers will not be able to see the criminal record.  Some public service entities, however, may be able to see the sealed record, such as the courts or law enforcement.

Expungement erases a criminal record. The record will be almost non-existent to most public and all private entities. Whether sealed or expunged, it is as if the conviction never happened. Other changes to the record sealing and expungement law are the expanded list of offenses that are now eligible and shortened wait times to be eligible to apply.

Not all convictions are eligible for sealing or expunging. Convictions such as sex offenses that require registration (there are some exceptions when registration is no longer required), felonies that involve violent acts, first and second-degree felonies, three or more third-degree felonies in one case, those involving domestic violence or a protection order being violated, crimes against children under the age of thirteen (does not include the failure to pay child support, which can be expunged or sealed), and traffic and OVI/DUI offenses are ineligible.

Once the court discharges a conviction, then it may seal or expunge the conviction. If one’s parole terms have been met, the term of the jail sentence was completed, and all payment of fines and fees that were a penalty of the conviction have been made, then it may result in the conviction being discharged. Once discharged there is a waiting period. The length of the waiting period depends upon the offense that was committed.

Lauren Gilbride, Managing Attorney at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, said that a common inquiry is the cost of the service. “It should not be more than fifty dollars,” said Gilbride. “The Public Defenders Office or Legal Aid can help with a waiver, if eligible.”

One may obtain assistance from an attorney or apply on one’s own for record sealing or expungement. Before applying, one should gather as much information as possible on all past and present criminal cases. This includes information on convictions, arrests, dismissals, and bills. The Clerk of Courts is a good place to start to gather this information.

After filing, one may be required to appear before the court for a hearing. When applying, there is a possibility that the prosecutor may object to one filing. Scheduling a court hearing requires preparedness to respond to the prosecutor’s objection and explain why one’s application should be approved.

For those who are not eligible for either expungement or sealing of a criminal record, there are other options, like a pardon or a Certificate of Qualification for Employment (CQE). A pardon is when the governor forgives someone for a crime and they can no longer be penalized for it. The Court of Common Pleas will give someone a CQE to help them overcome obstacles to getting employment.

To learn more about expungement and record sealing go to Expungement and Record Sealing – Office of the Public Defender (cuyahogacounty.us)

To learn more about the CQEs, visit https://lasclev.org/cqe/ and https://drc.ohio.gov/cqe. If you are eligible for a CQE, Legal Aid may be able to help. Call Legal Aid at 888-817-3777 during regular business hours or apply online 24/7 at https://lasclev.org/contact/.

Tonya Sams is the Development and Communications Assistant at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.

Legal Aid’s Upcoming Estate Planning Clinic

By Tonya Sams

Most people hope to live a long, healthy, and happy life. But what do you do when the unexpected occurs, such as injury, sickness, or even death? One way to prepare is through estate planning. An estate plan can provide peace of mind by addressing important aspects of your medical and financial life, ensuring that your loved ones have the tools they need to comply with your wishes. Here are a few areas that you may need to consider:

Advance Directives: These documents instruct healthcare providers on what to do if you are unable to communicate due to injury or illness. Examples of advance directives are the durable power of attorney for healthcare and a living will.

When creating a durable power of attorney for healthcare, you are naming a person to make decisions regarding your medical needs if you are unable to.

A living will is a document that states the medical treatment that you would like to receive in the event that you are unable to communicate, are terminally ill, or are rendered unconscious. This includes stating if you would like to have life-sustaining treatment. You can also use this document to declare if you would like to be an organ or tissue donor.

Because both the durable power of attorney for healthcare and the living will specify different areas regarding medical care, it is a good idea to have both documents.

Durable Power of Attorney: This document differs from a durable power of attorney for healthcare. A durable power of attorney (durable POA) names a person, referred to as the “attorney in fact”, to be responsible for a person’s affairs if they are unable to. This could include decisions about taxes, housing, banking, benefits, and more. The person creating the durable POA still has the power to make decisions, but the “attorney in fact” is there to assist them in carrying out those decisions.

Last Will: A will is different from a living will. While a living will addresses medical issues, a will addresses the other aspects of your life if you were to die. This would include who would get custody of your children, who would be named beneficiaries, who would inherit your property, how your assets would be distributed, and more. Without a last will, the court would make these decisions which, at times, can be a long process.

Need help with estate planning? The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland will be hosting a free Brief Advice Clinic focused on Estate Planning on April 29 from 9:30-11 a.m. at Fairhill Partners, 12200 Fairhill Road, Cleveland, OH 44120.

At the April 29 event, there will be a brief advice clinic in which attorneys and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions regarding basic wills, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, living wills/advanced directives, transfer on death paperwork, foreclosure, public benefits, consumer/debt problems, and other civil legal issues.

Cannot attend this event in April? Legal Aid hosts many other free legal advice events and you can bring your questions to any upcoming Brief Advice Clinic. Visit lasclev.org, go to the “Events” tab, then ‘Clinics” and pick a date good for you. Have other questions? Call Legal Aid at 888-817-3777 or seek help 24/7 at lasclev.org.

Tonya Sams is the Development and Communications Assistant at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.

Homestead Exemption: Code for Lower Property Tax!

Courtesy of the Ohio Department of Taxation

The homestead exemption allows low-income senior citizens and permanently disabled Ohioans to reduce their property tax bills by shielding some of the market value of their homes from taxation. The exemption, which takes the form of a credit on property tax bills, allows qualifying homeowners to exempt up to $25,000 of the market value of their homes from all local property taxes. For example, through the homestead exemption, a home with a market value of $100,000 would be billed as if it is worth $75,000.

Ohio Revised Code initially established a maximum Ohio Adjusted Gross Income (OAGI) for the applicant and the applicant’s spouse of $30,000. This maximum is to be indexed for inflation each year. OAGI can be found on line 3 of the Ohio Individual Income Tax return. With indexing, the 2022 income threshold is $34,600. The 2021 income threshold was $34,200, the 2020 income threshold was $33,600, the 2019 threshold was $32,800, the 2018 threshold was $32,200, and the 2017 income threshold was $31,800. For source and more information, including the average tax saving, please click here.

What is the Homestead Exemption for Disabled Veterans?
As U.S. Senator Charles Schumer observed, property exemptions are intended to let military veterans “afford a home and live stable civilian lives” when their service is over. A property tax exemption protects a portion of a home’s value from taxation. In Ohio, for disabled veterans, the homestead exemption protects the first $50,000 of a home’s value from taxation.

For example, if a qualifying veteran owned a home that was valued at $125,000, the application of the full homestead exemption would mean that the house would be taxed as if it were worth $75,000: the value of the house minus the $50,000 exemption. For source and more information, including the average tax saving, please click here.

Legal Aid Helps With Federal Tax Issues

By Tonya Sams

If you are having tax issues, you don’t have to navigate it alone—Legal Aid is here to help! Legal Aid’s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) is a free legal service that helps to resolve taxpayer disputes with the IRS regarding federal income tax matters.

Legal Aid attorneys can help taxpayers avoid going to court because of unresolved tax issues in a number of ways, including negotiating with the IRS to accept less to settle a debt than the full amount owed, and lowering or eliminating taxable income from debts that were forgiven from banks and credit card companies.

Legal Aid attorneys can also help prevent the IRS from taking property, wages, and social security benefits, help with identity theft and tax preparer fraud, help obtain income tax records, protect against spousal abuses in connection with tax returns, advise taxpayers on their rights and obligations regarding the health care marketplace, and more.

Legal Aid was able to help Joel (name changed to protect privacy) with his tax issues. Joel received a letter from the IRS saying he owed a significant amount. Joel lives with his long-time girlfriend and her three young grandchildren and claimed all of them as dependents on his taxes, but the IRS letter informed him that this was against the rules because he was not related to them and did not have custody.

Joel was referred to Legal Aid. With Legal Aid’s help, Joel was able to demonstrate his eligibility for the child tax credits, avoid trial, and negotiate a settlement with the IRS.

If you need help resolving a tax issue, call Legal Aid at 888-817-3777 or seek help 24/7 at lasclev.org.

Free resources are available to help Northeast Ohio residents with tax preparation. Contact 2-1-1 or find resources at lasclev.org/taxhelp.

Legal Aid Helps with Rental Housing Questions

By Tonya Sams

There are a number of questions that may come up when you are a tenant of a rental property. Renters may feel that they have very few rights because they do not own the property that they dwell in. If tenants are unaware of their rights, they can be taken advantage of by their landlords. Legal Aid can help answer your questions regarding these rights.

Tenants can call Legal Aid’s Tenant Information Line at 216-861-5955 and leave a message. A housing specialist will call back during normal business hours, within 1- 2 business days. Legal Aid housing specialists can answer several tenant questions such as:

Am I allowed to break my lease?
My landlord needs to make repairs. How can I get them to do this?
What can I do to get my security deposit back?
Do I have to keep paying rent if my landlord is not paying the utilities that they are responsible for?
Do I need to move if I received a 3-day notice?
How much can my landlord charge for late fees?

Legal Aid’s Tenant Information Line is for information only. Callers will get answers to their questions and will also receive information about their rights. Some callers may be referred to other organizations for additional help. Callers who need legal assistance may be referred to Legal Aid’s intake or a neighborhood Brief Advice Clinic. For a list of upcoming free Brief Advice Clinic dates and locations, visit lasclev.org/events. For more information about Legal Aid’s Tenant Info Line, visit lasclev.org/tenantinfoline.

Tonya Sams is the Development and Communications Assistant for The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.