Thomas J. Thorson
Attorney at Law
Practice Areas
The areas listed below comprise most of what I focus on at the present time. If you have a question or need legal assistance in any other area, though, please feel free to contact me. I should be able to help you or at the very least aponit you in the right direction.
Real Estate Closings
Whether you are selling your fourth home or purchasing your first, I am with you every step of the way. I will thoroughly go over every asoect of the contract with you and negotiate changes with the other party's attorney. You don't want to move forward with such an important transaction unless and until you are completely comfortable with its terms.
For sellers, I will work with your Condo Association to provide all of the necessary documentation (if applicable), order the title commitment and survey and resolve any issues they may raise, get a payoff letter from your lender, prepare all of the closing documents and attend the closing. We can even arrange it so that you do not need to be at the closing yourself.
For buyers, I will go over your inspection report with you and negotiate any repairs or credits, track the progress of your loan and make sure you comply with any contractual deadlines, and explain in simple terms the endless paperwork that you must sign at closing. Most importantly, I will always be available to answer those nagging questions that threaten to cause panic.
For most residential closings, payment of my fee is contingenct upon a successful closing. If you don't close on your home, you don't pay me.
Property Tax Appeals
In addition to my own individual practice, I am Associate Counsel for the law firm of Raila & Associates, P.C., which assists and represents taxpayers of all kinds with real estate tax appeals for residential property appeals (single family and 1-6 unit buildings), commercial property appeals (7+ unit rental properties, businesses, industrial and retail property, farms and vacant land), and those related to condominiums, townhomes and cooperatives. We represent clients at the Assessor's Office, before the Board of Review and the Property Tax Appeal Board.
Wills
Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy; everyone should have a will. Through your will, you can designate how your assets are divided upon your death, appoint an executor to handle your estate and even express preferences for burial, cremation or donation to science.
We start with a simple questionnaire to get you thinking about the issues important to you, then move to putting it into a formal document when you are ready. Along with the will, for no additional charge, I will prepare a Living Will and Powers of Attorney for Property and Health Care, which appoint someone you trust to make financial and health care decisions in the event you are unable to do so.
Business
If you are just starting out, we can go over the advantages and disadvantages of doing business as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or limited liability company, then form your company. Following your direction, I will draft your Bylaws, Partnership Agreement or Operating Agreement, along wtih any other required documentation such as minutes and resolutions electing officers.
If you are already up and running but have questions about your business or wish to make changes to it, I am more than happy to assist you.
Contracts
I've been drafting and reviewing contracts of varying complexity my entire legal career, from simple single-page agreements to 500-page documents connected to deals worth hundreds of milliions of dollars. While I prefer straightforward language, I am an expert at using "legalese" when necessary.
Many clients rely on verbal understandings or come to me after a contract is signed, when it may be too late to change it. It is important that I get involved early on for any transaction.
Referrals
One of the advantages of having been around for a long time is the connections I've made through the years. If you don't see the type of issue you need addressed listed here, it's still possible that I can help you. If not, however, I will almost certainly be able to refer you to an outstanding attorney who can meet your needs.