As Benjamin Franklin once said, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” While banks cannot help with taxes, they certainly play a role in the handling of financial assets after a customer passes. The death of a customer presents a unique set of challenges for banks. Community banks...

Previous readers of Gislason & Hunter’s Financial Newsletter may recall discussion of a recent case decided by the Minnesota Court of Appeals regarding considerations to make in determining whether a grain bin is a fixture (and thus part of the real estate that can be pledged through a mortgage) or is personal property (and thus...

Attraction and retention of a talented workforce is a common priority and, oftentimes, a challenge in today’s employment environment. Similarly, employers may look for ways to help ensure that when they devote time and resources to training employees, those employees do not subsequently begin working for a direct competitor of the employer. One common tool...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented change to what “business as usual” looks like across America. The banking industry is certainly no exception, and many common questions have arisen regarding what the coming months will look like in the industry. On March 27, 2020, Gislason & Hunter held a free webinar to offer insight...

When times are good, the farmer-lender relationship usually is positive or perhaps even an afterthought for most farmers.  However, when times are tough, the relationship can quickly become strained, especially when there are misunderstandings about the legal obligations owed under the terms of the farmer’s loan.  This article provides information to help avoid some of...

A “lien” is a type of property right that allows a person (the “lienholder”) to take possession of certain property belonging to a debtor if an underlying debt is not paid.  Some liens, such as mortgages and security interests, are voluntary and are created by contracts.  Other liens are involuntary and are created by operation...

As commerce is becoming more and more dependent upon technology, many companies are considering ways to move from paper-based transactions to transactions conducted solely by electronic means. If you operate or do business with such a company, one important thing to be aware of is the law surrounding the validity of electronic signatures. Electronic signatures...