PMCW Law

Halloween at the Lake of the Ozarks! The leaves have turned and we are at the traditional holiday that straddles the line between fall and winter.  Halloween may have originated with the Celtic festival of Samhain.  People would build bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts.  November 1st was designated by Pope Gregory III in the 8th Century "All Saints Day" to honor all saints and martyrs.  The evening before became known as "All Hallows Eve" and eventually "Halloween".  It is now a secular, community-based event revolving around children and trick or treating. Some fun facts about Halloween Because the movie Halloween(1978) was on such a tight budget, they had to use the cheapest mask they could find for the character Michael Meyers, which turned out to be a William Shatner Star Trekmask. Shatner initially didn’t know the mask was in his likeness, but when he found out years later, he said he was honored Halloween is the secon...

Small Claims Court may be an option for claims up to $5000 Small claims proceedings are more informal in nature, and are designed to allow small matters seeking the payment of money to be heard without the assistance of counsel, though you can hire a lawyer to represent you or your company.   You can only sue for money that you are owed, and your claim is limited to $5,000.00.   You are limited to filing 12 small claims cases in a calendar year.   If you are successful with your claim, the Court does not pay you any money.   It is still your responsibility to collect the judgment from the Defendant.      The chance to tell your story and present evidence A small claims proceeding is overseen by an Associate Circuit Judge, who will give the parties a chance to tell their side of the story and present any evidence they have.   Afterwards, the Judge will make a ruling.   A party unhappy with the court’s ruling may request a “tri...

Aquamaids at the Lake Did you know that Attorney Matt Hamner's mother, Janie Hamner, was one of the original "Aquamaids" at the Lake of the Ozarks?  From 1964 to 1973, Aquamaids and Aqualads amused Osage Beach visitors at the Aquarama underwater show in Osage Beach.  This "underwater musical review for young and old" was established by Wally and Nola Johl at the Lake of the Ozarks after a family trip to Florida where they saw an underwater mermaid show.  They designed and built the Aquarama theater at the current location of The Happy Fisherman restaurant (closed in 2011) with 450 seats, an 85,000 gallon tank where the swimmers performed, and twelve 50 foot wide glass windows to view the show. Photo courtesy of www.vintageroadtrip.blogspot.com - Janie Hamner is the last standing Aquamaid on the right Janie Hamner was an Aquamaid from 1964 - 1969 and helped organize a 50 year reunion gathering over this summer in Osage Beach.  The reunion brought togeth...

Mechanic's Lien explained Mechanic’s liens are powerful tools for material suppliers and contractors to ensure payment on materials and work that they provide for the improvement of real property. A Mechanic’s Lien allows an unpaid laborer to potentially sell any real property that he or she has improved in order to pay an outstanding bill for work. Mechanic’s liens, however, are complicated to properly obtain and you should contact an attorney even before you go out to work a job. In order to get a mechanic’s lien in Missouri , you must provide proper notice to the owner of the property at a designated time and the failure to do so can prohibit you from getting a lien. Is there a time limit to file for a Mechanic's Lien? You only have six months from the date of your last significant work on the property to file a lien with the Circuit Clerk. If you do not file within this six month period, you waive your right to seek a lien. Along with your lien statement, y...