Monthly Archives: March 2012

SCAM ALERT – Property Notices

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According to the CANHR Advocate, homeowners throughout California have been receiving notices from their “Local Records Office.” These notices are being sent from an organization called Norwalk, which is including the legally required statements on the notice, but the notices are set up to look like official government documents.

Some homeowners have been confused by the notice and have mailed $89, erroneously believing that they were paying a bill to the county recorder.  Others have sent in the $89 payment because they wanted to obtain the offered copy of their deed and a property profile.

You can obtain a copy of your deed from your county recorder. Some counties now allow you to order copies on-line or by telephone for a very minimal cost. You can obtain a property profile from a number of different websites for free. I often look up properties using Zillow to get an idea of the estimated property value and current tax assessment.

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

Standard Admission Agreement for California Nursing Homes

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On or before April 6, 2012 the California Department of Public Health will require  all nursing homes to use a State issued Standard Admission Agreement (SAA). This means that all skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities will use the same standard agreement and attachments to the agreement, which will replace admissions contracts or agreements written by individual nursing home operators . The SAA defines the rights and obligations of each party to the agreement.

The SAA and attachments are available at California Department of Public Health Website. The form number for the  SAA and its attachments  is CDPH 327. The form and its attachments contain a lot of useful consumer information, including the contact information for the Ombudsman program and lists of the supplies and services that are covered by Medi-Cal and Medicare. The final attachment is The Resident Bill of Rights,  created by the State of California Department of Public Health.  The Resident Bill of Rights is a compilation of law from a number of sources, which are now conveniently gathered into one document.

The rights are found in state laws and regulations under California Health and Safety Code Section 1599; Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 72527 for Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Section 73523 for Intermediate Care Facilities; and Chapter 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter IV, Part 483.10 et seq. The California Health and Safety Code is abbreviated as “HSC,” Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations is abbreviated as “22CCR,” and Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations is abbreviated as “42CFR.”

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.