Bradford Botes

At Bond & Botes, we know that Christmas is supposed to be a wonderful time for family members to come together, spend quality time with one another, and reflect on the long year that’s coming to an end. Unfortunately, not everyone can take part in these festivities. With spending quality time with family comes exchanging gifts (which can be expensive) and cooking a large meal (which can be just as expensive as the gifts). If you fall into this category, you are not alone. Thankfully, churches and other local organizations realize the financial struggles and hardships that can come with…Read   More

At Bond & Botes, we know that Christmas is supposed to be a wonderful time for family members to come together, spend quality time with one another, and reflect on the long year that’s coming to an end. Unfortunately, not everyone can take part in these festivities. With spending quality time with family comes exchanging gifts (which can be expensive) and cooking a large meal (which can be just as expensive as the gifts). If you fall into this category, you are not alone. Thankfully, churches and other local organizations realize the financial struggles and hardships that can come with…Read   More

At Bond & Botes, we know that Christmas is supposed to be a wonderful time for family members to come together, spend quality time with one another, and reflect on the long year that’s coming to an end. Unfortunately, not everyone can take part in these festivities. With spending quality time with family comes exchanging gifts (which can be expensive) and cooking a large meal (which can be just as expensive as the gifts). If you fall into this category, you are not alone. Thankfully, churches and other local organizations realize the financial struggles and hardships that can come with…Read   More

It is almost 7:00 PM and I am still in my office.  Today has been a busy today and it doesn’t look likes things will let up tomorrow.  I have a lot of work to do and seemingly not enough time to get it all done.  Challenges exist both at work and at home. But it is late in the day when I normally get the most done.  Probably because it is quiet and I am able to reflect upon the big picture rather than deal with the ongoing issues that demand immediate attention throughout the day. So on this…Read   More

The attorneys at Bond & Botes, P.C. are proud to announce the winner of our 2018 Financial Hardship Scholarship: Marshall Stein. This fall, Mr. Stein is attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to pursue a B.S. degree in Nursing. The $2,000 Bond & Botes scholarship will help cover some of his tuition costs for the school year. About Marshall Stein Life is not without hardships, but seeing young students overcome their struggles makes the future a little bit brighter. Marshall always had one goal in mind no matter what: get a college education. Marshall’s parents vowed to help fund…Read   More

Usury involves the practice of making high interest loans which take advantage of the borrower. They are unfair loans that unjustly enrich the lender. Throughout history, these type loans have been deemed to be unethical or immoral. The Bible itself condemns taking interest from the poor. Exodus 22:25 History of Usurious Loans In the early days of our nation, usurious loans were illegal. Most states had laws that set a limit on interest at 6%. But in the early 1900s, a move towards “deregulation” caused many states to weaken or do away all together with usury laws. By the middle…Read   More

 Over the past 12 years, the amount of debt carried by the average undergrad has doubled. In 2005, the average median student debt upon graduation ranged from $11,750 to $27,757, depending on the school and state. A student graduating in 2018 is face with over $37,000 in loans, nearly twice the amount of a student in 2005. In addition, the average student loan payment has increased from $227 to $393. The following Acts have directly affected student loan lending rates and the amounts being borrowed: February 8, 2006 – HERA: The Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 President George Bush…Read   More

Having now practiced bankruptcy law for over thirty years, I find that I am often the “old guy” amongst gatherings of bankruptcy practitioners. It is sometimes hard to figure out how this happened so quickly. It seems like such a short time ago that I was getting started in the legal field. I remember clearly the early days of practice when virtually everything I did was new to me. When Mark Bond and I started our practice, we first had to lease space, hire help and determine how we were going to pay the bills. I now find myself on…Read   More

Many of our bankruptcy clients own homes or condominiums in developments where they have an obligation to pay Homeowner’s Association dues (HOA dues). HOA dues are essentially a commitment that runs with the property to share the costs of common, or mutual, expenses. These expenses may include costs for maintaining sidewalks, landscaping, community pools or other amenities shared by all owners in the community. If the HOA dues are not paid, neighborhood covenants (rules that are tied to the property) will often allow for a lien to be recorded against the delinquent homeowner’s property. When the property is sold or…Read   More

Thank you for your interest, but the offices of Bond & Botes, P.C. are no longer accepting applications for the 2018 Financial Hardship Scholarship at this time. Did you know that the average student loan debt amount is over $37,000? To cover this increasingly expensive amount, you’ll will likely need some sort of financial aid. Each year, many new graduates leave college excited to begin their journey in the workforce or to continue their education at the Master’s level. Too often, though, these young people begin their working lives saddled with suffocating amounts of education debt. Some graduates even leave…Read   More