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The attorneys at Bell, Davis & Pitt are committed to staying current in our respective areas of practice. We maintain this blog to serve as an additional resource for our clients and our communities. Our aim is to provide useful and thoughtful content for anyone in search of information in these areas.

Visit one of our topic-centric pages, or keep scanning for a collective of posts from all of our areas of focus. If you have ideas for posts, comments, or suggestions, please reach out to one of our authors.

Estate Planning

What is an Estate Plan?

June 16, 2021
Travis Woolen John A. Cocklereece, Jr.
Estate Planning Blog
It is a fact of life that we are all going to die. And when we die, we are gone forever. However, the property we owned remains, as do our families and friends. We cannot avoid death, but we can plan for it. All of the property we own at our death comprises our “estate.” In essence, an estate plan is a set of actions we can take during our lives in anticipation of our inevitable deaths and estates we will leave behind. 
USPTO Implement the Trademark Modernization Act

The USPTO Proposes New Rules to Implement the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020

June 1, 2021
Arthur J. DeBaugh
TMC (Trademark, Marketing & Copyright) Blog
On May 18, 2021, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice of proposed rulemaking, inviting public comment on its proposals for changes to the trademark rules of practice. The proposed rules, which are designed to implement the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020, will give businesses and brand owners new tools to clear away unused registered trademarks from the federal register and will give the USPTO the ability to move applications through the system more efficiently by:
PTC Hearing Dates Through December 2021

PTC Hearing Dates Through December 2021

April 27, 2021
John A. Cocklereece, Jr.
North Carolina Property Tax Law Monitor
The North Carolina Property Tax Commission (PTC) recently released a calendar of its hearing dates through the rest of 2021. While the PTC normally hears its appeals in the Revenue Building in Raleigh, the PTC is currently hearing all of its appeals virtually. Typically, the PTC meets once a month for 4 days during a given week. The calendar for the remainder of 2021 is available here.
Haywood County Property Values Increase by 30 Percent

Haywood County Property Values Increase by 15–30 Percent

April 20, 2021
Ryan M. Gaylord John A. Cocklereece, Jr.
North Carolina Property Tax Law Monitor
The Haywood County Tax Department has completed its reappraisal of real property, and property owners have begun to receive tax revaluation notices. The County reappraises property on a four-year schedule, so this assessment will determine your property’s taxable value until 2025—and can generally only be changed based on physical changes to the property or a successful revaluation appeal.  
Trigger of insurance coverage and allocation in North Carolina

Trigger of Coverage and Allocation in North Carolina

April 15, 2021
Alan M. Ruley Allison Buckner Parker
Insurance Recovery
Radiator Specialty Company v. Arrowood Indemnity Co., 850 S.E.2d 624, 2020 WL 7039144 (Dec. 1, 2020) (Unpublished) The North Carolina Supreme Court released a decision on December 1, 2020, in the case of Radiator Specialty Company v. Arrowood Indemnity Company that has implications for the trigger of coverage and allocation of liability among insurance policies in North Carolina. As such, the decision is important for businesses and counsel alike. A. Facts  

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