Tales from the Reference Desk

Have you ever been talking to someone and they say, "don't tell any one but..." and then they go on to tell you all the nasty things they've been doing over the last 6 months?!  I mention this only because the other day I was fed a couple of stories that were just like that.

So, don't tell anyone but this Lady came into the library the other day.  Seems Lady was head and majority shareholder of a close corporation.  Seems Lady had recently received (and accepted) a buy-out offer for her shares at a premium price to an outsider.  Seems, in doing so, Lady had breached the agreement made with the minority shareholders and was now scrambling to get away before she had to fess up and wanted to know resources she could use to help get her what she wanted (to keep her money).  Despite the fact that she knew she was doomed before she started, I suggested she take a gander at

• Fletcher's Cyclopedia Corporations (West)
• Law of Corporate Officers and Directors (West)

Another one, you say?  Well, really, I shouldn't but (and don't tell anyone but) there was the couple who came in the library who's Uncle had just passed on to greener pastures.  Seems Uncle had stashed a large cache of cash literally under his mattress.  Seems Couple was first on the scene and "strange" but when other family members arrived, no cache of cash was to be found.  Notwithstanding the fact that Uncle had "allegedly" drafted a holographic will leaving the bulk of his estate to his niece, Couple was at my library to find ways to secure their "right" to all the money.  Staggered by their bravado, I was able to maintain composure and suggest Couple take a look at

• California Probate Practice (Lexis)
• Uniform Probate Code and Uniform Trust Code in a nutshell (West)
• California Trust and Probate Litigation (CEB)

Yep, everyone has a story and some are wilder than others.  Regardless of what you have to say, know that your local county law library is not so much concerned about what you do to others as we are that you do something to secure your "rights."  So, head on over to your local county law library to see what we can do for you.