Summer is a great time to add a new deck to your outdoor living space. And large or small, attached to the house or standing alone, it's a sure bet that before you starting cutting lumber and laying deck boards, you'll need to do some excavating to get the site ready.

Underground locates: No matter how minor the excavation work ...

Q: Three years ago, I signed an assumption deed to my brother because I was getting married and would be living in another state.

Earlier this year, my nephew talked my brother into signing a quitclaim deed to him. Our nephew knew that there is a lien on the house and that the house was still in my name. The following week,...

Q: When my lease was up last week, I began talking with the landlord about renewing, and what the new rent would be. She surprised me by setting a high figure, so I'm not going to renew and plan to leave next week. Now she says I owe her two months' rent, because my lease had a clause in it that says if I "hold over" after the lease ends, she can collect two months'...

Q: My foundation is cracked and the garage and steps are shrinking. My insurance company says it will not cover this kind of problem. The house was built in 1992, and I purchased it in 2000. I have been told that the foundation was cracked at that time and the sellers never disclosed this.

Do I have any...