On June 29, 2020, Governor Reynolds signed into law House File 2641, which included several changes to Iowa’s sales and use tax laws. Computer Peripherals Last year, the Iowa Legislature created a computer exemption task force to revisit Iowa’s computer exemption found at Iowa Code § 423.3(47). I have previously written about this exemption here. Generally speaking, the computer exemption exempts from sales tax computers purchased and used by a commercial enterprises, financial institutions,…

In early 2020, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that contractors who have a mechanics’ lien on a residential property cannot recover attorneys’ fees from the sale of the homestead. We explained in a prior blog about how that Supreme Court decision severely limited a contractor’s effective remedies under the mechanics’ lien statute. In our blog, we also noted that the ruling made clear that in the future, the legislature could address the issues with recovering…

Over the past eight weeks, serving your legal needs while working remotely to maintain the health and safety of our clients and employees has been our firm’s main focus during COVID-19. As of June 1st, Dickinson Law will begin a phased approach to reopening our offices, with a portion of our attorneys and administrative staff resuming work at our headquarters in downtown Des Moines. This approach is consistent with current governmental recommendations and allows us…

By now, all financial institutions should be aware that state and federal agencies are urging cooperation and flexibility with borrowers (residential and commercial) affected in some way by COVID-19. For instance, see the March 22nd Proclamation and the March 22nd Federal Guidance. A new law, enacted on March 12, 2020, makes it even easier for financial institutions to record modifications to loans secured by mortgages on real estate. Historically, in order to record a…

Currently, Iowa clerks of court have been directed to reject filings of actions for foreclosure. In her March 22, 2020 Proclamation, Governor Reynolds “suspend[ed] the regulatory provisions of Iowa Code chapters 646, 654, 655A, and 656 allowing for the commencement of foreclosure proceedings, or the prosecution of ongoing foreclosure proceedings, on residential, commercial, and agricultural real property located in the state of Iowa.” Governor Reynolds further directed the Iowa Division of Banking and the…

Business owners are in a tough position during the COVID-19 pandemic. They must look to their bottom line at a time when little revenue is being generated, while at the same time take into consideration what’s best for the health and safety of their employees and customers alike. Join Dickinson Law Business & Real Estate Attorney Jeff Baxter and Labor & Employment Attorney Melissa Schilling on Wednesday, April 8th at 10:00 a.m. for a webinar. They’ll…

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iowa Supreme Court’s opinion released on March 27, 2020 in Blue Grass Savings Bank v. Community Bank & Trust Company has the potential to disrupt the lending industry for years. In what started as a simple foreclosure of a mortgage by a lender, where the borrower took a default judgment, the Iowa Supreme Court ultimately provided a ruling on Iowa Code § 654.12A that should make senior…