Jack Hawkins articles

Internal Image Worst Bosses

My job reduced my salary despite no decrease in my performance. Is that legal?

Can your employer cut your salary even if your performance has not dropped? This clear, engaging guide explains when a pay reduction may be legal, when it may cross the line, and what workers should do next.
April 8, 2026 Jack Hawkins
Upset young waiter sitting with headache while looking away at coffee shop

I've started working at a coffee shop. My boss wants to implement a policy where she gets the tips, then divides them up between us. Can she do that?

Started working at a coffee shop and wondering whether your boss can collect tips and divide them up? Here’s what U.S. law generally says about tip pooling, managers, owners, and the red flags employees should watch for.
April 8, 2026 Jack Hawkins

We bought a home in cash, sight unseen, for a bargain. We get here, and it needs more work than we thought. Did we just waste all our money?

They bought a bargain home in cash without seeing it first, only to find costly repairs waiting inside. Here’s how to tell whether it’s a financial disaster or a fixer-upper that can still pay off.
April 7, 2026 Jack Hawkins

We just moved into a new home and the old owner left her landline phone behind. We're getting calls for her bills in collections. What can we do?

Bought a home with an old landline and still getting debt collection calls for the previous owner? Here is how to stop the calls, protect your privacy, and reclaim your peace.
April 7, 2026 Jack Hawkins
1982 Pennies - Tn

My grandmother saved pennies all her life. She passed recently and I inherited $5,000 in pennies, but they're not legal tender. What do I do now?

Inherited $5,000 in old pennies that are no longer legal tender? Learn how to sort, value, appraise, and sell them without making costly mistakes.
April 3, 2026 Jack Hawkins

I installed wind chimes on my deck, but the HOA says they've had complaints about noise from my neighbors. Should I take them down?

HOA says your wind chimes are causing noise complaints? Learn whether you should take them down, check the rules, and handle the dispute without making deck drama worse.
April 3, 2026 Jack Hawkins

I wanted to have an in-house funeral for my father before the cemetery, but the HOA says we can't park funeral cars on the street. Can they do that?

A family wanted an in-house funeral before heading to the cemetery, but their HOA said funeral cars could not park on the street. Here is what HOAs can and cannot usually control, and how families can handle the dispute with less stress.
April 2, 2026 Jack Hawkins

I want to install solar panels on my roof. My HOA says that violates their "aesthetics" clause in my contract. Can they stop me?

Can an HOA block solar panels because of an aesthetics clause? Learn when HOA rules apply, how state solar laws protect homeowners, and what to do if your board says no.
April 2, 2026 Jack Hawkins

I heat with a woodstove and want to fell some trees to use for firewood. My HOA says I can't and that the trees belong to them. Are they serious?

Can an HOA stop you from cutting trees for firewood? Here’s what homeowners need to know about woodstoves, HOA rules, common-area trees, and when “those trees belong to us” is actually true.
April 1, 2026 Jack Hawkins