A couple of days ago, an old friend e-mailed me asking if I still maintained my law license, and if so if I would help him and the grandfather of another friend with a contract house purchase. The only complication is that the seller is living in the Philippines, and I figured that was resolvable by a Power of Attorney to the granddaughter. Half an hour later I had e-mail from the seller saying he liked my attitude, and we were off.
Except this guy doesn’t live in Manila, where the American Embassy is. So now I’m researching how to get an acceptable verification of signature without an American notary, because he’d have to fly to get to Manila, and there isn’t a branch consular office. That’s led to researching the Hague Conventions, which regulate the details of business agreements among signatory countries sort of like the Uniform Commercial Code works (mostly) between states. I’m also juggling property tax issues and a couple of things related to the condition of the house, which has turned out to be a fixer-upper in spades. (It’s been vacant for a couple of years.)
It was supposed to be quick and simple. It isn’t. It is interesting, though, which is good. And the guy who gets the bill is one who has never caviled at paying me, which is also good. I’ll see where it goes, but meantime, this is kind of fun.