Merry A Kogut

Hello! I enjoy helping people across Washington with Small Claims Court, Homeowner Associations, some estate planning, & some guidance, advice, and writing demand letters. I also help with administrative agencies, residential contractors, frauds, scams, consumer protection, landlord/tenant and etc--but I no longer handle lawsuits. I've been a licensed Washington State attorney since October, 1986 - Read about me here: https://www.keypeninsulalaw.com/

I usually recommend practical approaches to resolving problems; legal means, in my opinion, should always be the last resort.

To make a phone appointment, please email me here: KeyPenLaw@gmail.com or use the form on my website. Please, do not "cold-call" my phone without a prior appointment. Please do not text my phone.

Thank you! I look forward to helping you soon.

Washington State Bar  # 16153

Member

1986 - Current

Washington

Washington State Bar Association

ID Number: 16153

Since 1986

• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  My fees are either flat or hourly, depending on the nature of the work. I often provide a free twenty (20) minute phone consultation to see if your matter is something I want to handle, and to see if you think I'm the right attorney for you. I do not start work before we sign an engagement letter, and I will almost always requst a retainer in advance (the retainer will be put into my trust account and remain your money until my work is completed and you're satisfied with my work - however, I cannot guarantee any particular results or outcome.

• General
• General Civil

Q. What can I do if my parcel from Aramex hasn't arrived and is not insured?

March 5, 2025

A: Hello - you stated you were supposed to receive a package by March 4th and haven't received the pacage by March 6th, but today is March 5th, not 6th.

There is nothing "legally" that you can do if a package is one day late but ask for a refund if you paid extra for delivery by March 4th. Some companie may give you a refund for the product if the delivery is quite late, but it's unlikely they will do so or be required to do so if the delivery is just one day late (so far).

But I'm a bit confused - I never heard of Aramex, and looked them up, and they seem to only engage in shipping - they don't seem to carry and sell shoes. Who did you actually buy the shoes from? That's who you should be contacting.

If this was a private individual, I hope you didn't get scammed. If you used a credit card, call the phone number on the back of the card immediately and ask to file a "dispute." If you used a debit card, same thing, but you have less protection.

I hope I have helped get you pointed in the right direction. This information is being provided for educational purposes only; no attorney/client relationship has been formed.

Merry A. Kogut

keypeninsulalaw.cmo ... Read More

Q. Can Grocery Outlet enforce a policy against backpacks but not purses?

March 4, 2025

A: This is not a violation of your rights. The 4th Amendment applies to government entities, not to private companies.

There are laws against discrimination (state and federal) that apply in some situations - for example, if the store rule only applied to men with daypacks, but not to women with daypacks, then your rights under Washington State law covering public accommodations may be violated - but if the rules about daypacks applies equally to men/women, there's no violation.

You could consider bring in a small bag, similar to a typical purse, and see what happens.

However, laws against discrimination don't apply automatically. A business could have a valid reason to apply a rule about daypacks to just one person - for example, if they could provide evidence that they have reason to be suspicious about just that one particular person.

I hope this is helpful. Please consider this educational information, not legal advice. No attorney/client relationship has been formed between us.

Best,

Merry ... Read More

Q. Can I use funds from a joint account with grandmother's survivor benefits?

March 4, 2025

A: If your grandmother has added you to joint bank account as a co-equal member of the account, you can use funds from the account.

HOWEVER, if it were me, I'd first get something in writing to this effect from my grandmother, witnessed and notarized, to avoid any allegations two years from now that you somehow took advantage of a vulnerable adult.

In addition, if you take any money out at any time, whether for the benefit of your grandmother or youself, I would track the following each and every time:

Date; Amount; Purpose (for example, buying your grandmother a blanket; or perhaps buying gas for your car with her permission).

There are all kinds of ways family members have taken unfair/illegal advantage of other family members, whether they are vulnerable adults or not, and it's possible that other family members could make allegations against you in the future, or some friend of your grandmother's could make such an allegation - this is the reason that careful documentation of everything is a good idea (it's a good idea to engage in prudent accounting, anyway, of course).

Best wishes,

Merry

PS You may want to obtain Power of Attorney for your grandmother for both financial matters and for medical matters, if she has no one else to care for her - this is your grandmother's choice. ... Read More