Consumer Connection; Lesson 1: Taxes/Consumer Rights & Responsibilities Lesson 2: Landlord/Tenant Dispute Lesson 3: Budgeting

If you've got a pile. Of money. You never know. You better be careful or to be gone in the. Wrong need to. Have more fun. Read. What. You thought. That's right. And that ought to take care of it. Thank you ma'am. QUESTION Have you have. It. Thank you so much. I'll see you again next year tax time. Our nice replaying to make this madness a year do you think we would wait for the last minutes of the taxpayers there excuse me. To give me a second to grab a cup of tea OK. Oh you want some. You know what I do with. The harbor just like the part of the state in 1770. Whatever. I'm going to

play in 10 years. That's it. Right or just. Dad. I'm going to tell those people at IRS that I refuse to go interrupt right. Here. Yes. On April 11 Better late than never. If you're going on text right you'll need help. So on a barbecue holiday. I have 0. 0. 0 0. I'm. Pretty good. Are you for. DRUG. Use me. That's me. Hi Christy.

Excuse me. Chris Stevens you did that's wonderful. Yes that's wonderful. Good for you. All right. Thanks for calling to let me know. OK sure. Bye. Julie Anderson won a case in small claims court. The cleaner agreed to pay for a new suede jacket. Chalk one up for the right to be heard. That's it. That's what I want to ask you about. What is that responsibility to speak out. I mean that I can tell the government what I think about their taxes and their responsibility to speak out just means that you voice your complaints or you support for those things that affect you as a consumer. Goodell organize a speak out against that. Well then the first people you should speak to are your elected representatives because they're the ones who set the tax rate. But why don't you file your taxes this year

anyway. Just in case the government is. L. O r bill. Great. Right now. OK I'm on my way. So you may give away. CHRIS Oh excuse me I'm sorry. It's 11 o'clock and I have a press conference with Sarah Larson How much do you have to go. Well I sort of promised Larsen You know I feel kind of obligated and he's doing everything he can. Sure the construct that please we are going to be swapped with taxes for the rest of the day. Well you know I like to fill out tax forms right. Well I don't have a tax problem I can but my checking account. Yes sir but there are other people waiting. If you could just wait your turn please it'll take just a few minutes. It's a small matter just a few checks I'm doing a special project on the basic structure Sanscrit allegories and I just don't have time to balance my checkbook because it takes me so long and I need all my time for research. So I want you to balance my checkbook for me

all the information. I'll just leave it here and pick it up before you close. Hall that oh that's so sorry but we don't do checkbooks but your consumer service and I'm a consumer and it says up there that I have a right to information call right. But we don't have the time or the personnel to balance your checkbook. That is something you can do for yourself. What you don't understand I'm busy I don't have time you have the responsibility. If you have a checking account you should seek information on how to take care. All the information I want is who's going to do this for me. You can take it to the bank but they'll probably charge you for charge me. Why should they balance your checkbook. Yeah. The bank is already providing the service of a checking account. They even give you a monthly statement for your information but it is your responsibility to keep track of how the money is spent and you should be very careful not to overdraw the account and in order to do that you are responsible for balancing your own checkbook. I hope you are sorry but you really should take the time to do it

yourself. It isn't that difficult and it will take just a few minutes if you keep careful records as you write the checks. I. Now Miss Simpkins. Did you bring a W-2 forms. Yes but when I just got engaged and I was wondering if I should file with my fiance if he were going to be married next week. Isn't it beautiful. Yes it is. It's just lovely. But to answer your question you can file a joint return until after you're married. So next year you and your husband can five together. I was hoping we could start doing things together in this she. Well I'm sure you'll be thrilled to biology joint return next year. Is this your first your founding Tyson. Wow my daddy usually did it for me. But this year I'm on my own and I've decided I'm going to do things for myself.

Well except for those things I can do with Arthur. He's my fiance. He's a war and I'm sure he is. Chris I'm going to show Mrs. Bergen has that tape on taxes. She wants to see where her money goes. In my opinion the government is wasting our money and I intend to do something about it. Can Miss Simpkins go along this is her first year filing. Sure. Anyone else want to see where their tax money go. Maybe we should sell fast court and take a medium with voters. And I've done it over here. It'll. You pay your bills you get the services everybody pays. Everybody gets to use the services. Same with taxes. You pay the tax you get the service your tax money

pays for this work. Everybody who travels on the street will benefit whether they live here or none. The main tax is at the national level the personal income tax. The federal government puts a tax on the yearly income of all individuals who earn money. The funds raised by the federal government pay for such things as national defense interstate highways. Yes. The post office and social programs and such are besides the federal income tax. Most states levy taxes too. They can also tax personal income. And just about all states have some kind of sales tax a sales tax is a tax to be paid by the consumer at the point of purchase. The state or local government says the right of the sales tax usually from 1 to 8 percent of the items price. The state's tax receipts are used to pay for state roads State Police State Health

Services welfare and education. Cities towns and counties get most of their operating funds from property taxes. A property tax is an assessment levied by local government on the value of a real estate. All property owners pay property taxes these taxes are used to support police and fire protection. Local roads parks and libraries as well as support for public education. Now those two no taxes are used to support government services. Let me give you a few tips. The basic form you use for filing your federal income tax return is the ten forty eight. This is the simplest way to file your return. Most people use it. It's called The short form. A booklet like this one comes to you in the mail and it includes everything you need to file. If you don't get it

in the mail you can find one at the post office the library or the local ourselves. It's FREE. You have to have a W-2 form when you file your tax return and your boss will give it to you in January or February. This little W-2 tells you exactly how much money you made how much was held out for federal taxes social security state taxes and local taxes. If you have a savings account the bank will send you a statement. You have to declare the interest on savings accounts as income on your tax form so you have to have a 10:40 a form with the instructions your W2 form. Your records of interest form savings accounts and your

social security number. Then you can file your income tax using the 10:40 form. Isn't that. Great. Somebody has got to pay for all of those services. I think it's kind of nice. Everybody in America doing the same thing at the same time each year. In their income taxes. Well it's the law and I feel good about it. It's my responsibility and I like it. This is their first I do want to have a tax strike. I figure I use up a lot of those services. I might as well pay the piper. Good. Let's get back to that 10 40. I've been thinking about the rules but I'm a little confused. The truth about.

Everything. Everything about your consumer decision like Did you ever go into a restaurant for a meal and then walk out because of poor food or service restaurants. Me me as a consumer you have the right to choose where your product you want what brand and that goes for food clothes cars. There is only one type of thing I want to buy. Third and fourth choice do I have. You can choose not to via anything. Can I choose not to buy the services and taxes pay for. You choose your writing to drive yet you have so many stores and so many things to choose from it is not like home. There we have one choice from the government or you don't. Yes. But just having a lot to choose from that be your problem. You have the responsibility to choose carefully. Why does privacy have

responsibilities. He's paying for the stuff. All the consumer rights responsibilities too. I mean you can't expect to have a right to choose and then go around making quick choices that end up going back to the store. That's not fair to the businesses. Oh good how are you. This is our president Stuart Larson. We're going to give the guy the help of trying to cover this thing. Oh I understand it it hadn't been for you guys we wouldn't have a recall. Well suppose you tell me exactly how it is that this investigation got started getting a few complaints that the face card wasn't holding a normal play and a couple players find it very far I want you to know I'm standing behind this product. I'm sure you are. It's just that the consumer has rights getting hurt even when somebody gets hurt.

Don't you think it's a fault of the parents the parents can read the instructions are right there and then when they do that for a start you don't look you know the consumer has a responsibility. But any player could get hurt if you're sure kind of things are dismissed to please Mr. Larson I think the stock was 3000 looking for make you feel any better I think his record company that's relatively new in the market people realize if you care enough about it. Yes there are many of them and so the company is recalling all of its super pro helmets in order to make it a missing minor adjustments in the interest of consumer safety. We want all of our customers to know that we are concerned and I'd like to

add that Larson should be commended for taking this action without in court proceedings. This company is an excellent example of genuine concern for consumer safety. What did a consumer connection first discover the problem. No not really we just kept records of people who made complaints and exercise their responsibility to speak out about the products they buy and when we turn the complaints over to the company they took immediate action to correct the situation. That was great that Larson seems like a pretty fair guy. Yeah he's pretty fair he's tough but he's fair. Do you think you really put that full page ad in the paper. Yeah I think so. You figure it'll be good for his image. It is and you know what's good for my image. Well if you feel anything like I feel right now be re-injuring hungry for something delicious. Let's go to the star like I am you know I

haven't finished with Omega yet. Well if you hurry you might get there in time for dessert. Thank you for giving you one chance to get this right. Through with you. Is there a threat not just pressure maybe just pressure. Taxes are compulsory payments of money to a government to provide services for their consumers. Good. For me types of taxes are important to the American consumer. Personal income tax. Sales tax. Property tax. To file personal income taxes persons who earn money must have. Social Security number. Proper forms and directions for.

W2 form. Notification of interest income. Again I would be on are all consumers have 4 rights and responsibilities the right to choose responsibility to choose carefully. Right to safety. Responsibility to follow directions. Right to Information responsibility to seek information. Right to be heard. Responsibility to speak out. Enough said. You never said. You know how to make a good night sweetie. Yeah.

If you've got.

The money. Not enough. You better be careful or to be gone and the. Wrong need to. Run. I miss. Playing. With. You. Now. That's. Right. Holy man. I thought you. Some.

Guy that's. Turning. Tail. Because this to me

please even you trying to be funny. You mean. Do you think. That. The media. Doesn't. In months. On the news. We just hear. It. And how are we going to prove. They're. Kidding. When there's no heat. Plumbing doesn't work that noise that you've got about the motorcycle. Never great. We. Just. Got to do so. OK. There it is right there.

Supply the following at no extra cost as required by law and we're not getting any He's right there we've got her. And that's not saying anything about the plumbing for the Hard Rock next door. It's 3:00 in the morning. So now you figure you can just break as we get the right if we're not getting any heat. For that matter. You're still obligated to do it even if you don't have any. Now you can take your landlady to court because of it but you can't break your lease. So what do we do. Well first let me look at your face. Did you read this carefully before you sign. Sordo. You sure have. There are a lot of different kinds of leases. This one looks pretty standard. Let's see. First we should check on the four elements of a contract that's what a lease is you know contrary to what

four elements mutual assent consideration competency and legalities. Right. Starting with your signatures on a new Johnson Ron Thompson Carolyn Thompson. Now you've all signed it so that means you've all agreed ok mutual assent right. And then there's consideration that's the exchange of something of value. Now in a lease that would be a statement describing the property and statements about how much the rent is when it's due and so on. And that's on here. So the rent we pay is the consideration. Exactly and then you have to have competency. Everybody signing a lease has to be legally and mentally competent. Well we were both old enough but we must have been crazy. The Sun at least now legality of the terms of a contract have to be within the law.

Everything's legal. What you do have a case. If the landlady isn't fulfilling her obligation like not providing heat for one thing. Yeah but before we go any further it might be helpful if you got some more information at that time. Sure OK come on. Easy is. You need a place to live. You just look in the paper for an apartment to rent. Look the place over and make sure you've got enough money and sign up for the apartments yours. Now all you have to do is move in your clothes your furniture and yourself. Millions of people do it every day. But. Wait a minute. You do know that when you sign a lease the agreement includes more than just paying rent. If you don't you could be

in for trouble. Well that stereo for instance. If you play that thing so loud that you cause a disturbance you're not fulfilling one of your responsibilities as a tenant. Got it. Hold it. That's another one whether you know it or not. You can't just do anything at all to your apartment. Another of your responsibilities is to keep the apartment clean and in good repair. Or does that window shade broken when you moved in. And that's one of the landlord's responsibilities to get it fixed. Before you make that call. You ought to know that both you and your landlord have certain obligations and responsibilities. Your landlord has to maintain the premises in good repair but you have to keep the place clean.

It's a trade off between the two of you. By the way did you pay your rent yet this month. You have blew it again. Another of your responsibilities is to pay your rent on time. I think we'd better go over this whole thing. When you write a house or apartment you usually sign a lease. Some landlords require only an oral lease but whether it's written or oral a lease is a legal agreement between two or more people. And as I said before the agreement involves more than just paying rent. It also involves responsibilities for both town and landlord for the tenant. It means he or she has the responsibility to pay the rent on time. Not cause any disturbances. Keep the apartment clean and free of physical damage.

Put refuse in proper containers. And obey the regulations in the lease. The landlord has a responsibility to maintain the premises in good repair. Maintain proper access to apartments. Provide promised utilities. And maintain adequate supervision over the conduct of travel. You have to pay your rent on time and keep the apartment clean. You've done those other things Aventura good. So. What are you working for. On man to be sure not fulfilling her responsibility to provide us with.

Suppose we decide not to pay the rent. Wouldn't that be a way of getting out of the lease just kick us out. She could. But you'd still be liable for the remainder of the rent. Maybe she thinks she is fulfilling her responsibilities. You know there are always two sides to every argument. What I don't hear what you think she was giving us here is not one of love. There's probably a way to solve things. Can I come by your apartment and see what the problems are and then maybe I can tell from his job. OK. Turning the knob doesn't seem to do anything. It's gotta be something else. Well let's look at the plumbing.

Maybe there's something. You know you might have put something in there you said by accident or maybe Michelle did. I just that's possible. I have Mrs. Johnson get a plumber in here. And then of something stopping because of something you or your daughter did. You have to pay for it. That's only fair. She drives a truck. This is Johnson could complain that. Part of your responsibility is to keep the apartment clean and remember. It doesn't look like anything to drastic. But I take a. Look. Do you really want to move out. Now. This is license. Isn't just workable all these out.

If I think that Mrs. Johnson come down to the office and talk things over would you be willing me. We might be able to do you think my way out and see if she's willing we'll meet at the connection office tomorrow. OK. You're right it is a nice apartment. Might be worth to try and stay here don't you think. If you had done what I told you would have had no idea how many times you have to turn the thing to do more than that if you would wouldn't have done it to you. Everybody just calm down. We. Can we just talk this over quietly over here please.

Now before we get into specifics. I'd just like to remind all of you that there are obligations and responsibilities on both sides. So can we just say we have to say without getting off the track. OK. Now. Mr. Thompson. You don't have any. This is your main complaint. Yeah. I can't get the video operating. I turn the things on and nothing comes out and I have told Mrs. Johnson the bug that I have told you have to work through this. Is there something that they should be doing that maybe they don't know about. What is there now all you do is turn them on when the weather gets cold. Do you believe the vows like I told them and then turn out to leave the valley. Yes on the side of the reading the steam has to build up in the system then it's forced to the ready if you please about to

release the pressure. We don't do that you're not going to ever get any heat. No wonder we couldn't get the things going. If you tried doing that I guarantee you you'll get heat. I want to ask the guy next door playing the guitar. I've heard about him from a couple of 10. I gave in his notes. You did yesterday. I told him if he didn't stop playing that guitar so loud it instead of another tennis you'll be addicted. You also tell about the motorcycle motorcycle the one you parked in the hallway when it rains. Oh I didn't know about that but I'll take care of it and the plumbing off of the plumbing that was working all right when you moved in. Yeah it was but it's not now. And we thought about it and if you're going to Pomerania. And if it's something this awful will pay for. You well well I'll call my plumber the first thing in the morning. And the world's Your girl is made some marks on. We'll fix that glad to hear it.

Well. That take care of everything. I guess there is something I should say once that fly. Yes we really didn't want to move. We just felt that the way things were. The way things were could have been taken care of without all that argument. If you'd all just gotten together soon. Wasn't much really. Maybe the next time something goes wrong you talk about it first. That's. Less. Than. An inch. Or two. By. The landlord. Oh OK. My back. Case number 2. 0 2 1 2. 3. Ron and Carolyn Thompson involved in landlord tenant dispute. Chris

reviewed their lease for legality. Citing the four major elements of only. One mutual assent. The signatures of all persons involved in the lease. To consideration the exchange of something of value 3 competency. All persons signing the lease must be mentally and legally competent. For. The terms of the contract must be within the law. The term since reviewed landlord tenant responsibilities and obligations. Tenant responsibilities include pay rent on time. Cause no disturbances. Keep apartment clean. Put refuse in proper containers obey the regulations

in the lease. Lend low responsibilities include maintain premises in good repair. Maintain proper access to have Portman's. Provide promised utilities. Maintain supervision over conduct of tenants. The Thompsons and Mrs. Johnson result of their differences. With the assistance of Chris Stevens. On good night Omega. Good night Chris. Oh.

If you got your money not enough. You better be careful or to be gone and. Romita. And with. You playing. Music. You. Give up. Yeah. That's. Right. Right but. I don't know I was you know you know I'm hungry. Well it's about time I met her at the junkyard. We got our lunch or we're going to go you've got to be born. From a fine time already. Yeah I didn't know you wanted anything. Oh I don't I just wanted to

talk to you while you're all a girl or. Something wrong. No no. But I've made a decision that you all should know about. I've made up my mind to retire within a year and I'm going to sell a garage. Business is good. I know but. I've been here 30 years. 30 years since I open this place. I've done all right. I just feel it's time for me to start spending more time with my family. Teach my grandchildren how to fish. Do a little traveling. Forget about cars for a while. So I guess this means we're all out of our jobs. No no I haven't even put the place up for sale yet. You should have plenty of time to line something up and I'll help you as much as I can. Just bouncing you know maybe. Yeah I've known a long time. He and I used to work together.

Well. Yeah. It's not going to be that easy to find another. It's always a job for them again. Not like here. Working in some big service department it's not the same as working in a small room. Where am I going to find another boss like Joe. Yeah. I know I learned a lot about the business from him. He taught me everything I know about accounts services inventories everything. I had the money I'd buy this place for me. So would I. Are you serious. Yeah. I know how to run the business end and you know all there is to know that small cars. Why she didn't work for somebody else.

Because neither of us has the money to buy this place that's why. When they cannot separately but. We're together. Together we might just be able to swing it. This is. The place. I'll even help your finances but. I really want to get rid of the. Little bit of time to get the money together for the down payment. Give us six months. Six months. Well after 30 years a little more time. With everything so anyway you've got my word. It looks like I'm going to have to.

Really. See Janet Taylor Right. Here. It's a. Consumer connection problems people their money back on. Products. Trying to save $50 a week when you take home a hundred. Why don't you give me a. Good. Consumer connection. If we're going to come up with this down payment in six months we're going to have to do some pretty tight budget. It's not going to get a little help. I mean the point in time for.

Sure. Just a financial records. You can. Usually. Manage to get them all together I have to put them in. His history see. Looks like you. Make a very good record. Have you ever. Needed to.

Yeah a couple of times. More than you needed a budget or not a budget just a plan for spending your income. You have to spend you spend. It's going to be even more important that you make a budget and stick to it. Come home with me and I'll show you something that might give you an idea of what kinds of records we should be keeping. If you have to file a tax return if you have to prove you own your house or car if you need to know the date you bought your TV set. If you want to manage your income and expenses wisely you need good financial records. Your record should include your pay stubs bank statements and canceled checks. You should save notices of any interest or dividends you are. It's also important to save receipts for major purchases. These not only prove your ownership they also record the date of purchase. If the product or service has a warranty the warranty usually has a time

limit so save those whiteys too. It's also a good idea to keep receipts for your paid bills especially those for rent or mortgage utilities charge accounts and insurance policies. Remember good recordkeeping is the key to managing your income. Here are some five examples we made up. You might want to look and. You know I have to admit my records are pretty awful. Well. Let's see if we've got enough mation developed budgets for both of you. Now the idea is to buy Joe's Garage and go into business for yourselves right out here. The biggest problem is coming up a down payment in six months. Well how much do you have to have. Thousand. OK. So you reach you know 5000. How much of that as you go. Well I have 2000 saved and my brother is going to lend me another two.

So you know a thousand. What about you Dave. Well I've got about fifteen hundred dollars in my savings account but I'm working on an old sedan should sell for about twenty eight hundred dollars right. So you need 700. That means. For six months. You have to say about a hundred seventeen a month and Marie has to save one hundred sixty seven a month. Now. Budget forms the first form is for adding up income. We put down how much you receive from earnings. Salaries tips and so on. Allowances if you've got any. And interest on savings accounts or investments. On the second form we put down how much you spend on fixed expenses. Regular bills are always about the same rent or mortgage payments utility bills. The cost of getting to work. Insurance. And installment payments for a car or a stereo system. For you savings is another

fixed expense. Utilities include. Electricity gas water and phone. You can spend more or less on food. Clothing. Entertainment. And travel. Depending on how much you have left after you pay your fixed expenses. For some people savings is a flexible expense but not for you. Now we have to do is to add up all your income and expenses and adjust each of your budgets. Well I sort of have a budget but I'm not saving anywhere near enough. Well let's see. That. Problem is to figure out where you can get that. Looking at this project. You're going to save about 90 dollars more money than you have been saving and they're just going to save $90. Wow.

How about. Those. Look I only make two long distance calls a month I still only save $10. Yeah. What about food. I'll bring my lunch to work I'll eat a bit cheaper. Good. If you spend $20 less on each of your flexible expenses that clothes travel and entertainment then you're happy. But there's not that much fat to cut out when really it's going to be worth it. No way. Well let's see if we can make some sense out of your records. What a mess. I'm going to take a while. For a look I have to pick up some wheel covers while we're down town. Why don't I go do that and leave you to struggle through dates records. I mean back in half an hour Howard K.. That's it. You want to go through it. OK.

First your total income. That's six hundred and seven dollars a month after taxes and you're thinks expenses. Are pretty low. I guess that's because I share an apartment with two other guys and that bad at c and leaves two hundred fifty nine dollars for flexible expenses. I remember about half of that has to go for food. And that's if you don't eat out you get some cutting back to do Dave. Here I was waiting for a chance to ask you out to dinner and you tell me I can't afford to eat anymore. If I promise to stick to my budget will you go out with me Friday night. I mean I know if you're working or not. This place is a disaster area. What are you doing. For the cleanup what happens at 7:00. And it's going to be

appreciated if you could like find someplace else to be. Why don't you just take down a couple of things I just thought I'd come here for a change. Besides I can make a better dinner. She's going to think you're either broke or cheap. I have to watch how I spend my money. That was a great day in and day. You know you should open a restaurant. Well maybe if this thing the grudge doesn't work out I will. How's it going. Well so far I'm sticking to the budget but it's not easy. I really have to watch always spend every nickel. You are sticking to the budget. Oh yeah yeah yeah. Once you get in the habit it's not really that hard. You know you think you can do another three months.

I don't know. Summertime is real bad. Everybody else spending so much money. Sometimes it's a real struggle to stick to that budget for hard. And you know. Even after we get the down payment. Which we own the place we're still going to have to stick to a budget. Tell you one thing I'm getting sick a brown bag lunch. Just want to forget the whole thing. When I think of this place. Names on a sign over the door Day Memories are date and memories and hello how are you and how only a month and a half left you know we know I have to tell you I had a phone call from a guy who has returned. He made me and I saw over.

The Course I'd really like you to have a place Thank You can make it. Well we almost have enough money now almost. He doesn't think we're going to do it. We do have a way to go. Yeah. I know. No way. You got extra money. To take me out to dinner. Extra money has to go into my savings account. This means I'm saving that much more for the. Machine to take me out. You know. This apple just about killed me. To run inside to find out.

Well. You did. Write. To. 10000. Lawyers that were in business without you but you're the one who did it. What do you think. You think. Why not why not. Why. Oh yeah. There. Was me the. Case number.

Six seven correct number jointed. Case number 2 0 3 4 0 7. They Hechinger and Marie Delgado all needed to increase savings to make downpayment on auto repair shop at end of six months. Were shown how to develop budget. And up sources of income. The tritone amount of monthly fixed expenses. The side on flexible expenses. Financial records are kept in order to develop a budget. Pay taxes. Prove ownership. Or make warranty claims. Outcome of the case. Budgets enabled Marie and day to make a down payment on time. They now own the business and backs that. Good night Omega.

Good night Janet. To. To.