Cuyahoga · Summit · Medina Counties
Gene M. Lim has represented consumers and businesses throughout Northeast Ohio in a wide range of civil legal matters since 1992 — real estate, estate planning, business law, and collections.
Free consultation · Cleveland & Northeast Ohio
Attorney Profile
Gene M. Lim practices law primarily in Northeast Ohio, including Cuyahoga, Summit and Medina, where he represents consumers and businesses in a variety of civil legal matters. Since 1992, his representation of his clients has involved contract review and preparation, real estate transactions — including, but not limited to, "For Sale by Owner," land contracts, and owner-financed transactions involving residential and commercial properties — as well as Board of Revision complaints, collections, entity selection, and corporate updates.
Mr. Lim believes in a proactive approach to representing his clients’ interests, and encourages everyone to discuss their potential legal needs with an attorney prior to engagement. Only after first discussing important legal matters with an attorney will a person be able to understand their rights, liabilities, and the risks involved in any given business transaction.
Mr. Lim wants to be your attorney before you need one — so feel free to call him to review issues first, before engaging in any course of action that has legal ramifications.
Practice Areas
Gene M. Lim represents clients across Northeast Ohio in a focused range of civil legal matters. If you have a question, please call for a free consultation.
Mr. Lim has practical experience in buying, leasing, and selling residential and commercial real estate. He owns and has owned limited liability companies that manage and own rental properties, and is familiar with all facets of the residential and commercial real estate markets. He also has numerous contacts in the lending industry, property inspections, title companies, and contractors who are able to address any of his clients’ needs.
Estate planning is not only about what happens to your assets when you die — it also includes instructions and the appointment of agents to handle your financial and medical matters when you are unable to do so yourself. Do not assume your loved ones know what you want; put it in writing to remove ambiguity and avoid disputes about your wishes.
Mr. Lim regularly advises individuals on the best type of entity selection for their business, working alongside their financial advisors to find the best fit for asset protection and tax savings. Once a business is formed, he assists with the preparation and review of transactional work — contracts, leases, liens, dissolutions, buy-sell agreements, and more.
Since 1992, Mr. Lim has collected debts for creditors throughout the State of Ohio — from individuals and companies to materialmen, suppliers, lenders, and contractors. He has had great success collecting judgments via garnishments, bank attachments, and foreclosures, and maintains a national network of attorneys to assist with debtors who have left Ohio.
Real Estate · Property Tax
In Ohio, each county has a Board of Revision (“BOR”) charged with adjudicating complaints about the assessment of real property within the county. Both residential and commercial property owners can petition the BOR to seek tax relief — and owners who feel their property values are too high may file a complaint and appeal for a value reduction.
Each county provides a form complaint that owners may file without an attorney. However, this is not recommended: local boards of education can file counter-complaints against taxpayer complaints, and can even file original complaints for value increases. Because public education in Ohio is currently financed by property taxes, legal representation is strongly suggested when filing a complaint for a property value reduction.
Under Ohio law, a property owner is obligated to pay all property taxes due by their due date. Please be advised that filing a valuation complaint with the BOR does not relieve a property owner of this obligation.
Mr. Lim has successfully filed and obtained tax relief for both residential and commercial property owners before the BOR. If you have any questions about your options, please call for a free consultation or to schedule a meeting.
Each county sets its own filing deadline. For example, the deadline to file with the BOR is typically the close of business on April 2 in Summit County and March 31 in Cuyahoga County.
Estate Planning
In the simplest terms, an estate is everything you own — money and assets, including your home and your car — at the time of your death. When you decide, in advance and in writing, who will receive your assets, that is estate planning.
Your heirs are the people who will receive your money and assets after you are gone, and the act of giving these things to your heirs is called asset distribution. Your debts are also part of your estate — funeral expenses and anything you owe must be paid first by your estate before any further assets are distributed.
Estate planning is not entirely about money. It may also leave instructions for how your incapacitation or death should be handled. For instance, you may not wish to be kept on life support if you were in a coma, or you may prefer to be cremated instead of buried. These instructions can be included in your estate plan.
Many people struggle with where to start, or do not think they need a plan. The simple fact is that estate planning differs depending on your life stage. Here is a rough idea of what you might explore, depending on yours:
Some of these documents require witnesses, notarized signatures, or both. Please call for a free consultation about the estate plan best suited to your situation and stage of life.
Mr. Lim wants to be your attorney before you need one. Call to review your options first, before engaging in any course of action that has legal ramifications.
Contact
If our office is not convenient for you, we would be more than happy to come to you wherever you are.