Correction: True Leasing in Bankruptcy
Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

This sentence was not completed in this article, but corrected on line: “Then once relief from stay or rejection occurs, the lessor may move in State Court to obtain possession.”

Here is the subject from the article, with the correction:

“The trustee shall timely perform all of the obligations of the lessee. First arising from or after 60 days after the order for relief in a case under chapter 11 of this title, under an unexpired lease of personal property until such lease is assumed or rejected, the trustee may affirm or reject the property

“The Lessee bankrupt has 60 days from the date of filing (called an ‘order for relief’) to assume or reject the lease, after which the lease is rejected and the lessor may move to obtain relief from stay, unless there is a formal rejection by the bankrupt.  Then once relief from stay or rejection occurs, the lessor may move in State Court to obtain possession.”

Here is the full article:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2014/2_18.htm#true

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Classified Ads---Sales

(These ads are “free” to those seeking employment or
looking to improve their position)

Boston, Mass. Accomplished Sales & Relationship Management Professional with business development experience in the financial services industry. Recognized by market leaders as industry expert in Professional Practice financing, as well as Residential Mortgage Lending. Keen insight and understanding of transaction process and financial requirements of customer. Proven record of exceeding sales goals. deb.harold@hotmail.com

Work Remotely Business Development - Are you looking to enter/increase your Healthcare lending? Let me identify and qualify healthcare (all verticals) vendors, distributors, and end users who utilize leasing/financing as a tool to sell equipment for you. Many years experience - contact Mitchell Utz at mitutz@msn.com or  (215) 460-4483.

Free Posting for those seeking employment in Leasing
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

All “free” categories “job wanted” ads:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

 

Income Needed to Live in 25 Metropolitan Areas

HSH.com, well-known mortgage resource did a study of the mortgage rates and median home prices in 25 of the country’s largest metropolitan areas to determine how much salary you need to earn to cover the principal and interest payments on the average home. Property taxes, insurance and other expenses do not factor in this calculation.

The 25 metropolitan areas, ranked in order of the salary needed in those areas to afford a median-priced home:

1.     Cleveland: $19,435.17
2.     Cincinnati: $22,226.95
3.     St. Louis: $22,397.54
4.     Atlanta: $24,390.94
5.     Tampa: $24,650.88
6.     Orlando: $28,298.47
7.     San Antonio: $29,305.47
8.     Dallas: $29,751.24
9.     Houston: $31,298.99
10.   Chicago: $32,388.90
11.   Phoenix: $32,811.94
12.   Minneapolis: $33,800.09
13.   Philadelphia: $36,836.47
14.   Baltimore: $41,155.40
15.   Sacramento: $42,832.20
16.   Miami: $43,918.66
17.   Portland, Ore.: $45,872.78
18.   Denver: $48,122.72
19.   Seattle: $59,129.86
20.   Washington, D.C.: $62,809.63
21.   Boston: $63,673.13
22.   New York City: $66,167.27
23.   Los Angeles: $72,126.90
24.   San Diego: $81,570.40
25.   San Francisco: $115,510.06

For the full analysis: http://www.hsh.com/finance/mortgage/salary-home-buying-25-cities.html

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New Hires—Promotions

Jeff Almond hired as Director of Originations, NXT Capital Finance.; Based in Plano, Texas, he will be responsible for the southwest territory. “Almond’s experience includes more than 15 years of originating equipment financing in Texas, Colorado, Kansas, and nearby states. With industry expertise that includes energy, aviation, manufacturing and packaging, he has held positions at Peoples Capital and Leasing Corporation, SL Financial Services Corporation, CIT Group and others.”

Sheila A. Stamps has been named to CIT’s Board of Directors. She will serve as a member of CIT’s Risk Management and Regulatory Compliance Committees. "She served as Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations at Dreambuilder Investments, LLC, a private mortgage investment company. Prior to Dreambuilder Investments, she served as Director of Pension Investments and Cash Management at the New York State Common Retirement Fund and was a Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. Prior to this, Stamps served as Managing Director and Head of Relationship Management, Financial Institutions at FleetBoston Financial. Before this, she held a number of executive positions with Bank One Corporation and First Chicago Corporation including Managing Director and Head of European Asset-Backed Securitization and Managing Director and Senior Originator of Asset-Backed Securitization. Ms. Stamps received her MBA from the University of Chicago and her BS in Management Sciences from Duke University. She also serves on the Board of Directors of IES Abroad." She is a dual US/UK Citizen.
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?

Keith Wilton Joins Heritage Bank of Commerce, San Jose, California. as Chief Operating Officer/ "Wilton comes to Heritage Bank of Commerce from $6 billion Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, now owned by UnionBanCal Corporation, where he served as Executive Vice President. He was also Corporate Executive Vice President and President of the Specialty Finance Group of Greater Bay Bancorp, prior to its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2007. As President of the Specialty Finance Group, he had responsibility for healthcare practice financing, equipment leasing, asset based lending/factoring, residential mortgage lending, international trade finance, and SBA lending...Wilton graduated from the Stanford Executive Program in 2006, received a Masters Certificate in Internet Marketing from the University of San Francisco's School of Management and a Bachelor's degree in Urban Land Economics and Finance from the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business."
www.linkedin.com/pub/keith-wilton/2/47b/b57

Working Capital Loans $10,000-$250,000
www.channelpartnersllc.com p: (763) 746-7760 f: (763) 592-8297 information@channelpartnersllc.com

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

 

Orange, California Legal Coordinator Minimum 5 years' experience in legal collections. The Legal Coordinator will be responsible for collecting, coordinating and processing all collections referrals of commercial loan agreements to outside third party agencies and law firms. Click here for more information.  Please send resume and cover letter to: acole@quickbridgefunding.com www.quickbridgefunding.com Quick Bridge Funding provides working capital loans to small and mid-sized companies throughout the United States. With an innovative program we provide capital to an to an under-served market.

Irvine, California Finance/Credit Analyst Manage lease transactions through the entire credit review, documentation and funding process. • Direct contact with customers’ decision-makers, including CFOs, treasurers, and purchasing managers. • As “deal manager” analyst is responsible for interface with credit, sales, legal and documentation For more informaton, please click here www.calfirst.com

 

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Joins
Funders Taking New Broker Business List

Funders Taking New Broker Business List

BSB
Bankers Capital 
Blue Bridge Financial, LLC 
Forum Leasing
TimePayment

Due to the request from readers, who are new leasing brokers, this is the start of a new list of funders who accept business from those new in the leasing business. Many funders require a minimum of time as well as a volume of business. The follow are on the Leasing News Funder List, a requirement to be on this list: 
http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/Funders.htm

 

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Borrower Tags Mortgage Service for Violation
of Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act
By Tom McCurnin
Leasing News Legal News Editor

Kevin Bacon as U.S. Marine Lt. Col. in “Taking Chance”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taking_Chance

Sub-Servicer Clears Account and Refunds Late Fees and Penalties It Collected, But Refuses to Refund Late Charges and Penalties Prior Servicer Collected. Case is Reversed to Allow Soldier to Claim Late Fees and Attorney Fees For Violation

Brewster v Sun Trust Mortgage 12-56560 (9th Cir. Court of Appeals 2014).

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you probably know that service men and women have rights, especially if they are deployed overseas. In today’s case, the serviceman was so deployed and the mortgage servicer was so advised. Nevertheless, the servicer commenced a foreclosure of the soldier’s home. When the servicer was advised of the provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act 50 U.S.C. §502 et seq., it wisely rescinded the notice of default, refunded some of the foreclosure fees, but refused to refund the late fees and penalties collected by a prior servicer in the princely sum of about $1,500.

Brewster sued and lost at the trial court level, with the trial court ruling that the servicer did not have to refund fees it did not collect. Apparently, Brewster was to commence a small claims action against the servicer for the violation of the Act, which makes no sense to me.

Undaunted, Brewster appealed to the Ninth Circuit. The Nine Circuit ruled that since the fees were collected on behalf of the mortgage holder, it matter not where they went, or which servicer collected them, if the fees were collected in violation of the Act. Consequently, the Ninth Circuit reversed the trial court’s decision and remanded the case and Brewster will certainly recover his fees and damages on remand.

This case is a head scratcher for me. A National Mortgage Company and a National Servicer decided to litigate over a $1,500 late charge, and take the case to the Ninth Circuit. There was never any question that Brewster was an active serviceman, deployed in Afghanistan while the penalties were imposed. This is ridiculous. Putting aside the business issues of the case, does a financial institution really want to litigate with a highly decorated Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps? Don’t we as a Nation owe this man something for his service? And how much money did Nationstar and SunTrust pay in attorney fees trying to cheat Brewster out of his $1,500? I bet it was a lot more than $1,500. This case makes no sense on so many levels.

One last point—Christopher Brewster is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps., is also a lawyer, and argued the case himself, in full dress white uniform, before the Ninth Circuit.

This case makes me sad that I am a banking lawyer today, utterly ashamed.

Brewster Case
PDF

 

Tom McCurnin is a partner at Barton, Klugman & Oetting in Los Angeles, California.

Tom McCurnin
Barton, Klugman & Oetting
350 South Grand Ave.
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Direct Phone: (213) 617-6129
Cell (213) 268-8291
Email: tmccurnin@bkolaw.com
Visit our web site at www.bkolaw.com

Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/leasing_cases.html

 

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*****Announcement***************************************

2013 Annual ELFA Report

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Association and Foundation announces the digital 32 pages publication of the “2013 Annual Report for ELFA and the Foundation:”

http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=196379

It is also available here in PDF where pages may be enlarged or printed

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How i-banks rake in paydays on big bank M&A
By Joe Mantone and Kuan-Ing Chen

A SNL Financial Exclusive

Investment bankers negotiate any number of aspects of M&A transactions. Their own fees are often on that list.

Fees generally are based on comparable advisory data. However, for some less common deals, such as large transactions, few data points exist. In those situations, other factors, including history with the client or who suggested the deal, can have a greater influence on fees. While advisers are ultimately at the mercy of what the client wants to pay, bank and thrift investment bankers — none of whom wanted to be quoted for attribution because of the sensitive nature of the topic — said that if they can make a good case as to why they are requesting the fee, clients will likely agree.

Regardless of how much haggling takes place, it is common for i-banks to generate handsome sums on large deals. In fact, the most recent U.S. bank deals with price tags greater than $1 billion are expected to generate at closing some of the sector's biggest buy-side financial adviser fees reported in years.

Jefferies LLC and Castle Creek Financial LLC are set to receive $9 million each for advising PacWest Bancorp in its $2.38 billion acquisition of CapitalSource Inc. The combined payout will stand as the largest reported combined fee to buy-side deal advisers on a U.S. bank or thrift acquisition since Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan received a total of $20 million on PNC Financial Services Group Inc.'s $5.6 billion acquisition of National City Corp., announced in October 2008.

Since Jan. 1, 2007, there have been 25 announced U.S. bank and thrift acquisitions with an announced deal value of at least $1 billion. SNL collected sell-side advisory fee data on 21 of those deals and buy-side advisory fee data on six deals. Companies disclose advisory fee data in SEC filings, such as a Form S-4, when they deem it to be material to shareholders.

Sometimes, such as in the PacWest-CapitalSource deal, companies will engage multiple advisers but only disclose fee information for some of them. PacWest used three advisers but did not disclose the fee paid to one, Goldman Sachs. For its other two advisers, Castle Creek and Jefferies, PacWest not only provided the advisory fees in SEC filings but also provided some detail about the fees and its relationships with the advisers.

PacWest notes in a Form S-4 filed Nov. 20, 2013, that its chairman, John Eggemeyer III, is also CEO of Castle Creek, and that the firms have a previously disclosed financial advisory engagement. Eggemeyer did not respond to a request for comment, but terms of the financial advisory engagement state that on PacWest acquisitions with a value greater than $20 million, Castle Creek receives a fee of $200,000 plus 0.65% of the amount of the deal value in excess of $20 million.

Based on that formula, Castle Creek should have received more than $15 million in fees from the CapitalSource deal, but the parties agreed to reduce the fee to $9 million, according to the filing. PacWest also notes in the filing that Castle Creek helped structure the financial aspects of the transaction and provided financial modeling and statistical analysis work. However, Jefferies, which also did not respond to a request for comment, was the lead investment bank for PacWest on the transaction, and that i-bank made a recommendation for its fee, according to the filing.

Jefferies also provided a fairness opinion and was involved early in the deal process. The i-bank met with PacWest's board to discuss potential opportunities — including a possible acquisition of CapitalSource — in March 2013, roughly four months before the deal was announced.

Investment bankers said they usually have more leverage to request higher fees when they are involved early, handle the negotiations from the start or bring the idea to the client. Sometimes advisers are brought in later in the process and might receive a lower fee because they were hired to perform a specific task, such as an analysis or fairness opinion. For instance, Evercore Partners Inc., which did not respond to a request for comment, agreed to receive $500,000 for providing a fairness opinion to M&T Bank Corp. on its pending $3.8 billion acquisition of Hudson City Bancorp Inc.

The sell-side advisers generally receive more than the buy-side advisers, but that is not always the case. On the Umpqua-Sterling deal, J.P. Morgan is set to receive more than the sell-side adviser, Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP, which agreed to receive 0.30% of deal consideration, or about $6 million based on the announced deal value.

Sandler O'Neill's fee as a percentage of the announced deal value in the Umpqua-Sterling transaction is less than most of the reported sell-side fees on U.S. bank or thrift acquisitions with a value of at least $1 billion since 2007. SNL data show the majority of sell-side advisers on those deals received fees ranging from about 0.35% to 0.81% of the announced deal value.

A spokesman for Sandler O'Neill declined to comment about the fee, and a spokesman for Sterling did not respond to a request for comment.

However, Sandler has a history and even a future with advising deals involving Sterling. For instance, Sandler O'Neill received an $11 million advisory fee on Sterling's recapitalization, and the investment bank will receive fees for an engagement to handle branch divestitures of the combined Umpqua-Sterling subsequent to the merger, according to a Form S-4 filed Jan. 17 with the SEC.

Investment bankers said history with clients can influence the fees advisers receive. If an adviser works on more than one deal for the same client that lead to multiple substantial fee payments, investment bankers might eventually find themselves receiving a below-market fee on a transaction.

I-bankers said clients that believe they can execute a transaction with little assistance from an adviser also may want to pay reduced fees. This can occur with clients that have developed an internal capability to examine deals — such as private equity firms or serial acquirers that have built up their corporate development departments.

An investment bank might also receive a low advisory fee if the target attracts many bids that establish its sale price without much solicitation from the adviser. I-banks also might face lower fees if the buyer and seller have a history together and came up with the idea to merge before engaging an adviser.

Of course, there are scenarios in which investment banks can earn higher-than-normal fees.

For instance, if a long-time client does not execute a deal, investment bankers said they can find themselves generating only nominal fees for years of work through board presentations or statistical analysis reviews. If the relationship eventually culminates in an M&A transaction, it can give the client an opportunity to pay the i-bank an above-market fee, compensating the adviser for the work not only on the transaction but also its past assistance.

J.P. Morgan earned the highest sell-side fee as a percentage of deal value — 1% for its role in advising CapitalSource on the pending sale to PacWest — on a U.S. bank or thrift acquisitions with a price tag of at least $1 billion since 2007. A spokesperson for J.P. Morgan said the company does not comment on deal fees, but J.P. Morgan has been a regular on big bank deals.

The investment bank has advised on 13 of the 25 deals since 2007 in the sector valued at least $1 billion. J.P. Morgan's activity in the space certainly enhances its brand reputation, another factor advisers can tout when negotiating fees.

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*****Announcement***************************************

NEW CLP Partnership Program

The Board of Directors of the Certified Lease Professional (CLP) Foundation has announced the creation of a new Annual Partnership Program.

There are four Partnership Levels for corporate donors – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum; with increasing recognition as the sponsorship level increases. In addition, there are four individual donor levels – Contributor, Supporter, Sponsor, and Benefactor

The foundation reports the CLP Partnership Program was created to provide "... tangible benefits to those organizations and individuals that support the CLP Foundation and its designation. Partners of the CLP Foundation will gain increased exposure in a variety of advertising arenas; and this relationship will allow the Foundation to maintain its reputation of being the preeminent credential for equipment leasing and financing professionals."

To learn more, please go to: www.clpfoundation.org/AnnualPartnershipProgram.

Specific information is available from the foundation Executive Director Reid Raykovich, CLP (206) 535-6281 (email:reid@clpfoundation.org).

*****Announcement***************************************

 

Why I Became a CLP
http://www.leasingnews.org/CLP/Index.htm

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Meet

Leasing News Advisor
Andrew Lea

Andrew Lea joined the Leasing News Advisory Board on February 5, 2004. Andrew is a financial services technology marketing pro with extensive experience in the commercial lending and equipment finance sector. He has built a reputation in the industry for designing and executing effective branding and lead generation programs, as well as for attention-grabbing ads and collateral, engaging website design, and innovative editorial content in industry publications.

Marketing Manager
HCL CapitalStream
Pt. Richmond, CA 94801 
(510) 236-3766 
Andrew.lea@hcl.com
SKYPE: andrew-lea

Andrew serves as Sr. Marketing Manager for Linedata Lending & Leasing, provider of the Linedata Capitalstream leasing and lending front office solution, a straight-through-processing origination and risk management platform. Linedata Lending and Leasing is part of the Linedata Group, a global solutions provider with 700+ clients operating in 50 countries. With more than 1000 employees across the globe, Linedata provides innovative mission-critical solutions and services that help its clients compete and grow, managing 7.1 million credit and financing contracts daily.

Before joining the CapitalStream team, Andrew served as VP for Marketing and Corporate Communications for NetSol Technologies (NTWK) and McCue Systems. Andrew's professional experience includes technical writing and broadcast advertising copywriting and production.

His articles and white papers on equipment finance trends and technology have appeared in many trade publications.

Andrew and his wife Susan live in the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master's Degree from the New School University in New York City.

He may be reached at andrew.lea@na.linedata.com

##### Press Release ############################

Community Banks Reissue More Than 4 Million Payment Cards 
Following Retailer Data Breaches

Washington, D.C. —The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) said that the nation’s community banks have already reissued more than 4 million credit and debit cards at a total reissuance cost of more than $40 million following recent data breaches at major retailers (numbers are based on a sampling of community banks). Due to their quick action in reissuing affected cards, community banks’ initial fraud costs were relatively low, with less than 1 percent of community bank customers reporting fraud on their accounts following the breaches at Target and Neiman Marcus. 

Bill Loving
ICBA Chairman

“Community banks absorb the costs of data breaches upfront because their primary concern is to protect their customers,” Bill Loving, ICBA chairman and president and CEO of Pendleton Community Bank, Franklin, W.Va., said. “However, in the long-term the lion's share of costs associated with data breaches should ultimately be borne by the party that experiences the breach. This is critical to aligning incentives to maximize data security by all parties that store consumer data—making the payments system stronger over time, which is a win for everyone, especially consumers.”

While ICBA’s recently announced participation in a joint cybersecurity partnership with other financial services and retailer trade organizations is a strong and much-needed step in the right direction to protect consumers, the association has not wavered  in its commitment to represent the best interests of its member community banks and their customers in the wake of wide-scale data security breaches at major retailers. 

ICBA continues to advocate our key data security principles to Congress and the payment card networks.  ICBA’s core principles include:

• the costs of data breaches should ultimately be borne by the party at fault for the breach,

• all participants in the payments system—including merchants—should be subject to Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act–like data security standards,
  a national data-security breach and notification standard should be implemented to replace the current patchwork of state laws,

• unnecessary barriers to effective threat-information sharing between law enforcement and the financial and retail sectors should be removed, and

• while community banks and other financial institutions continue to move to chip technology for debit and credit cards, these technologies alone may not have prevented the recent retailer breaches and do not protect against fraud in “card-not-present” transactions, such as online purchases.

“ICBA will continue to advocate for community banks and their customers and will not rest until these key principles are addressed for the betterment of our payments system, community banks and, most importantly, consumers,” Loving said.

More information on ICBA’s efforts and data-security resources for community banks and their customers are available on ICBA’s online security breach toolkit.

About ICBA
The Independent Community Bankers of America®, the nation’s voice for nearly 7,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types, is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education and high-quality products and services. For more information, visit www.icba.org.

### Press Release ############################

((Please Click on Bulletin Board to learn more information))
(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)

 

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### Press Release ############################

“Castle Craze” behavioralogy Reflected
in Home Depot Hire Plan

Home Depot plans to hire 80,000 employees partly due to the increase in home improvement projects caused by lower money anxiety among consumers.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.  – Home Depot’s plan to hire more than 80,000 seasonal employees mirrors the “Castle Craze” behavioralogy outlined in the newest behavioral economics book – Money Anxiety (moneyanxiety.com).  When the level of money anxiety decreases, as has been the case in the past 12 months, consumers resume spending on home improvement after a long period of decline since the Great Recession.  The Castle Craze behavioralogy is about consumers’ fascination with bigger, better and nicer homes the moment they feel that the economic storm is over.

Although spring seasonal hiring is typical at Home Depot, this round of new hires is also in response to the recovering housing market. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the number of new housing construction projects rose 18.3% in 2013 to about 923,400.  This trend is in line with the Money Anxiety Index, which shows an improvement of 13.4 index points in consumers’ financial anxiety from January of 2013 to January of this year.

The link between consumers’ financial anxiety and their home improvement behavior is empirically demonstrated in Money Anxiety (moneyanxiety.com).  The main factor in the Castle Craze behavioral orientation is the amount of money consumers spend on their homes, in terms of building supplies and gardening equipment during good economic times, compared to other types of spending.  During the last Castle Craze cycle, from February 2003 to February 2007, sales at building and gardening retailers increased by nearly 38 percent compared to an increase of about 26 percent for all other retail categories.

About the Money Anxiety Book
Money Anxiety is a behavioral economics book showing how financial anxiety impacts consumer financial behavior and the economy. The book demonstrates the impact of financial anxiety on retail sales and consumer savings. Business and financial people gain from this knowledge by reducing their expenses during times of high money anxiety, and increasing their revenues during times of low money anxiety. The Money Anxiety book is available in paperback and eBook formats in all major online booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play and iTunes store.  The book is highly beneficial to business and financial people by helping them how and why consumers buy.

#### Press Release #############################

 

Labrador Retriever
San Francisco, California Adopt-a-Dog

Tyson
ID: 9550047
GENDER: Male
BREED: Retriever, Labrador
COLOR: Charcoal
AGE: 4y 4m

"Tyson is a lover, not a fighter. He's has some tough breaks, but we think they're now all behind him. He is a big, goofy boy who is also quite the sensitive soul. He loves to make new friends, yet he isn't always sure how to go about it. He spent a lot of his life alone in a back yard, so he is not always certain what to make of new people and dogs on first meeting or how to greet them politely. Luckily, he loves to learn thanks to the magic (and science) of positive reinforcement-based training, so manners and focus are in the making. With the right match, he will blossom into a wonder-dog."

For information, please call 415-522-3500.
SF SPCA Adoption Center
Corner of 16th & Florida Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Open Mon - Fri (1 pm – 7 pm) and Sat & Sun (10 am – 6 pm).
Closed on major holidays.
Note: Please enter at 16th & Florida during
adoption center renovations.
FREE PARKING is available at the adoption center as well as our large lot at Alabama & Treat Streets.

Adopt-a-Pet by Leasing Co. State/City
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Adopt_Pet.htm

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

Leasing News: Fernando's View
by Fernando Croce

Olympic Games Special

As athletes go for the gold at the Sochi Winter Games, we at Leasing News compiled our own marathon of Olympics-themed movies. So check out Netflix for these sometimes dramatic, sometimes amusing, but always inspiring sports hits.

Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson, 1981): The winner for 1981’s Best Picture Oscar, this portrait of the contrasts between two British runners in the 1924 Olympics remains at the top of critically acclaimed movies about the human subtleties of sportsmanship. On one side is Eric Liddell (Ian Richardson), a young missionary from Scotland who sees sprinting as a divine call. On the other is Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), whose place on the racing strip embodies a challenge to the anti-Semitic bias of the Cambridge elite. Their first encounter strikes an antagonistic note, but, as the two men head over to Paris to take part in the Summer Games, they slowly develop bond that transcends their backgrounds. Featuring a lovely performance by Ian Holm as a salty trainer, this remains a classy, stirring telling of a true story.

Munich (Steven Spielberg, 2005): In the same year he released the intense "War of the Worlds," Steven Spielberg directed this absorbing account of the events surrounding one of the darkest moments in Olympics history. Known as the Black September, a group of terrorists kidnap and massacre a batch of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympics in Munich. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Israeli government puts together a group of specialists led by Avner (Eric Bana) to hunt down the participants. What follows is less a mission of vengeance than a journey into the troubled minds and souls of a shaken world, brilliantly directed by Spielberg and featuring an excellent cast that includes a pre-James Bond Daniel Craig. The result is a film that's sometimes difficult to watch but never less than powerful.

Prefontaine (Steve James, 1997): Following his widely acclaimed basketball documentary Hoop Dreams, writer-director Steve James made his feature debut with another moving narrative about sports hopefuls. In his breakout role, Jared Leto stars as Steve Prefontaine, the young, Oregon-born long-distance runner who made a splash at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Told mostly as a series of flashbacks from interviews with his family and friends, the story unfolds from the late 1960s on, focusing on Prefontaine’s discipline, conviction, and, ultimately, his humbling journey from lone wolf to team player. Centering on the titular protagonist’s relationship with his coach Bill Bowerman (R. Lee Ermey) and deftly combining fictional reenactments with footage of the real Prefontaine, the movie is a sturdy, passionate snapshot of a keen athlete’s life.

Cool Runnings (Jon Turteltaub, 1993): One of the most unlikely teams in Olympics history is the subject of this crowdpleasing, family-friendly comedy. The real-life story kicks when a minor accident disqualifies Derice Bannock (Leon), a Jamaican runner who instead sets his hopes on representing the country on the first Olympic bobslead team. Putting together a ramshackle but enthusiastic team that includes Sanka (Doug E. Doug), Junior (Rawle D. Lewis) and Yul (Malik Yoba), Derice hires down-on-his-luck trainer Irving Blitzer (John Candy) to help shape them up. Though they're at first not taken seriously as tropical athletes aspiring to a sport best played in below-zero temperatures, they're soon on their way to Calgary, Canada, for the Winter Games. Striking the right balance between inspiration and laughs, the movie is a lively ode to underdogs.

Olympia (Leni Riefenstahl, 1938): In contrast to her legendary propaganda film Triumph of the Will, German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s follow-up offers a panorama that celebrates human prowess from all over the world. Shot during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, this superb documentary chronicles the international plethora of athletes who gather as the torch is lit and Hitler himself watched from the stadium seats. Though Riefenstahl’s emphasis on physical perfection evokes disturbingly fascist ideals, these same ideals are ironically undercut by the camera’s fascination with the great American track star Jesse Owens, who left the events with no less than four Gold Medals. Divided into two mammoth parts ("Festival of the Nations" and "Festival of Beauty"), this is an invaluable record of the world one year before war broke out.

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Signing Service: New Jersey Mobile NJ Lease Signing Service We are New Jersey mobile lease signers and Notaries.We bring lease to clients, expedite signing and return docs. Same day.  Jim Lissemore, Pres  www.Flexo-Notaries.com	Site Inspection: Placentia, CA  On site verifications, document signing or collections. Quick, accurate and professional. Reports with photographs e-mailed direct. Agents throughout US. Contact for coverage and rates.  E-mail: pwright@yk2bizsolutions.com
Site Inspection: US & Canada  Quiktrak performs equipment inspections within 24 hours of your job placement anywhere in the US. Order, check status & receive reports & photos online.  E-mail:sdresser@quiktrak.com	Site Inspection: National Property Tax Compliance Services to the leasing industry. Over 60-years experience and fifty Lessors as clients. References and free quotes available, (216) 658-5618, E-mail gary@avptc.com
Inspection: Tampa /St. Pete, FL  Contact Dick Mitchell @ Randolph Lynn Associates for prompt professional pre-funding equipment inspections, collateral "visits", and related lessee/vendor contacts. (Florida locations) 727-302-9144 E-mail:dmrla@gte.net	Site Inspection plus: Greater Baltimore area C. and A. Courier Services™, TA / Andreas Klepp-Egge Jr., Baltimore MD  21229.Field Appraisal  Inspection Service, 410-746-6355,candacourier22@aol.com.
Site Inspection: US & Canada Funding Inspection Services perform equipment inspections within 24 hours of your job placement anywhere in the US. Order, check status & receive reports & photos online.  ron@fundinginspectionservices.com www.fundinginspectionservices.com
Asset Inspections/Lender Services:Serving Michigan, N.Ohio, N.Indiana – Lender services including asset inspection, business/vendor verification, collections, and lease/loan signings.  25 years experience leasing/financial.  www.michiganclosingsandmore.com sheri@michiganclosingsandmore.com	Appraisals/Inspections – Construction & Mining Heavy Equipment, Transport, Agriculture and Manufacturing. We provide Certified Appraisal Reports, (USPAP Compliant), Inventory Inspections, Collateral Valuation, VIN and Serial Number Verification with Detailed Photos, Lessee and Vendor Site Inspections including Customized Inspections. In a Hurry? Try our Kwik-Kwote  Emailwww.MobileEquipAppraisals.com

 

News Briefs----

Fed Minutes Show Optimism About the Economy
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/business/fed-minutes-show-optimism-about-the-economy.html

Trinity Industries, Inc. Announces Record Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2013 Results
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trinity-industries-inc-announces-record-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2013-results-2014-02-19

Hino Trucks delivers 10,000th truck to Penske Truck Leasing
http://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/hino-trucks-delivers-10000th-truck-penske-truck-leasing/

Samsung launches financing program for capital equipment
http://www.dotmed.com/news/story/22923/

Cash-Strapped Malaysia Looks to Lease Fighters
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140215/DEFREG03/302150021/Cash-Strapped-Malaysia-Looks-Lease-Fighters

Four Numbers That Explain Why Facebook Acquired WhatsApp
http://sequoiacapital.tumblr.com/post/77211282835/four-numbers-that-explain-why-facebook-acquired

Half of All Mobile Banking Customers Are Now Part of ClearXchange
http://www.bankinnovation.net/2014/02/half-of-all-mobile-banking-customers-are-now-part-of-clearxchange/

Tablet and Phone Retail Purchasing Tops $60 Billion
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/219646/tablet-and-phone-retail-purchasing-tops-60-billio.html

Irvine, California Finance/Credit Analyst Manage lease transactions through the entire credit review, documentation and funding process. • Direct contact with customers’ decision-makers, including CFOs, treasurers, and purchasing managers. • As “deal manager” analyst is responsible for interface with credit, sales, legal and documentation For more informaton, please click here www.calfirst.com

 

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--You May Have Missed It

These Apps Are Made for Walking
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/technology/personaltech/these-apps-are-made-for-walking.html

[headlines]
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SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

12 Ways to Treat Your Heart to Breakfast
Love Both Your Breakfast and Your Heart!
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1985

 

[headlines]
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Winter Poem

Shortcut Through the Storm 

by Robert Savino 

There were too few roads.
There were too many motorists.
My choice was longer in distance,
but far less travelled.

I took a shortcut through the storm,
crawling over the black-iced asphalt,
too close behind Boyd’s black flower car,
in the dreary pitch of Ocean Parkway.

Storm clouds shifting and changing,
pass over, so low, engulf my presence.
I exit in an angel’s breath,
a winged spirit of the Great South Bay,

greeted by Moses at the foot of the bridge,
moments from home and the neon lights
of strip mall shops, that brighten the bus
stop at the corner of Oak Neck Road.

Minutes pass slowly within these hours.
Sounds of snow plows wake me from sleep.

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Sports Briefs----

US Women skid late, take bronze
http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2014/bobsled/story10483330/2014-sochi-olympics-us-finishes-silver-bronze-canada-takes-gold

Ted Ligety dominates Giant Slalom
http://olympics.si.com/olympic-alpine-skiing/2014/02/18/ap-oly-ski-mens-giant-slalom

No joy in Putinville
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/for-alex-ovechkin-and-russia-olympic-hockey-should-be-called-for-roughing/2014/02/19/92fd0d30-99b3-11e3-b931-0204122c514b_story.html?hpid=z2

[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

Jerry Brown, legislative leaders to announce drought aid
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/02/jerry-brown-to-announce-650-million-in-drought-aid.html

Caltrans’ top Bay Bridge official will step down
http://blog.sfgate.com/matierandross/2014/02/19/caltrans-top-bay-bridge-official-will-step-down/

34 Bay Area chefs, restaurants among James Beard nominees
http://www.biteclubeats.com/james-beard-semi-finalists-for-2014-include-bay-area-noms/

Restaurant review: Berkeley's Chez Panisse still on top
http://www.sfgate.com/restaurants/diningout/article/Restaurant-review-Berkeley-s-Chez-Panisse-still-5238616.php

 

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“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Seattle Food and Wine Experience Announces Results of First Annual Wine Awards
http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=128361

Challenges, rewards of a 30-year wine grape vineyard
http://westernfarmpress.com/grapes/challenges-rewards-30-year-wine-grape-vineyard

Don’t be conned when investing in fine wine
http://www.everyinvestor.co.uk/news/2014/02/19/dont-conned-investing-fine-wine-7452/

 

Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm