Business & Tech

Golden Valley Lawsuit Leads to New Law on Estate Sales

The legislation arose after a local estate salesman failed to pay his clients.

A lawsuit against a Golden Valley estate salesman has led to a new law that requires estate-sale firms to be bonded, according to the Star Tribune.

Craig Birkeland bilked clients out of thousands of dollars. A Hennepin County district judge ordered him to pay $2 million—including $558,000 in restitution—to the state by May 8, but Minnesota never received that money.

Although the attorney general is trying to collect on Birkeland’s assets, that doesn’t provide much customers to clients who lost money. A bond requirement will offer relief in the event estate salesmen don’t pay.

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The new law takes effect Jan. 1.

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