Word of the Month for April 2014: Procrastinate

Have you ever had to do something that you knew you needed to do but you were (subconsciously)  looking for a way to get out of it?  Have you ever?  Sometimes I wonder why it is I'm trying to get out of doing things that are not unpleasant.  Maybe it's because I'm just being lazy. Anyway, it wasn't until today (a full three weeks into the month) that I figured out what the word of the month should be - PROCRASTINATE.

According to Webster's Third New International Dictionary, PROCRASTINATE means to put off intentionally and (usually) habitually and for a reason held to be reprehensible; delay attending to something that should be done.

Thing is, people PROCRASTINATE with the law and legal things all the time.  Say, for instance, you've entered into a written lease for a piece of property for 6 years.  Say after three months you want out of the contract and leave the premises.  The landlord (or the person you leased the property from) has four years to go after you for breach of a lease.  That's FOUR years.  Long time to go after someone but you wouldn't believe how many people still wait until the last minute to do anything.  You just wouldn't.

Another one?  Let's say you live in Kansas and you're running for office.  Let's say your opponent publishes something in the local newspaper that is blatantly false so as to cause you to lose the election.  According to Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A.) section 60-514, you have 1 one year to go after said opponent.  Get that?!  Only ONE year.

Want to find out how long you have to go after someone in your jurisdiction?  The Internet has made it easy - just type "[your jurisdiction] limitation of actions slander" (if you wanted to know what the limitation period was for slander in your state/jurisdiction, and you should be all set.

What all this means is that you should not wait until you are flat busted before you go after those who have misaligned you.  If you're wondering whether you might still have a chance to go after those that have done you wrong, run (don't walk) over to your local county law Library and let the Law Librarian help you find what you're hoping you won't find.