The Sharing Solution: How to Save Money, Simplify Your Life & Build Community

by Doskow, Emily

• ISBN13: 9781413310214
• ISBN10: 1413310214
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-24
• Publisher: Ingram Pub Services

Summary

From housing and childcare to cars and household tools, many people are motivated to share resources but donit know how n or where n to start. The Sharing Solution is a practical and legal guidebook designed to help people create and maintain successful sharing arrangements while addressing commonly held concerns about liability and individual security.

Author Biography

Attorney Janelle Orsi runs a solo law practice specializing in non-profit, small business, and real estate law, focused on helping people to share resources, build community, and live more sustainably. Emily Doskow is a practicing attorney specializing in family law, including adoption, parentage issues, domestic partnership formation and dissolution, and divorce. She is the author of Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce and the editor of many Nolo titles. Both live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Table of Contents

Your Sharing Companion	p. 1
Sharing Basics
Getting Started	p. 7
What Are Your Sharing Goals?	p. 9
What Can Be Shared?	p. 17
The Triple Bottom Line: The Benefits of Sharing	p. 28
Finding Sharing Partners	p. 31
Who Can I Share With?	p. 32
Sharing With Your Neighbors	p. 34
Sharing With Your Coworkers	p. 42
Finding Sharers Online	p. 43
Join Established Sharing Programs	p. 44
20 Questions to Ask When You Share	p. 45
Why Are We Sharing?	p. 49
What Are We Sharing?	p. 50
Whom Are We Sharing With?	p. 51
How Many People Are We Sharing With?	p. 52
How Will the Timing of Our Arrangement Work?	p. 53
Who Owns the Shared Items?	p. 54
Should We Form a Separate Legal Entity?	p. 56
What Should We Call Ourselves?	p. 59
What Do We Get to Do?	p. 60
How Will We Make Decisions?	p. 61
What Responsibilities Will Each of Us Have?	p. 61
What Are the Rules for Using Our Shared Property or Meeting Our Shared Responsibilities?	p. 63
How Will We Handle Administrative Matters Like Scheduling, Communication, and Record Keeping?	p. 64
How Will We Divide Expenses and Manage Money?	p. 67
How Will We Manage Risk and Liability?	p. 71
Are There Legal Requirements We Need to Follow?	p. 74
How Will We Resolve Conflicts or Disputes?	p. 75
How Will We Bring New People Into the Group?	p. 75
How Can a Member Leave the Group?	p. 77
How Do We End the Sharing Arrangement?	p. 79
Thank You For Sharing: Communicating, Making Decisions, and Resolving Conflict	p. 85
Communication Skills for Sharing	p. 86
Making Decisions as a Group	p. 97
Handling Disputes	p. 106
Putting Your Arrangement in Writing	p. 117
The Benefits of a Written Agreement	p. 118
Documents Your Group Might Need	p. 120
Preparing Your Documents	p. 123
Getting Legal Assistance	p. 131
Sharing Solutions
Sharing Housing	p. 135
Identify Your Housing Needs	p. 138
Legal Issues to Consider When Sharing a Home	p. 139
The Co-Owned House	p. 148
The Retrofit House	p. 155
The Group Rental House	p. 161
The Shared Vacation Home	p. 167
Cohousing	p. 173
Casual Cohousing	p. 179
The Triple Bottom Line: The Benefits of Shared Housing	p. 187
Sharing Household Goods, Purchases, Tasks, and Space	p. 189
Share Household Items	p. 190
Purchase Supplies and Goods Together	p. 207
Share Services and Utilities	p. 212
Form a Work Group for Home Projects	p. 216
Share a Yard	p. 226
The Triple Bottom Line: The Benefits of Sharing Household Goods, Purchases, Tasks and Space	p. 231
Sharing Food	p. 233
Share Meals	p. 238
Buy Food Together	p. 246
Community Fruit Tree Harvests	p. 249
Shared and Community Gardens	p. 256
Community-Supported Agriculture	p. 263
The Triple Bottom Line: The Benefits of Sharing Food	p. 268
Sharing Care for Children, Family, and Pets	p. 271
Issues to Consider When Sharing Care	p. 273
Form a Community Babysitting Cooperative	p. 276
Join a Cooperative Nursery or School	p. 284
Share an In-Home Nanny	p. 287
Start a Carpool	p. 293
Share an In-Home Care Provider With Another Elder or Adult With Disabilities	p. 298
Share Caregiving Responsibilities With Another Family	p. 303
Share Dog Walking	p. 306
Share Pet Care	p. 308
Your Triple Bottom Line: The Benefits of Sharing Family Care	p. 310
Sharing Transportation	p. 313
Share a Car With One or Two People	p. 318
Start a Small Carsharing Club or Program	p. 333
Start a Carpool	p. 343
Share a Ride	p. 351
Share a Bicycle	p. 355
Your Triple Bottom Line: The Benefits of Sharing Transportation	p. 358
Sharing at Work	p. 361
Share Work Space	p. 363
Share Business-Related Equipment and Purchases	p. 376
Sharing Employees	p. 380
Share a Job	p. 386
Sharing Things With Coworkers	p. 390
Sharing Ownership With Employees	p. 396
Your Triple Bottom Line: The Benefits of Sharing at Work	p. 400
Appendixes
Resources	p. 403
Resources on Sustainable Communities and Living Green	p. 405
Community Building Resources	p. 407
Legal Resources from Nolo	p. 407
Resources on Communication, Decision Making, and Conflict Resolution	p. 407
Resources on Shared Housing	p. 409
Resources on Sharing Household Goods, Purchases, Tasks, and Space	p. 412
Resources on Sharing Food	p. 413
Resources on Sharing Care	p. 417
Transportation Resources	p. 417
Resources on Work and Sharing	p. 418
Forms	p. 421
Money and Property Worksheet
Time and Efficiency Worksheet
Environmental Worksheet
Community Building Worksheet
Getting Help Worksheet
What Could I Share?
Neighbor Questionnaire
Checklist for Discussing the 20 Questions
Communication Checklist
Worksheet: Rate Your Housing Priorities
Goods to Lend and Borrow
Home Improvement Group: Tools and Skills Assessment
Diet Preferences for Mealsharing
Fruit Harvest Agreement
Information Sheet for Children's Carpool
Worksheet: Annual Car Expenses
Information Sheet for Carpool Members
Worksheet: Work Expenses to Consider Sharing
Index
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.