Archive for the ‘Real Estate Law’ Category

COVID-19 Update: Effect on Real Estate March 23, 2020 COVID-19 presents a constantly evolving situation with many factors at play, this article provides a general guide to its impact, while not addressing specific situations. SHUT DOWN ORDER On Thursday, March 19, 2020, Governor Wolf announced that all non-life sustaining businesses would be required to close their physical locations.  The physical offices of real estate agents and brokers were not deemed life-sustaining and, therefore, close their physical offices; although work being completed via telecommuting may continue.  Failure to comply with the Governor’s order will come at a steep cost, including the potential forfeiture… read more »

On Thursday, March 19th, Governor Wolf issued an order that went into effect at 8pm that evening — all “non-life sustaining businesses” in Pennsylvania must close their physical locations to slow the transmission of COVID-19. Enforcement of this order will begin on Monday, March 23rd at 8am. What Happens Now Although all parties which facilitate a real estate transaction (real estate agents, real estate brokers, attorneys, title companies, lenders, inspectors, appraisers, and contractors) cannot conduct in-person transactions, it appears that they may continue to complete any parts of the transaction that can take place remotely. Service activities that can be… read more »

COVID-19 has created many urgent questions for business clients, including how to handle commercial contracts.  This article outlines the issues involved and provides general information to aid in certain decisions.  Under the laws, there are multiple frameworks that might apply to your situation – explicit contract language, the UCC and the common law of contracts.  An attorney can help you determine which of those frameworks applies to your circumstance. Each situation is unique and this article does not provide any specific advice. Force Majeure Your commercial contract may contain a force majeure provision.  A force majeure provision may excuse or delay certain contractual obligations during… read more »

Article by: Attorney Christine Nentwig It has become increasingly common to see people accompanied by service or assistance animals in public places, including restaurants, shopping malls and airports.  Most service or assistance animals and the disabled individuals they serve are subject to broad protections with respect to both access to public places and housing under several federal (and many state) statutes. Service Animals and the Law The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies only to service dogs (and in some cases miniature horses) who have been trained to perform specific work or tasks for disabled persons.  The provision of emotional support, comfort,… read more »

Article from the October 2019 Issue of the Pennsylvania Observer “So a man and a dog walk into a bar … ” What might sound to some like the start of an old­fashioned bar joke is no laughing matter for those with disabilities or the businesses required to accommodate them. Assistance animals are becoming increasingly common and may be referred to by varying terms, such as service animals, therapy animals, and emotional support animals. The extent to which assistance animals are protected legally varies depending upon the animal’s purpose, species and training. Unfortunately, navigating these legal protections can be challenging,… read more »

Article by: Rebecca Shanaman, Esquire Buying a home can be an intimidating experience for people, especially for first-time buyers. People have a lot of questions about the process. One question is, “do I need an attorney?”. While the role of the realtor and bank in a residential real estate transaction are obvious, the role of an attorney may be less so. But in real estate closings, as in all cases, the role of the attorney is to be an advocate for his or her client. One very important reason to hire an attorney when buying a home has to do… read more »

Read the recap of the live chat about property taxes with CGA Law Firm’s Frank Countess and York Daily Records’ Sean Adkins. 10:00 – Sean Adkins: Hi Frank. How are you?10:02– Frank Countess: Doing very well this sunny Friday morning.10:02– Sean Adkins: This is Sean Adkins. I’m filling in for Lauren this week.10:04– Sean Adkins: Here’s our first question.10:04– Comment From Larry Wolfe: Of all of the appeals handled by CGA, what is the average reduction (as a percentage of the original assessed value) in assessed value for its clients?10:06– Frank Countess: The range of reductions obtained is between 10%… read more »

In these challenging economic times, it seems there is no shortage of bad news.  Taxes are increasing while the value of your home, at least on paper, is substantially less than what it was a few years ago.  In the midst of these challenges there may be a silver lining in that your residential, commercial, or industrial real estate may have significantly dropped in value since the last county-wide assessment was performed for York County in 2005. Accordingly, it might be worthwhile investigating whether your assessment should also be decreased.    Additionally, very few people are aware that the assessed… read more »