CGA Law News & Blog

CGA Law Firm is pleased to welcome Attorney Nicole M. Marzzacco to our team after participating in the firm’s Summer Associate program in 2023. Nicole joins the firm as an associate, focusing her practice on estate planning, family law, municipal and litigation. A recent graduate of Widener Commonwealth Law School, Nicole has already demonstrated exceptional promise in her legal career. During her time at Widener, she distinguished herself through academic excellence and a strong commitment to service. Her induction into the Order of the Barristers and receipt of the Service to the School Award are testaments to her outstanding achievements…. read more »

Pickleball, a hybrid sport combining elements of table tennis, badminton, and tennis, was invented in 1965 in a backyard in Washington State. By 2024, over 40 million Americans were actively participating at over 14,000 venues with courts. Since 2021, it has been uniformly considered the fastest-growing sport in America by the sports and fitness industries. It seems as if the advent of the COVID virus in 2020 served as a catalyst for the sport’s popularity and growth, which presently appears to have no end in sight. With such a meteoric rise in participation, it is no surprise that some unanticipated… read more »

This is an update to our January 16, 2024 article titled “The Corporate Transparency Act and Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting”. At the beginning of this year, the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) became effective. The CTA is intended to aid law enforcement in combating illicit activity, such as money laundering and terrorist financing, conducted through anonymous shell companies. It does so by mandating certain entities, primarily small or medium size businesses, to report “beneficial owner” information to the Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). The CTA authorizes FinCEN, a Bureau of the US Treasurer Department, to collect, protect and disclose this information… read more »

From Attorney Tim Bupp, chair of the CGA Law Firm Estate Law practice group. If your beneficiary is a person with a disability (“PWD”), creating a special needs trust for their benefit can be one of the most important things you ever do. Our goal in estate planning is to ensure that our assets will provide our loved ones with benefits for their health, safety, and well-being.  In some circumstances, such a beneficiary may already be receiving state or federal benefits such as Medicaid, SSI, or SNAP benefits, which are “means-tested”; that is, a beneficiary with too many assets in… read more »

CGA Law Firm has been honored with the Community Service Award from The Salvation Army, marking the first time a professional business has received this recognition. This award underscores CGA’s longstanding commitment to being a force for good in the community. “We are humbled by this recognition from The Salvation Army,” said Craig Sharnetzka, President at CGA Law Firm. “It is rewarding to serve our community, and we look forward to continuing our work as a partner in various community initiatives.” The Community Service Award acknowledges CGA’s ongoing efforts to engage in various initiatives and forge partnerships that foster a… read more »

CGA Law Firm announces the retirement of The Honorable John C. Uhler, concluding his tenure as Of Counsel with the firm. Judge Uhler’s distinguished legal career spans over fifty years, including twenty-five years on the York County Court of Common Pleas and five as President Judge. As President Judge, Uhler was instrumental in building the new York County Judicial Center. Since joining CGA in 2014, Judge Uhler has focused on complex commercial litigation, estate matters, and alternative dispute resolution. His expertise as an accredited mediator and arbitrator has been invaluable to the firm’s litigation practice. Judge Uhler’s contributions to Pennsylvania’s… read more »

CGA Law Firm is proud to announce the return of Major Courtney Buechler following her 10-month deployment to Africa with the U.S. Army Reserve. Buechler, an Associate Attorney at CGA, resumed her position with the firm in July 2024. During her deployment, Buechler served with Army Civil Affairs, a branch vital for coordinating civil humanitarian efforts in conflict and post-conflict regions. Her mission involved collaborating with local communities and international partners to promote stability and provide essential support. “Courtney’s service exemplifies the integrity, commitment, service and dedication we value at CGA,” said Craig Sharnetzka, President at CGA Law Firm. “Her… read more »

You are a Pennsylvania property owner and you have just received a notice that your property was sold at an upset tax sale… now what? You are now faced with the reality that you will be stripped of your interest in perhaps the most valuable asset you own – your real property – which was sold to the highest bidder at upset tax sale, likely for a price beneath its fair market value. While these circumstances are no doubt upsetting (upset tax sales are aptly-named) and hard to understand, Attorney John R. Wilson of CGA Law Firm has substantial experience… read more »

For homeowners in Pennsylvania facing the risk of real estate tax sale proceedings, filing for bankruptcy can provide critical relief. The automatic stay, a powerful legal provision under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, offers homeowners protection by immediately halting real estate tax sale proceedings. This article explores the impact of the automatic stay in Pennsylvania, emphasizing how it grants homeowners more time to either sell their property for its fair market value or repay real estate tax arrears within a 60-month term through bankruptcy. Understanding the Automatic Stay: The automatic stay is a fundamental component of bankruptcy law, specifically outlined in… read more »

Attorney Larry Young, Shareholder and Chair of CGA Law Firm’s Bankruptcy Practice Group, has been honored by The Best Lawyers in America® award for his work in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in the Harrisburg area. Young will be featured in the 31st edition of  The Best Lawyers in America® for this prestigious achievement. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled based on an exhaustive Purely Peer Review® evaluation. More than 184,000 industry-leading lawyers are eligible to vote, and they have received… read more »