There's an eternal conflict in the world of real estate. It involves the fight between those who would develop the land in urban areas to increase tax revenue and promote economic prosperity versus those who would keep each existing acre of pristine land in its untouched condition to preserve the beauty of nature. The preservationists usually are the underdogs in these real estate disputes, but they've nonetheless succeeded in keeping thousands of Pennsylvania acres from the developer's backhoes.
Are Pennsylvania home sellers required to disclose stigmas?
It's the holiday season, but a story out of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, hearkens back a couple of months to Halloween. At issue: a home seller's responsibility to disclose to a buyer the property's allegedly haunted history. Or, should a seller have to inform a buyer of any prior deaths or violent crimes that occurred in the residence?
Phoenixville golf course subject of eminent domain action
Eminent domain is a highly contentious area of law that pits property owners against state and local authorities. In these delicate situations, property owners often need legal assistance in challenging a condemnation or negotiating to maximize compensation and relocation benefits.
Controversial law in Pennsylvania angers landlords and tenants
The "one-strike ordinance" was established in Pennsylvania as a crime-fighting effort that not only evicts a person from a place of residency if they are accused of a crime, but closes the property down for six months as well. But in cities like Wilkes-Barre, where it is being touted as a way to deal with the "record-setting violence" in the area, landlords and tenants are seeing it as a violation of their constitutional rights and are beginning to take a stand against it.
Philadelphia considers rezoning schools to allow advertising
The idea has been around for decades, and some parts of the country have tried it: rezoning public school property to allow for advertising outside and inside schools. The idea is to sell ad space to raise money for school districts, and in these times of budget cuts and teacher layoffs, using school property to raise revenue may be attractive to some. But parents in Philadelphia have reservations.
