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Legal Alerts

Zoning Board

Commonwealth Court Overturns Zoning Board’s Denial Based on Merger Doctrine and Unnecessary Hardship Questions

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court recently issued an opinion in Craft Custom Homes v. Zoning Hearing Board of Newtown Township, 2025 Pa. Commw....

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Claims of Unlawful Discrimination

Commonwealth Court Overturns Award of Damages Assessed Against Landlord on Claims of Unlawful Discrimination

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court recently issued an opinion in 1400 Main Holdings v. Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, 2024 WL 4683928, in...

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Land Use and Zoning Law

2024 Year in Review: Land Use and Zoning Law in Philadelphia

This past year, the city of Philadelphia approved and implemented several impactful pieces of legislation affecting land use and zoning law. These...

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Act 135

Act 135 Conservator Appointment for Vacant Property Upheld by Superior Court

In Philadelphia, recently, there has been a push in City Council to limit the ability for non-profit organizations and individuals to take over...

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Legal Council

Pa. Supreme Court Denies Taking Due to a Lack of a Public Purpose

In a recent decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Wolfe v. Reading Blue Mountain, 2024 Pa. LEXIS 1209 (Aug. 20, 2024), affirmed the trial...

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Review Application Details

Read Amanda Dougherty’s Blog Post “Reviewing the First Level Review”

On her blog, The City of Property Taxes, Amanda Dougherty discusses the process of filing applications for First Level Review (FLR). The City of...

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Legal Standards

Court: Landlord Only Entitled to Damages Up to the Date of Repossession

In a recent opinion, the Pennsylvania Superior Court in 1700 Market St. Associates v. Common Grounds 1700 Market St., 314 A.3d 855 (Pa. Super. Ct....

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ZBA Hardship

Commonwealth Court Affirms ZBA Hardship Finding Due to Commercial Viability and Need for Costly Environmental Remediation

In In re Appeal of Council Member Cindy Bass, 2024 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 172 (July 19, 2024), the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court affirmed, in part, a...

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Property Code Violation Fines

Commonwealth Court Allows Hefty Property Code Violation Fines

In two recent cases of note to property owners in Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania sided with the city government in Philadelphia...

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Tax Sale Notice

Recent Commonwealth Court Ruling Underscores Importance of Tax Sale Notice Requirements

As real estate tax foreclosure sales will be taking place again in Philadelphia, it is as good a time as any to review how the appellate courts in...

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