This time of the year, our thoughts turn to family and friends. Maybe we reflect on the past year or look forward to the next. For association boards and property managers, these happy thoughts are interrupted by questions about snow removal. When do we call snowplows? What kinds of deicers should we use? And does our association have any liability for slips and falls?
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Any time I can use Schoolhouse Rock to explain a complicated legal issue, I have to jump on it. Today is one of those days. On June 9, the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives adopted Concurrent Resolution 836. The Concurrent Resolution said that the state of disaster emergency due to COVID-19 was over
Soon, most of Pennsylvania will be in the Green Phase of the Governor’s Plan for COVID-19 reopening. If you are like me, you might be confused about exactly what the Green Phase allows.
It is not a complete return to the good old days of 2019 before we ever heard the words “novel coronavirus.” There
For weeks, associations, municipalities, children’s day camps and public swimming pool organizations have been trying to decide if they could open summer recreation facilities such as pools, parks and playgrounds. The state has only recently released directions on how to open businesses, like construction, in a socially distant way.
Going into the Memorial Day
Beginning on May 1, 2020, Pennsylvania will allow businesses that are involved in construction to open. These construction businesses must follow state guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Reopening construction will allow some workers to return to their jobs and some people to move into their new homes.
However, just because Pennsylvania construction
In the past few weeks, we have looked at many of the economic stimulus and consumer protection parts of the CARES Act. A minor section in the Act has also corrected the “Retail Glitch” of 2018’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). This correction will now allow business owners to depreciate improvements and equipment –
**UPDATE 5/9/2020** Governor Wolf ordered all foreclosures and evictions delayed until July 10, 2020. If a mortgage company, landlord or manufactured home park owner has already sent out the required paperwork to start a foreclosure or eviction (Act 6 or 91 Notice, Notice to Quit, MHCRA Notice, etc.), they have to start all of the
The CARES Act makes several changes to how people can use their retirement accounts during the coronavirus crisis – in particular, how they can use their retirement distributions. These provisions are another way to help people through the financial strain of this year.
The CARES Act allows retirement distributions from an
Attorneys at Russell, Krafft & Gruber took part in the Community Wellness Expo at the Hempfield Rec Center on March 8. Attorneys Lindsay Schoeneberger, Kathy Krafft Miller and Kim Carter Paterson provided information and answered questions about Wills, Estate Planning, Financial Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives and Powers of Attorney. Health Care Directives and Powers of Attorney are an important but often overlooked part of health planning. Everyone, regardless of their age or their current health status, should have a plan for what happens if things go wrong. Even though it is unpleasant to talk about, it is much more unpleasant to have an emergency with no plan in place.
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The first thing on everyone’s mind right now is the health and safety of our family, friends and neighbors. But as the quarantines and restrictions increase with the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19, businesses will start to be hurt as well. At some point, every business needs to know how coronavirus will affect their contracts. Are you going to get refunds for the things you already paid for? Are your construction contracts going to cost more because of delay?
The answer is: It depends.
If we want to predict the impact of coronavirus on business agreements, we have to read the agreements. They can treat the situation in a number of different ways. Many agreements have a force majeure or “act of God” provision. Maybe the contract calls these events “unavoidable casualties” or “events beyond the control of the parties.” The point is that different contracts may treat these situations differently. Let’s look at some examples:
Continue Reading How Does Coronavirus Affect Your Contracts?