Monthly Archives: July 2006
Easements and Licenses
Suppose you grant your next-door-neighbor permission to erect a fence across the property line on your property in order to accommodate a tree growing on the property line. Or suppose a landowner allows another landowner to use a private road across his property in order… Continue reading
Trust Fund Taxes and the 100% Penalty
The Internal Revenue Code requires employers to withhold from wages and pay over to the government employment taxes at specified intervals. Because funds withheld from employee wages are not property of the employer but instead are earmarked for the government, they are commonly known as… Continue reading
“Full Tort” or “Limited Tort” The Auto Insurance Dilemma
We handle many automobile accident injury cases and recent changes in the insurance laws are catching some drivers by surprise.The Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law establishes two basic choices of automobile insurance coverage, commonly known as the “Full Tort” option and the “Limited Tort”… Continue reading
Shifting the Burden of Legal Fees to Your Opponent
There has been debate in the national press of late concerning “loser pays” provisions in litigation situations. Generally speaking, the “American Rule” is that each party bears its own costs, including legal fees relative to a claim, regardless of success or failure. This is at… Continue reading
Seven Reasons to Incorporate
We set up scores of new businesses each year, most of which are incorporated. While there are sometimes good reasons not to incorporate, such as businesses whose primary purpose is ownership of real estate, here are seven reasons why setting your business up as a… Continue reading
What Happens to Your Property If You Die Without a Will?
In Pennsylvania, as in most states, if you die without a will, your property will be distributed according to the intestacy laws. Exactly how your property is distributed depends on whether you have a spouse, whether you have children, and whether you have surviving parents.The… Continue reading
Don’t Speak Too Soon!
Here is the scene: You have just been hurt in a car accident at an intersection, the traffic light was changing, and you are not sure how fast you were going. Maybe you weren’t paying as much attention as you normally do. Is it your… Continue reading
Why We Take Personal Injury Cases on a Contingent Fee Basis
Why do attorneys take personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis? We hear this question from time to time and it is a subject worthy of discussion.Let’s say you dislocate your shoulder as a result of a slip and fall on a slippery patch… Continue reading
What to Do When the IRS Calls
If you or your business is contacted by a representative of the Internal Revenue Service concerning a tax problem, you are best advised not to engage in any direct conversation or correspondence. Instead, politely avoid any substantive discussion and call your accountant or tax attorney;… Continue reading
Some Overlooked Deductions
How would you like to have Uncle Sam help pay for your lawyer or accountant at your next real estate settlement? If your tax advisor is on the ball, he or she will identify several deductible charges many people miss when they prepare their tax… Continue reading