Monthly Archives: February 2012
The Queen’s English – En Garde!
In the world of grammar there are descriptivists (language liberals) and prescriptivists (strict adherence to the rules). In the “Dictionary of Unendurable English”, Robert Hartwell Fiske leaves no doubt about his feelings; he believes that rules promote accuracy, clarity, and elegance and that we should… Continue reading
The Importance of Diversification in Business
Diversification is a fundamental principle of prudent investing. The old adage “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” prevented investors with a balanced portfolio from being destroyed during the 2008 economic downturn. Those who had all their eggs in real estate, housing and certain… Continue reading
Real Estate “Seller Beware”
For many years, the theory of “caveat emptor” or “let the buyer beware” prevailed in residential real estate transactions. The landscape changed in 2000 with the passage of RESDL, the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law. Under RESDL, there are 16 specific categories of information that… Continue reading
PennDOT Attempts to Suspend Mom for Son’s Misdeed
A recent Commonwealth Court decision in Pennsylvania (Franklin v. PennDOT) arose from PennDOT’s suspension of a woman’s driver’s license for her failure to satisfy a judgment originally entered against her son as the result of an automobile accident involving him. If a child under the age… Continue reading
Municipal Officials’ Emails – Are They Protected from Disclosure Under the Right-To-Know Law?
Are a public official’s emails sent from his or her personal computer subject to disclosure under the Right-to-Know Law? Following a 2011 decision of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court (In re Silberstein), it appeared that the answer was “no.” However, according to a more recent… Continue reading
Children At the Wheel
At the end of 2011, some major changes regarding teenage drivers went into effect in the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code. This is a reflection of the concern over the teenage drivers’ accident rate which is four times the adult drivers’ rate. The new law provides: Within… Continue reading
Automobile Insurance Laws in Pennsylvania
All licensed motor vehicles in Pennsylvania are required to have insurance coverage. The Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (“MVFRL”) is designed to protect everyone who could be injured or could suffer a loss in the event of an automobile accident. Minimum liability coverage is… Continue reading
The Queen’s English – Tidbits
Writing in the monthly Pennsylvania Lawyer, Gertrude Block is always interesting and often wry in her observations. Here are a few: Pleaded or pled (as in legal filings). Actually, as the past tense of plead, either is correct, though Americans seem to prefer pleaded. Compare the… Continue reading
Kenny Butera Elected To PASD Board
We are proud to announce that J. Kenneth (Kenny) Butera was recently elected to the Board of the Phoenixville Area School District. Kenny, who cross-filed as both a Republican and a Democrat, was the largest vote getter in both the primary that occurred last spring… Continue reading
Statutes of Limitations
Different types of lawsuits are subject to different statutes of limitation. For example, in Pennsylvania a case for libel or slander, sometimes called “defamation”, must be brought within one year following the defamatory conduct. This is a relatively short statute of limitation. Most personal injury… Continue reading