Yearly Archives: 2011
A Sanitary Education
Many of us who migrated from the cities to the suburbs and beyond had no knowledge of “sewers”except when we were fishing out rubber balls that disappeared into them. When I moved into my first home in the outer suburbs, I do not… Continue reading
Post Death Capital Gains and the December Tax Legislation
In December 17 of last year President Obama signed into existence the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Authorization and Job Creation Act of 2010” to clarify the uncertainties surrounding the future of the federal estate tax – at least for the next two years. As outlined… Continue reading
Joint Bank Account Law – Back to the Future
In our Spring 2010 issue we reviewed two significant Pennsylvania Superior Court decisions about joint ownership of bank accounts. In that article we described how the Superior Court had decided, in particular instances, that the terms of a will could override the survivorship features that… Continue reading
The Queen’s English – So Big!
It is monosyllabic and tiny. But it packs its own kind of punch and is infinitely versatile. It can be an adverb, an adjective, a conjunction, or a pronoun. It is just so. As an adverb it must modify a verb, an… Continue reading
Slip and Fall Injuries
The winter of 2010-2011 will probably go down as one of our worst, especially for injuries caused by falls on the ice. Falls can occur on sidewalks, driveways, parking lots – all of the public places where we walk. Injuries from these falls can range… Continue reading
Major Changes Proposed for the Liquor Control Board
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has been criticized broadly for years for many of its policies, perhaps none more than those involving retail sales of wine and liquor. The complaints are usually that prices are too high and selection too limited. With a new administration… Continue reading
Pardon v. Expungement
Governor Ed Rendell will be leaving the Governor’s Mansion next month to make way for Governor Elect Tom Corbett. One of the Governor’s powers is to grant pardons of convicted criminals. Usually a change in the executive administration brings with it a rash of pardons… Continue reading
Queen’s English – Historically Speaking
Lawyers are often criticized for redundantly repeating themselves. (That last sentence is an illustration.) Some of these repetitive word formulas are deeply engrained in the law; and although they may be of no value now, they did serve a historical purpose. As examples, if you… Continue reading
Have A Will, Keep It Current
A 2007 study by an affiliate of Martindale-Hubbell found that over one-half of adult Americans do not have a will. What this statistic implies from state to state varies in the detail. However, on a general level we can state what it means in Pennsylvania. First,… Continue reading
Latin Lovers Meets Truth or Consequences
Trial judges and juries are often faced with having to make judgments about the credibility of a witness’s testimony. There are certain rules, however, which make this task a bit simpler. Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus is a term which literally means “false in… Continue reading